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Community Safety/Security eNewsletter
June 2008
Welcome to the June 2008 Issue
Stephen
Welcome to summer! Floods in the midwest, heat on the east coast, and the perennial fires in California. And we haven't even fully gotten into the hurricane season yet. Last month was National Safety Month, and in our "Recent Events" column, we point you at some of the things that the National Safety Council did to help get agencies, businesses, and individuals ready. As I mentioned last month, I've uploaded my paper on the structure of DHS to our resources page. Feedback is always welcome and I look forward to your comments. The DC area seems to be a great place to communicate about Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness/Response issues, but there are so many that it is difficult to determine which are the best ones to attend. Any help you folks can give me would be appreciated! Have a great month, a safe and Happy Fourth of July and we'll see you next month!
Water, water, everywhere....
It started out as a nice sunny day in Southwest Florida, as do most summer days. But as any Floridian knows in the summer, it rarely ever lasts. The ominous clouds rolled in pretty quick and just as fast, they unleashed a deluge of water. On the ride home, a three lane road was reduced to one, as the far right lanes were completely flooded. Surprisingly enough, there were a myriad of cars trying to traverse the other lanes. The operative word there was "trying". As luck (bad) would have it, they ended up stalled and stranded in the small slow river that had just recently formed.
Mind you, this is my small scale experience with localized flooding...nothing compared to the Midwest tragedy. Unfortunately, as seen with my localized flooding event, many people still made poor decisions which affected them as well as others on the road. Fortunately, the only repercussions are a busted car and some wet trousers. The impact of flooding on a larger scale can involve major loss of property as well as loss of life. Most declared natural disasters involve flooding. Community and individual preparation is paramount. A great resource for flood information is provided by FLASH - Federal Alliance for Safe Homes
http://www.flash.org/activity.cfm?currentPeril=2Check it out...it may keep you dry.....
Stay safe, we’ll chat again next month!
Jovanni
Technical Paper
"An Organizational Plan for the Success of the Department of Homeland Security"
by Stephen R. Melvin, PE CSP CPP
Nominated for the prestigious Admiral Richard G. Colbert Award.
is now uploaded to our Resources page.
Agency says 7,000 sites at 'high risk' of terrorist attack
Updated 5:52 p.m. EDT, Fri June 20, 2008
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- More than 7,000 facilities, from chemical plants to colleges, have been designated "high-risk" sites for potential terrorist attacks, according to the Department of Homeland Security. Experts long have worried that U.S. industrial facilities could be used as terrorist weapons.
Next week, the department will send letters to the facilities notifying them that they present the highest potential consequences in the event of a successful terrorist attack, said Robert Stephan, the agency's assistant secretary for infrastructure protection.
The facilities include chemical plants, hospitals, colleges and universities, oil and natural gas production and storage sites, and food and agricultural processing and distribution centers, Stephan said.
The names of the sites will not be released to the public.
The department compiled the list after reviewing information submitted by 32,000 facilities nationwide. It considered factors such as proximity to population centers, the volatility of chemicals on site and how the chemicals are stored and handled.
Experts long have worried that terrorists could attack chemical facilities near large cities, in essence turning them into large bombs. Experts say it is a hallmark of al Qaeda, in particular, to leverage a target nation's technological or industrial strength against it, as terrorists did in the September 11 terrorist attacks
The department said Friday that the list is the first step in its plan to reduce the consequences of an attack. It first compiled a list of approximately 320 "chemicals of interest" and determined what amounts of each chemical should raise concerns, Stephan said.
Then came the consequence analysis, which examined where a facility was and the expected impact of a chemical release or an explosion, Stephan said.
"We looked at how the chemicals were packaged for storage, how they were containerized for shipment," he said. "Could the chemicals be taken off-site by one person with relatively little effort, or would they require a crane or some type of giant vehicular conveyance?"
The 7,000 facilities will have 90 days to conduct "site-specific" assessments of security vulnerabilities.
In the coming months, the department will conduct additional assessments, divide the facilities into four tiers and help the plants develop security plans. First will be Tier 1, consisting of plants with the biggest potential for disaster, Stephan said. It will then check to ensure that they are complying with the security plans, he said.
The regulations address a variety of factors, including fencing, background checks of employees and restrictions on who can enter plants, Stephan said.
"I want to put enough complexity into the mix that al Qaeda will go somewhere else," he said. "I'm trying to complicate these guys' lives."
Stephan said the agency is trying to address three threats posed by chemical facilities: the possibility of hazardous materials leaks, fires and explosions; the possibility that materials could be stolen and used elsewhere; and possibly dangerous contamination of chemicals.
Critics of the process said the government should require industry to move to fewer hazardous chemicals. They also say the department is relying on information provided by industry, instead of independently gathering information.
Stephan acknowledged that the information came from the facilities, but said there are "significant penalties" for providing false or incomplete information.
One critic said Friday that the chemical security law is flawed because it does not include nuclear plants, which are regulated by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, or water treatment facilities.
Many or most of the nation's 3,000 drinking water facilities use chlorine gas, which puts "millions of people at risk," said Rick Hind of the Greenpeace Toxics Campaign.
Hind also faulted the agency's four-tier system of categorizing risky plants. He said officials have admitted in the past that 3,400 plants pose a risk to 1,000 or more people, but only 100 plants would make the top tier. Hind said that all 3,400 plants belong on the top tier, since 1,000 casualties "we think is a 9/11-magnitude" consequence.
Source: http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/06/20/terror.risk/?iref=mpstoryview
Canadian, US Crews Prepare For Disaster In Portsmouth
POSTED: 5:04 pm EDT June 10, 2008
UPDATED: 5:19 pm EDT June 10, 2008
PORTSMOUTH, N.H. -- First came an explosion on a 600-foot container ship. Then came word that a tugboat had been hijacked and another vessel pinned against a bridge was on fire.
The events were fictional. The response was real.
Frontier Sentinel, a five-day exercise to test the skills, communication abilities and equipment of about 3,000 sailors and other homeland defenders from the U.S. and Canada, is taking place this week off the Maine and New Hampshire coast.
"The whole purpose is to prepare for all hazards and all threats," Coast Guard sector commander Jim McPherson in Northern New England said Tuesday as those involved showed their stuff for the news media.
The drill kicked off about 9 a.m. Monday with news of the shipboard explosion. The Coast Guard and Navy, with help from the FBI and local law enforcement, investigated. They pretended to close the port.
When they discovered that submerged mines may have been involved, Canada's Joint Task Force Atlantic stepped in with a seven-ton, remote-controlled mine detector. Called the Dorado, the device can be controlled from about three to five miles away.
Six other unmanned, undersea vehicles were loaded into the ocean from docks and vessels. Twenty-four American and Canadian divers also searched the ocean floor for the fictional mines. The vehicles transmitted images to Coast Guard Station Portsmouth Harbor, where several U.S. Navy experts sat in front of computer screens examining them.
They looked at the size of shadows, smoothness and other characteristics that could indicate a mine rather than objects ranging from lobster pots to rocks.
Once probable mines were identified, the task became deciding how to eliminate them.
"The purpose of the exercise is not really the mines," McPherson said. "It easily could have been a hurricane that closed down the port because a bridge collapsed. The overarching theme is to test our ability to communicate and to coordinate actions at a federal, state and local level."
Officials declined to give details of the fictional incidents and the response because the exercise was continuing.
The area was chosen because of its proximity to the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard and other industrial facilities, fast tidal currents, limited underwater visibility and complex ocean floor.
About 600 of those involved are at or near the shipyard, which is in Kittery, Maine, or the Coast Guard station a short boat ride away in Portsmouth.
Source: http://www.wmur.com/news/16562269/detail.html
(Article no longer available at wmur.com)
Recent and Upcoming Events
Recent Events
Make a Difference was the theme of National Safety Council’s 2008 National Safety Month observance.
Throughout June 2008, National Safety Month activities addressed the most significant reasons for unintentional injuries and deaths in the American workplace, on the road and in the home and community. They offered tools and materials to help you and your organization Make a Difference in both on and off the job safety.
To help with the planning of your organization’s series of safety related activities, the NSC offered this schedule of National Safety Month weekly topics:
• Week 1: June 2-6 Emergency Preparedness
• Week 2: June 9-13 Distracted Driving
• Week 3: June 16-20 Poisoning Prevention
• Week 4: June 23-27 Falls Prevention
Even though the month is over, the resources are still there. Don't let this opportunity slip by!
<>Upcoming Events
2nd Annual EPA Region 4 Chemical Emergency Conference
This year the 2nd Annual EPA Region 4 Chemical Emergency Conference for SERCs and LEPCs will be held as a part of the Georgia Environmental Conference at the Hyatt Hotel in Savannah, GA, on Wednesday -Thursday-Friday, August 27-28-29, 2008. The conference will be one track among a number of parallel conference tracks and it will include eight 90-minute "courses" over three days. The topical area is Chemical Emergency Preparedness, Prevention and Response. Registration entitles you to attend any conference sessions of your choosing.
The main conference website is at http://www.georgiaenet.com.
The web page with conference course descriptions is at
http://www.georgiaenet.com/agenda.htm.The website now has "place holder" topics for course descriptions that are partly topics was used last year in the Tampa conference. They will finalize the actual topics and replace the
"place holders" with "real topics" for this conference. Check the website from time to time and you will be able to see the topics as they are adjusted to reflect reality.
The following listed courses are available:
Session I, Item 7.
Session II, Item 14.
Session III, Item 22.
Session IV, Item 29.
Session V, Item 36.
Session VI, Item 44.
Session VII, Item 52.
Session VIII, Item 60.
You can register for the conference at the following webpage:
https://www.signup4.net/Public/ap.aspx?EID=2007943E
We ask that you please forward this announcement to your LEPCs and that they in turn forward it to all of their LEPC members. All recipients are asked to share the announcement with anyone else that they think may have an interest in attending.
Additionally, we request that each person receiving this announcement please do the following things, as they feel that they are appropriate:
1. Send by email any suggestions you have for conference topics
for consideration.
2. Send by email any the names of anyone you would like to
nominate for an award (Certificate of Recognition) with a brief explanation.
3. Email if you plan to attend. This information will be very valuable. It will be
able to track registration and to know how it is progressing.
email address is hudson.henry@epa.gov
.
We have begun developing our framework for our "Keeping Our ___ Safe" series. As you know, we have published Keeping Our Neighborhoods Safe (which is a manual for the individual and family level) and Keeping Our Chemical Facilities Safe (which is a manual for complying with DHS' vulnerability assessment and site security plan regulations), but they are only part of a larger framework. At the top level, we need a plan for keeping our nation safe, and roles, responsibilities and actions need to be laid out for the country, each state, each county/city, each school, business, and family. So this framework will address what actions and preparations each organization at each level requires in order to be successful. We'd love to get your ideas on what needs to happen at each level and organization. We'll keep you posted, especially as we continue to work on Keeping Our Schools Safe.
We are continuing to do consulting work with cities and businesses and if we don't have an office in your area, we will either try to help over distance (using the internet and travel) or help you to find the right person in your area. As our business grows, we want you to know that we are committed to ensuring that we provide the same level of expertise and service to which you are accustomed. We work with people who are interested in making their business, community or jurisdiction safer, and not just people who want someone to help spend grant money. We make the world safer. It's our reason for being, our passion and if we're not doing that, then the project isn't right for us. If we can make the world safer, there isn't a more committed passionate
As always, if you are interested in working with us directly to make your community, business, or agency safer, please contact us at: info@oursafetowns.com.
Remember, Keeping Our Chemical Facilities Safe has been published, and is now available! We will provide free updates to all purchasers when we revise the book after DHS releases their guidance. Click here to purchase your copy! See you next month!
Useful Information
New Resource on the COCA Webpage
The following link, available through the "Additional Information for Clinicians/Current Events" page, leads to an Excel spreadsheet provided by the Interstate Chemical Terrorism Workgroup. The spreadsheet provides many helpful links and phone numbers that may be useful in preparing for or responding to a chemical event.
http://emergency.cdc.gov/coca/xls/ICTW_InfoMatrix_2008.xls
Heat exhaustion symptoms
It's hot, stay safe!
Warning signs of heat exhaustion include:
The skin may be cool and moist. The victim's pulse rate will be fast and weak, and breathing will be fast and shallow. If heat exhaustion is untreated, it may progress to heat stroke, which is a medical emergency. Seek medical attention and call 911 immediately if:
- heavy sweating
- paleness
- muscle cramps
- tiredness
- weakness
- dizziness
- headache
- nausea or vomiting
- fainting
Otherwise, help the victim to cool off, and seek medical attention if symptoms worsen or last longer than 1 hour.
- symptoms are severe, or
- the victim has heart problems or high blood pressure.
Heat exhaustion treatment
Cooling measures that may be effective include:
Based on a CDC Prevention Guide for Emergencies and Disasters.
- cool, non-alcoholic beverages, as directed by your physician
- rest
- cool shower, bath, or sponge bath
- an air-conditioned environment
- lightweight clothing
