- Emergency Management and Response
- Information Sharing and Analysis Center
- (EMR-ISAC)
-
- INFOGRAM 7-08 February 21, 2008
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- NOTE: This INFOGRAM will be distributed weekly to provide
members of the Emergency Services Sector with information concerning the
protection of their critical infrastructures. For further information,
contact the Emergency Management and Response- Information Sharing and
Analysis Center (EMR-ISAC) at (301) 447-1325 or by e-mail at emr-isac@dhs.gov.
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- Domestic Extremism Update
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- Homegrown individuals and groups are seven times more
likely than transnational people to commit terrorist acts in the United
States, a panel recently reported at the annual meeting of the American
Association for the Advancement of Science. The Emergency Management and
Response-Information Sharing and Analysis Center (EMR-ISAC) learned that
domestic extremists tend to fall into five general categories: political,
religious (including abortion), environmental, animal rights, and youth
culture.
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- Of growing concern, however, are the American men and
women who may be radicalized by hateful information found in distributed
hard-copy materials and also searchable through Internet web sites. There
is particular apprehension among counterterrorism specialists that Americans
between the ages of 15 and 25 will take comfort in "like-minded souls"
and increase the numbers of fanatic activists willing to execute terror
strikes on U.S. soil.
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- For over six years, security and intelligence echelons
of the nation have been preoccupied with the probability of domestic al-Qaeda
sleeper cells being activated to initiate additional terrorist attacks.
But researchers are persuaded that domestic extremists will be responsible
for future carnage and damage to the critical infrastructures of this country.
Considering this possibility, the EMR-ISAC identified several indicators
of individuals preparing to conduct heinous actions for their misguided
cause.
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- The EMR-ISAC offers the following common indicators of
nefarious planning to assist Emergency Services Sector personnel to protect
themselves and others in the performance of duties:
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- · Carries false or suspicious identity documents.
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- · Makes overt attempts to blend and avoid scrutiny.
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- · Endeavors to keep physically fit for personal
protection.
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- · Develops excellent skills in computers and the
Internet.
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- · Uses Internet search engines to print maps and
other critical information.
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- · Practices surveillance and counter-surveillance
techniques.
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- · Trains with easily obtainable weaponry and explosives.
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- · Acquires the components for improvised explosive
devices.
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- For more information about domestic terrorism, see this
link to the Institute for Counterterrorism: http://www.ict.org.il/index.php?sid=...ic%20terrorism.
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- IAFC Seeks Best Practices in Critical Infrastructure
Protection
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- The International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC),
in coordination with its public-safety partners on the Emergency Services
Sector (ESS) Coordinating Council and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security,
is seeking model practices in ESS critical infrastructure protection (CIP)
and critical infrastructure resilience (CIR) efforts.
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- Infrastructure protection for the emergency services
sector comprises the protection of human, physical, and communication/cyber
elements that maintain and improve the ability of the sector to protect
and preserve its own integrity in an imminent or ongoing emergency.
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- Submissions received by March 3, 2008, will be reviewed
by a panel of peers for possible inclusion in a set of model procedures
that will be associated with the National Infrastructure Protection Plan
and its subordinate Emergency Services Sector-Specific Plan.
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- The goal of this project is to provide models that will
help local and regional entities develop effective and comprehensive emergency
plans that include how best to protect the protectors.
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- The proposal form outlining the project scope and submission
criteria is available on the IAFC website at: http://www.iafc.org/associations/468...oposalForm.pdf.
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- Please email your proposal submission by 3 March to adavison@iafc.org.
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- AHB Training Aids
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- The presence of Africanized honey bees (AHB) in at least
eight U.S. states has challenged Emergency Services Sector (ESS) organizations
in some jurisdictions to create training materials and institute response
plans to protect personnel, the foremost of ESS critical infrastructures.
Considering this development, the Emergency Management and Response-Information
Sharing and Analysis Center (EMR-ISAC) includes in this article links to
training materials meant to help ESS departments and agencies prepare for
this menace.
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- Africanized honey bees (also known as "killer bees")
are hybrids of the African honey bee with various European honey bees.
As of 2002, they began their spread from Brazil, eventually arriving in
Texas, Arizona, New Mexico, Florida, Southwest Arkansas, New Orleans, California,
and Oklahoma. They have been seen as far as Kansas City, Missouri, although
they are more commonly found farther to the south. The Africanized bees
are more likely than European bees to attack a perceived threat and attack
relentlessly in larger numbers, e.g., 50,000 Africanized bees versus 200
European bees might attack if their hive is upset. The venom of Africanized
honey bees is no more potent than that of European honey bees, but the
vastly greater number of stings causes more deaths.
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- After responding to a number of attacks by AHBs, members
of the Kissimmee Fire Department in Osceola County, Florida, were issued
hoods or "sting shields" to wear with their Personal Protective
Equipment (PPE). The bees, which are attracted to carbon dioxide, were
lighting on responders' faces and crawling under their helmets. Personnel
also learned that lights and sirens on apparatus and vehicles can attract
the bees, so they turn them off as they near an incident scene. If it is
necessary to perform a rescue, victims are sprayed with Class A foam to
suffocate the bees because the application of water alone causes the bees
to relocate only momentarily.
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- Working with Dr. William Kern of the University of Florida,
the Osceola County Emergency Services Department created AHB awareness
and emergency response PowerPoint presentations and an AHB Standard Operating
Guideline (SOG). To assist ESS personnel across the country, the department
agreed to share these training materials as well as an mpeg (movie file)
of a stinging AHB and stinging European honey bee. The training materials
can be accessed at:
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- http://www.usfa.dhs.gov/downloads/pdf/KillerBeeSOG.pdf
(91 Kb)
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- http://www.usfa.dhs.gov/downloads/pp...awareness1.ppt
(7.6 Mb)
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- http://www.usfa.dhs.gov/downloads/pp..._response1.ppt
(14.4 Mb)
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- http://www.usfa.dhs.gov/downloads/me...eSting1min.mpg
(14.0 Mb)
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- Lt. David Langston of the Osceola County Department of
Fire Rescue and Emergency Services
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- Training Branch, who assisted in developing the training
materials, can be contacted at dlan3@osceola.org. The EMR-ISAC also appreciates
the input of Lt. Joan Robinson, EMS Coordinator, Kissimmee Fire Department.
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- Thefts of Catalytic Converters
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- In February 2007, the Emergency Management and Response-Information
Sharing and Analysis Center (EMR-ISAC) wrote that increasing thefts of
copper from electrical lines, substations, and distribution lines were
degrading the reliability of the regional electrical grid and could potentially
disrupt Emergency Services Sector (ESS) communications and operations.
Such thefts continue nationwide because the stolen materials command high
prices from scrap-metal dealers.
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- To keep emergency leaders apprised of another emerging
trend that can degrade assets, thieves are stealing catalytic converters,
a component of automotive exhaust systems, because prices of precious metals
continue to rise. Law enforcement reports indicate that there has been
a dramatic increase in thefts of the components in recent months. Although
catalytic converters have only small traces of the metals platinum, palladium
and/or rhodium, stolen converters can be resold for up to $200 each to
scrap-metal dealers. The units do not have serial numbers that can be used
for tracking.
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- Because the converters are mounted on the exterior undercarriage
of vehicles, they can be removed in several minutes with any standard metal
cutting tool. According to a report from msnbc.com, the theft of a vehicle's
catalytic converter not only renders an exhaust system inoperable, it can
be dangerous: "On some of these cars, if that pipe gets cut off near
some wiring or a fuel line or a gas tank-which in some cases are not shielded-there
is a possibility of a fire and/or explosion."
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- An individual was arrested several months ago after being
caught stealing the converters from vehicles in the impound lot of a state
highway patrol. A Baltimore County, Maryland, police auto theft team sergeant
told msnbc.com, "Unless you can garage your vehicle 24 hours a day,
anyone can climb under your car and cut off the catalytic converter."
The EMR-ISAC asserts that thefts of the converters from emergency services'
staff cars, cruisers, unmarked vehicles, and SUVs, i.e., ESS assets, would
necessitate repairs that take vehicles out of service, create a potential
explosion hazard, and affect departments' resilience and "response-ability."
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- FAIR USE NOTICE
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- This INFOGRAM may contain copyrighted material that was
not specifically authorized by the copyright owner. EMR-ISAC personnel
believe this constitutes "fair use" of copyrighted material as
provided for in section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Law. If you wish to use
copyrighted material contained within this document for your own purposes
that go beyond "fair use," you must obtain permission from the
copyright owner.
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- Reporting Notice
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- DHS and the FBI encourage recipients of this document
to report information concerning suspicious or criminal activity to DHS
and/or the FBI. The DHS National Operation Center (NOC) can be reached
by telephone at 202-282-9685 or by e-mail at NOC.Fusion@dhs.gov.
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- The FBI regional phone numbers can be found online at
www.fbi.gov/contact/fo/fo.htm.
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- For information affecting the private sector and critical
infrastructure, contact the National Infrastructure Coordinating Center
(NICC), a sub-element of the NOC. The NICC can be reached by telephone
at 202-282-9201 or by e-mail at NICC@dhs.gov.
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- When available, each report submitted should include
the date, time, location, type of activity, number of people and type of
equipment used for the activity, the name of the submitting company or
organization, and a designated point of contact.
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- The National Infrastructure Coordinating Center (NICC)
within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Office of Infrastructure
Protection is the central point for notifications regarding infrastructure
threats, disruptions, intrusions, and suspicious activities. Emergency
Services Sector personnel are requested to report any incidents or attacks
involving their infrastructures using at least the first and second points
of contact seen below:
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- 1) NICC - Voice: 202-282-9201, Fax: 703-487-3570, E-Mail:nicc@dhs.gov
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- 2) Your local FBI office - Web: http://www.fbi.gov/contact/fo/fo.htm
- 3) EMR-ISAC - Voice: 301-447-1325, E-Mail: emr-isac@dhs.gov,
fax: 301-447- 1034,
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- Web: www.usfa.dhs.gov/subjects/emr-isac, Mail: J-247,
16825 South Seton Avenue,
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- Emmitsburg, MD 21727
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- http://curtmaynardsblog.blogspot.com/2008/02/emergency-management-and-response.html
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