Emergency Management & Homeland Security Publications
2008 Publications
…And Not a Drop to Drink. Water, a Test for Emergency Managers
Published in the June 2008 issue (Volume IV, Issue 2) of
Homeland Security Affairs , by Michael Byrne of ICF International. Formerly in roles including FEMA operations chief and as a federal coordinating officer in multiple disaster responses, Byrne proposes that water delivery to disaster victims be a litmus test of overall success of a disaster response. The article examines the complex emergency management process by viewing it next to the process of water delivery and points out areas for improvement.
Crisis Informatics
By Mike Byrne and Colin Whitmore of ICF International, published in the February 2008 issue of
IAEM Bulletin . Understanding how people communicate surrounding a disaster is crucial to ensuring the timely distribution of information for preparedness, response, and recovery efforts. In the technology-driven society we live in, we are beginning to rely less on traditional forms of media and more on self-policing communities of information gatherers. Look no further than Facebook or Wikipedia for proof. Researchers at the University of Colorado at Boulder have named this science "Crisis Informatics," and it is actively changing how we think of disaster communications. This article sheds some light on the subject and encourages emergency management professionals to adapt to these changes sooner rather than later.
EOC Design Considerations
Published in the
2009-09 Disaster Resource Guide , by Eric Holdeman of ICF International. Emergency Operations Centers (EOC) are utilized to coordinate disaster response efforts. These facilities have evolved overtime to become much more complex operations and facilities due to the integration of technology and the expanding numbers and types of disasters for which planning must be done. This article provides information and design concepts for organizations that are contemplating either remodeling an existing EOC or building an entirely new facility.
Fusion Centers Face Staffing and Data Sharing Hurdles
By Eric Holdeman of ICF International and published in his column, "Eric's Corner," in the Spring 2008 issue of
Emergency Management Magazine . Fusion Centers have been established in states and large metropolitan areas to better coordinate the sharing of intelligence information so as to perhaps prevent another terrorist attack on the United States. These Fusion Centers have representatives from federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. While they sit together in the same building, they still need to learn to share more than the same coffee pot. Progress has been made, but much more needs to be done to eliminate the turf war that exists between agencies and levels of government.
Grid Reliability
By Jim Stanton of ICF International and published in the March 2008 issue of
POWER magazine. The North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) Critical Infrastructure Protection Reliability Standards will be fully in the spotlight in 2008. These newly approved measures have the potential to impose substantial compliance associated costs on Responsible Entities under the standards, and also seek to mitigate what are perhaps the most significant risks to the nation's electric infrastructure.
Homeland Security, Emergency Management and the Economy
In the December 2008 edition of
Emergency Management Magazine , Eric Holdeman of ICF International provides insights into what the downturn in the economy might mean for emergency management and homeland security programs. In the article he looks at near, mid, and long term impacts concerning funding, preparedness, and disaster resiliency for our nation’s communities
Implications of Cyber Security Standards for Electric Power Grid
ICF International examines the implications of the cyber security and critical infrastructure protection (CIP) standards set forth by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). The Commission has implemented eight mandatory security standards that apply to all bulk power system users, owners, and operators. Developed by the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC), these critical infrastructure protection standards attempt to protect the nation's electric power grid from cyber attacks.
In for the Long Haul
Published in
PM Network magazine , February 2008, by Sarah Fister Gale. This article focuses on post-disaster recovery efforts, including the massive and ongoing rebuilding of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005. Andrew Robinson, who spent six months as the program manager for the state of Louisiana’s
The Road Home program , the largest recovery program ever undertaken in the United States, was interviewed extensively for the article. Douglas Beck, who oversees communications for the program, and David Fukutomi, who provides consulting services on response recovery and crisis communications for ICF were also interviewed.
Interoperability: What's Impeding a National Communications System?
Published in the Summer 2008 issue of
Emergency Management Magazine , by Eric Holdeman of ICF International. Communications interoperability has been a hot topic in government and as a target for homeland security funding following the events of 9/11. Eric Holdeman discusses the issues of governance, and the challenges of getting communities of different sizes to collaborate on communications systems. The bottom line is that most of the time the issue with communications interoperability is not equipment, but people and the lack of relationships and cooperation between jurisdictions and agencies.
NERC/CIP Cyber Security: Leveraging Existing Controls to Secure the Enterprise
Published in the February 28, 2008, issue of
Energy Central's EnergyPulse , by Kevin T. McDonald, Senior NERC Cyber Security Analyst at ICF International. The electric utility industry is facing the daunting task of compliance with the rigorous
North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) critical infrastructure protection (CIP) physical and electronic security standards. Formulated to mitigate the threat of damage or disruption to the U.S. and Canadian Power Grid, these standards were formally adopted by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) in early 2008 and are now mandatory. This article demonstrates methods to reduce the impact of compliance by identifying and incorporating existing controls into the NERC CIP Framework.
Project Impact Initiative to Create Disaster-Resistant Communities Demonstrates Worth in Kansas Years Later
Published in the November 2008 edition of
Emergency Management Magazine , by Eric Holdeman of ICF International and Ann Patton, both of whom had active Project Impact programs in their communities. Project Impact was a relatively short-lived federal program that promoted disaster mitigation. While the program no longer exists as a federally sponsored entity, there are jurisdictions that are continuing to promote the disaster mitigation message that has protected people and property from many different types of disasters.
Protecting Privacy in Public Private Partnerships: What Government Agencies Should Know
Published in the March 2008 edition of
The Privacy Advisor , the newsletter of the
International Association of Privacy Professionals , and coauthored by David Carpenter of ICF International and Rebecca Andino of Highlight Technologies. The content of the article is based on their experience supporting the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Registered Traveler Program. ICF International developed security and privacy standards based on National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) guidance and Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy (FIPP). The standards are flexible enough to allow market-driven innovation, yet provide TSA assurance that its private partners maintain necessary levels of security and privacy protection of sensitive participant information.
Regional Response Demands Joint Command and Control
By Eric Holdeman of ICF International and published in the Spring 2008 issue of
Emergency Management Magazine . The nation has been working to implement a National Incident Management System (NIMS). While much progress has been made on training people, the issue still remains as to how we respond in multi-agency and multi-jurisdictional events. While there is a template available, it does not address the complexities of the American proliferation of local governments, each having authorities over a portion of the public landscape. Only by learning to work together as regions in collaboration with one another and with the private and non-profit sectors will we be able to address the "Who's in Charge?" question.
2007 Publications
Parents and Students Should Question Colleges
Published in
The Richmond Times-Dispatch on August 20, 2007, ICF's Robert Blitzer advises parents and students to ask their college how they would deal with their own version of the Virgina Tech shootings. He suggests questions such as: (1) Has the school done a full assessment of potential catastrophic risks? (2) Does the school have an appropriate emergency team in place? (3) Does the school have multiple means to communicate with students, faculty, staff, and visitors in the event of an immediate, ongoing emergency situation? (4) What communication and coordination networks exist among campus security leadership, local law enforcement, political officials, first responders, and health officials, both on an ongoing basis and in case of emergency? (5) Is the training of campus security personnel appropriate to potential risks?
2006 Publications
Partners in Preparedness
Published in ICF International's
Perspectives , a quarterly report that provides executive briefs on key insights and perspectives, Fall 2006.
Planning for a Pandemic
Published in ICF International's
Perspectives , a quarterly report that provides executive briefs on key insights and perspectives, Fall 2006.
2005 Publications
Approach to Mass Transit Security in the United States
July 8, 2005 - The bombings in London have put the spotlight on the vulnerabilities of mass transit systems. However, the United States has already ramped up its efforts to make all modes of transportation (including trains and buses) safer as a result of previous attacks and a desire to implement best practices. In addition to the state, local, and industry efforts in mass transit security, two key federal efforts are supporting the nationwide approach to transportation security protection and response.
The Impacts on Nuclear Power
Nuclear energy is encouraged in the Energy Act. Tax credits and loan guarantees are provided for thousands of megawatts and could substantially lower the cost of those plants to consumers. Provisions for nuclear energy research and development demonstrate a renewed commitment from the U.S. Federal Government to next-generation facilities. Public opposition will inevitably accompany any proposal to build new nuclear facilities, but those concerns will be handled through the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's (NRC) streamlined licensing process. As with all power plants—especially nuclear ones—security issues will loom large.
2004 Publications
2003 Publications
Effect of Coast Guard Maritime Security Rules on EPA-Regulated Facilities
The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) published final rules on October 22, 2003, to implement the security requirements of the Maritime Transportation Security Act of 2002 in regard to oil spill prevention and marine safety. The rules include provisions addressing Area Maritime Security (ports), vessels, and facilities. Some of these entities contain transportation-related and non-transportation-related components that are regulated by both the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the USCG, such as a marine transfer facility (under USCG jurisdiction) with aboveground storage tanks (under EPA jurisdiction). This white paper introduces approaches that EPA can take to continue coordination with USCG and to assist regulated facilities in complying with these new requirements.
Measuring the Economic Costs of Terrorist Attacks
Published in ICF International's
Perspectives , a quarterly report that provides executive briefs on key insights and perspectives, Summer 2003.
ICF International and Regional Economic Models, Inc., (REMI) have been exploring methodologies and models to better understand the near- and long-term economic effects of terrorist attacks. This report, which uses data collected from two hypothetical scenarios, highlights the temporal and cross-sector complexities of modeling such damages, because the ripple effects across sectors and geographies may be significant but difficult to predict. The analysis estimates the direct costs related to an attack on the California electricity transmission grid and a deliberate spreading of Foot and Mouth disease in an agricultural state.
2002 Publications
Urban Hazard Mitigation: Increasing Human Security through Re-Assessing the Steps Toward Livable Communities
By Michael Armstrong, 2002. This paper addresses the ideas and approaches that might empower those who influence the built environment to assess the types of land use, building design, and other practices in the urban environment that have increased the public's risks to death, injury, and property damage. The basic tenets of hazard mitigation have been admirably discussed in the past, and they will be restated here as part of the fundamentals of any hazard mitigation strategy. However, as we discuss the approaches and implementation of an urban application to hazard mitigation in the context of 2002, this discussion will require reassessment of how we govern and how we direct policy, from a national, state, and local level.
2001 Publications
A New Approach to International Terrorism
Published in the
International Affairs Review , Summer/Autumn 2001, Vol. 10, No. 2, pp. 80-95 by Martin Kalis. The article discusses how a set of uniform terrorism standards could encourage nations to work cooperatively to develop an effective international counterterrorism strategy.
1998 Publications
These articles represent a selection of our perspectives on Emergency Management & Homeland Security.
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