The US Department of Home= land Security is a new federal department that will have a significant impact on= the C/WLEPC. It is still in the organizational development stage, but the follo= wing information is deemed significant for the knowledge of the members of the C/WLEPC. Further information will be added in future editions of this Emerg= ency Response Plan.
The federal Department of Homeland Security has established a national color coded Terrorism Advisory= Alert System as follows:
Low Probability of = Acts of Terrorism (Green) Maintain assessment of vulnerabilities.
Guarded Probability= of Acts of Terrorism (Blue) Check on emergency response capabilities. Notify general public.
Elevated Probabilit= y of Acts of Terrorism (Yellow) Increase observation of critical facilit= ies for acts of terrorism. Be prepared to implement emergency response plan.
High probability of= Acts of Terrorism (Orange) Coordinate terrorism act prevention actions with armed forces and/or law enforcement agencies. Increase precautions at public events. Restrict workforces at probable terrorism target facilities to essential employees.
Severe Probability = of Acts of Terrorism (Red) Mobilize relevant emergency management, emergency communications, and emergency response personnel. Curtail public transportation. Close facilities that have been identified as probable terrorism targets.
Problems With Federal Ter= rorism Advisory Alert Code
1. &nbs= p; It is a federally activated code meant to apply to federal, state, and local governments and relevant non-profit organizations and private sector busine= sses across the nation, making the information so general that it is difficult f= or local government jurisdictions to accurately interpret the general code inf= ormation disseminated for their specific situations.
2. &nbs= p; Lack of focused information in announcements of Alert Code level increases makes= it very difficult for relevant local officials to decide what the impact of the Alert Code level change should be.
HOMELAND SECURITY TERRORI= SM ADVISORY COLOR CODE (Continued)
Severe Probability =
of Acts
of Terrorism (Red) (Continued)
Problems With Federal Ter= rorism Advisory Alert Code (Continued)
3. &nbs= p; Lack of disbursement of federal Homeland Defense funds to cover local government emergency agencies expenses for needed personnel, overtime pay, equipment, personal protective gear and clothing, supplies, and training in the area of law enforcement leaves a big gap between goal achievement and actual capabi= lity of local personal to meet goal achievement.
4. &nbs= p; The maintenance of the Alert Code at the Yellow level, with periodic upgrades to the Orange level, with little proof of actual acts of terrorism being thwar= ted has caused a certain level of “numbness” on the part of local Emergency Management, Communications, and Responder organizations with rega= rd to the level of urgency maintained.
As the organization and management of the new federal department matures, hopefully the Alert Code operation will be refined, so as to achieve the goal of truly being effecti= ve for local government jurisdictions.
ORGANIZATION OF THE US DE= PARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
The US Department of Home= land Security (DHS), the newest federal department, essentially has been built f= rom existing units of the federal organization that have been or will be shortly transferred from their former organizations. At this time (September 2003) = the organizational units transferred into the (DHS) are in the areas of:
EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE
&= nbsp; 1. = Federal Emergency Management Agency (Independent)
&= nbsp; 2. = Integrated Hazard Information Service (fr. Commerce)
&= nbsp; 3. = National Domestic Preparedness Office (fr. Justice)
&= nbsp; 4. = Office of Emergency Preparedness (fr. HHS)
&= nbsp; 5. = Strategic National Stockpile (fr. HHS)
&= nbsp; 6. = Domestic emergency support teams (fr. Justice)
ORGANIZATI= ON OF THE US DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (Continued)
INFORMATION ANALYSIS AND INFRASTRUCTURE PROTECTION
1. = Critical Infrastructure Assurance Office (fr. Commerce)
2. = National Communications System (fr. Defense)
3. = National Infrastructure Simulation and Analysis Center (fr. Energy)
4. = National Infrastructure Protection Center (fr. Justice)
5. = Federal Computer Incident Response Center (fr GSA)
&= nbsp;
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
&= nbsp; 1. = Plum Island Animal Disease Center (fr. Agriculture)
&= nbsp; 2. = National Bio-Weapons Defense Analysis Center (fr. Defense)
&= nbsp; 3. = Chemical, biological and nuclear research programs (fr. Energy)
&= nbsp; 4. = Environmental Measurements Laboratory (fr. Energy)
&= nbsp; 5. = Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory activities (fr. Energy)
BORDER AND TRANSPORTATION SECURITY
&= nbsp; 1. = Animal, Plant and Inspection Service (partial) (fr. Agriculture)
&= nbsp; 2. = Federal Protective Service (fr. GSA)
&= nbsp; 3. = Immigration and Naturalization Service (fr. Justice)&nb= sp; =
<= /span>4. = Office of Domestic Preparedness (fr. Justice)
<= /span>5. = Transportation Security Administration (fr. Transportation)
<= /span>6. = Customs Service (excluding revenue functions) (fr. Treasury)
<= /span>7. = Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (fr. Treasury)
SEPARATE
<= /span>1. = Coast Guard (fr. Transportation)
<= /span>2. = Secret Service (fr. Treasury)
COORDINATED EFFORTS
1. &nbs= p; Nuclear Incident Response Team (Energy and EPA) may be moved under the DHS when directed by the DHS secretary
<= span style=3D'mso-list:Ignore'>2.&n= bsp; Relev= ant employees of State, CIA, Justice, NSA, National Imaging and
mapping Ag= ency, DIA, and other federal agencies may be detailed to DHS
= for information analysis activities.
ORGANIZATI= ON OF THE US DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (Continued)
COORDINATED EFFORTS (Cont= inued)
3. &nbs= p; DHHS will coordinate with DHS on countermeasures for chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear threats.
It is no= ted that for whatever reason relevant units of the EPA dealing with emergency preparedness and emergency response have not been transferred to the DHS. T= his could present problems for LEPCs, since SERC and LEPC operations were established under legislation directly related to the EPA. Historically, th= ere has been a strong rivalry between the FRMA, a major component of the DHS, a= nd the EPA.
The basic organization of the Department of Homeland Security is as follows, utilizing the various federal organizational units listed above and reflecting the grouping listed above. Each of the above groups are reflected in an operati= onal Directorate by the same name.
&= nbsp; Directorate of Emergency Preparedness and Response,
&= nbsp; Directorate of Information Analysis and Infrastructure Protection,
&= nbsp; Directorate of Science and Technology, and
&= nbsp; Directorate of Border and Transportation Security.
The Coast Guard and Secret Service are not presently assigned= to any of the above Directorates, but are an integral part of the DHS. They ar= e at present referred to as, “free standing”.
Along with the operational Directorates, there are a complex number of staff and support units, all un= der the Office of the Secretary of Homeland Security.
Like any new federal cabi= net level department, DHS will undoubtedly make further changes in its organizational structure as the realities of operational experience dictate. Not the least of those will be how most effectively to work out the present organizational situation of the emergency preparedness and response units of the EPA remaining in that organization, rather than being integrated into t= he DHS.
NON-TERRORISM EMERGENCIES= TO BE ADDRESSED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
While the DHS was establi= shed because of the concern for the need to better coordinate federal operations involved with terrorism prevention and resolution, it was apparent that the DHS, with the FEMA and other emergency preparedness related agencies, would also be the logical federal department to work with state and local jurisdictions on many natural and other manmade emergencies (hazards) facing them. Therefore the DHS is the federal agency primarily responsible for assistance to state and local governments with regard to all domestic emergencies (hazards) not otherwise designated as the responsibility of ano= ther agency.
NATIONAL INCIDENT MANAGEM= ENT SYSTEM
To assure universal compa= tibility among all federal, state, and local emergency operations, the DHS on direct= ion by the President (HSPD-5) has designed a National Incident Management System (NIMS). While a separate federally mandated incident management system has = been in use for sometime with regard to terrorism emergency incidents, once fede= ral government agencies become involved, the National Incident Management System will treat crisis management and consequence management, heretofore treated= as separate tasks, as a single, integrated function.
The National Incident Man= agement System will be utilized by all levels of government.
=
As always, the initial responsibility for managing the resolution of domestic emergency incidents falls on state and local authorities. The federal government will provide assistance when state and local resources are overwhelmed or when federal interests are involved.
The Secretary of the DHS = will ensure that there is adequate planning, equipment and training exercises for states and provide assistance to develop all-hazards (emergencies) plans and capabilities.
While HSPD= -5 designates June 30, 2003 as the date the DHS, in consultation with other federal departments and agencies and with state and local governments, will develop a national system of standards, guidelines and protocols to impleme= nt the NIMS, and establish a mechanism for ensuring ongoing management and maintenance of the NIMS, including regular consultation with other federal departments and with state and local governments, at this time, September 1, 2004, the development of the NIMS is still in progress, except for the Introduction and the chapters on Command and Management and on Preparedness= .
ORGANIZATI= ON OF THE US DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (Continued)
NATIONAL I= NCIDENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (Continued)
HSPD-5 also states that b= eginning in federal FY 2005 (October 1, 2004), federal departments and agencies shall make adoption of the NIMS a requirement, to the extent permitted by law, for providing federal preparedness assistance through grants, contract, or other activities. DHS will develop standards and guidelines for determining wheth= er a state or local entity has adopted the NIMS by that date.
THE NATIONAL RESPONSE PLA= N
Homeland Security Preside= ntial Directive No. 5 (HSPD-5) also states that the DHS shall develop a National Response Plan (NRP). This plan shall integrate federal government domestic prevention, preparedness, response and recovery plans into one all-discipli= ne, all-hazards plan. Using the NIMS, the NRP shall, with regard to domestic emergency incidents, provide the structure and mechanisms for national level policy and operational direction for federal support to state and local incident managers and for exercising direct federal authorities and responsibilities, as appropriate.
While HSPD-5 designates A= pril 1, 2003 as the date to develop and publish an initial version of the NRP and provide a plan for full development and implementation of the NRP and Septe= mber 1, 2003 as the date for existing authorities and regulation and prepare recommendations for the President on revisions necessary to implement fully= the NRP, this work as of September 1, 2004 appears to still be in progress.
CHAPTER I
APPENDIX “E”
UNITED STAT= ES DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY