Smuggler Operations in Wildfire Areas
(Source: Homeland Security Today)
When examining the current wildfires in Arizona and New Mexico, the Emergency Management and Response—Information Sharing and Analysis Center (EMR-ISAC) learned about an additional and unexpected threat from the armed drug and human smugglers operating in areas on the U.S. side of the border with Mexico. According to an article in Homeland Security Today, fires of historic proportions have not deterred the northbound movement of illegal drugs and migrants led by increasingly dangerous guides.
The article explains that Border Patrol agents have witnessed cooking fires of drug trafficking operations and signal fires intentionally set by migrants who were lost. These fires exacerbate an already hazardous wildland situation. More significantly, the U.S. Forest Service indicated that firefighters had encounters with armed drug traffickers. On at least one occasion, those battling wildfires had to be accompanied by law enforcement officers because of the threat posed by drug and human smugglers.
Those traffickers getting past the Border Patrol's net possibly come into contact with fire crews and other emergency responders, who are unarmed and untrained to deal with the perilous encounters. To mitigate this threat, Coronado National Forest initiated a Border Fire Response Protocol (PDF, 26 Kb) detailing cooperation with federal law enforcement. The protocol recommends there be a minimum of one law enforcement officer assigned to each fire as a security resource.
See here for information about the Arizona wildfires and visit FEMA recommendations on wildfire safety. Additional information can be obtained from t he National Interagency Fire Center (PDF, 1.3 Mb) and the National Wildfire Coordinating Group.
New Fire Prevention Advocacy Toolkit
(Sources: U.S. Fire Administration and Fire Engineering)
T he Emergency Management and Response—Information Sharing and Analysis Center (EMR-ISAC) received notification that t he Institution of Fire Engineers - USA Branch launched a new web-based Vision 20/20 Fire Prevention Advocacy Toolkit. This resource gives local fire departments the tools needed to prove the value of fire prevention in saving lives and reducing the impact of fire on a community and its economy. Available here , the program was funded by a Department of Homeland Security Fire Prevention and Safety Grant to demonstrate the merit of investing in fire prevention in these difficult economic times.
The Vision 20/20 Fire Prevention Advocacy Toolkit was developed under the first of five Vision 20/20 strategies, Strategy 1 Fire Prevention Advocacy . This strategy is led by Alan Perdue, Emergency Services Director of Guildford County (NC), a member of the Board of Directors of the International Association of Fire Chiefs and a member of the Vision 20/20 Steering Committee.
“In this economy, community officials and fire chiefs are confronted with tough decisions when it comes to what services to save and what services to cut,” said Perdue. “We all know that fire prevention saves lives and money, but it's been somewhat difficult to justify these programs economically. Every day, a fire department responds to a fire every 23 seconds, someone is injured every 31 minutes, and every three hours someone dies. Annually, across the nation, fires cause $15.5 billion in property damage and these new tools can demonstrate the terrible impact that a fire can have at a local level on people, a community, and its economy. A catastrophic fire can not only cause injuries and deaths, but it may also mean that businesses close their doors, resulting in losing both jobs and tax revenue. It's really quite simple - prevention pays.”
Included in this toolkit, among others, are resources such as fire prevention advocacy strategies, community investment in fire prevention, implementing an advocacy program, working with the local media, evaluating your program's impact, and reaching audiences.
“There has never been something like this that local fire chiefs can use to prove the value of fire prevention programs,” said Vision 20/20 Project Manager Jim Crawford. “The Vision 20/20 Fire Prevention Advocacy Toolkit gives them the information that they can use in reaching out to community leaders, city officials and other decision makers to prove the impact that fire prevention programs have in not only saving lives but making communities economically sound and viable.”
Safety Week 2011
(Source: International Association of Fire Chiefs)
The International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) notified the Emergency Management and Response—Information Sharing and Analysis Center (EMR-ISAC) regarding Safety Week 2011, scheduled for June 19 to 25. It is a collaborative program sponsored by the IAFC and the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF), in partnership with more than 20 national fire and emergency services organizations.
Fire departments are encouraged to suspend all nonemergency activity during Safety Week and instead focus entirely on survival training and education until all shifts and personnel have taken part. An entire week is provided to ensure each shift and duty crew can spend one day focusing on these critical issues.
The IAFF Fire Ground Survival Program is the most comprehensive survival-skills and mayday-prevention program currently available and is open to all members of the fire service, according to IAFC. Incorporating federal regulations, proven incident-management best practices and survival techniques from leaders in the field, and real case studies from experienced firefighters, the program aims to educate all firefighters to be prepared if the unfortunate happens. It will also provide participating fire departments with the skills they need to improve situational awareness and prevent a mayday.
This year's Safety Week will focus on delivering the online Fire Ground Survival awareness training course to all fire departments. Other planning tools and resources will be available on the Safety Week website.
CBRNIAC Technical Services
(Source: CBRNIAC)
The Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear Defense Information Analysis Center (CBRNIAC) generates, acquires, processes, analyzes, and disseminates CBRN Defense Science and Technology Information in support of federal, state, and local government agencies in addition to the Armed Forces. Its services include no-cost technical inquiry responses (up to 4 hours of analyst time) addressing chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear defense and homeland security issues.
The Emergency Management and Response—Information Sharing and Analysis Center (EMR-ISAC) confirmed with the CBRNIAC deputy director that it has a collection of over 195,000 CBRN Defense and Homeland Security-related items in a variety of formats and maintains access to a wide range of journals, magazines, and newsletters on CBRN Defense and Homeland Security topics.
Emergency Services Sector departments and agencies can submit inquiry requests to CBRNIAC Inquiry Services . Call 410-676-9030 to speak to a center representative. |
