AMU Emergency Management Original Public Safety

EDM Friday Briefing: CISA Releases Communication Resilience Toolkit

By
CISA digital Arsenault

Emergency and disaster management briefing for August 20, 2021: Severe flooding in portions of North Carolina prompted an emergency declaration by the governor; a suspect with a bomb surrendered peacefully to D.C. police after an hours-long standoff; I-70 through Glenwood Canyon in Colorado remains closed for safety due to ongoing weather threats; an Air Quality Alert and a Spare the Air Alert were issued for San Francisco’s Bay Area through Friday; the CSB released a new safety video meant to address chemical safety in oil and gas production that will likely assist emergency planning and response efforts; CISA releases an interactive toolkit to address communication resilience during incidents; the NHC has issued Hurricane and Storm Surge Watches for southern New England; and FEMA’s EMI will now offer ICS 300 in a blended, asynchronous virtual format.

1. The Governor of North Carolina declared a state of emergency on Thursday for at least two counties for heavy flooding. Haywood and Transylvania Counties were inundated with floodwaters after rainfall amounts of up to 12 inches fell overnight as remnants of Tropical Storm Fred moved through the state. Emergency crews used boats and aircraft to rescue at least 98 people and reportedly, another 17 people are still missing.

2. An hours-long standoff in Washington, D.C., ended peacefully after a suspect claiming to have a bomb surrendered to Capitol Police. The suspect allegedly claimed to have a bomb in his pickup truck when he drove the truck into a position in front of the Thomas Jefferson Building of the Library of Congress. The suspect reportedly told an officer he had a bomb, and police noted that he held what appeared to be a detonator in his hand.

3. The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) announced Thursday that I-70 through Glenwood Canyon would remain closed due to weather threats. The interstate was closed Wednesday when the National Weather Service (NWS) issued a flash flood warning for the area due to significant rainfall across the Grizzly Creek Fire burn scar. Rain gauges throughout the area have already recorded over an inch of rain, and crews continue to assess the burn scar area to determine when it is safe to reopen the roadway.

4. An Air Quality Alert is in effect for the San Francisco Bay Area through Friday. Northerly winds are forecast to transport the smoke into the Bay Area, causing air quality to be in the mid to high-moderate range. A Spare the Air Alert has also been issued, which makes the burning of wood illegal.

5. Chemical incidents are often potentially hazardous for first responders and emergency management personnel. After a deadly 2019 incident involving hydrogen sulfide that killed two people in Odessa, Texas, the Chemical Safety Board (CSB) released a safety video. The safety issues presented in the video may help with raising awareness of the safety hazards present in oil and gas processing, as well as assist emergency response agencies in rural areas with their planning and response efforts.

6. Communications resilience is a priority during incident response, so a robust system that can withstand disruptions is critical. Information is rapidly evolving with the continued development of new resources, creating demand for an interactive hub that can be expanded and updated regularly. The creation of the Public Safety Communications and Cyber Resiliency Toolkit by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) provides a one-stop location for public safety agencies that identifies and addresses emerging trends, consolidates resources, and educates stakeholders.

7. The National Hurricane Center (NHC) issued Hurricane and Storm Surge Watches for portions of New England. Tropical Storm Henri is now forecast to track toward the northeast, likely making landfall along southern New England. Henri is forecast to strengthen into a hurricane as it crosses the warm waters of the Atlantic, potentially making landfall as a Category 1 hurricane Sunday or Monday.

8. The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA’s) Emergency Management Institute (EMI), will now offer ICS 300 in a blended, asynchronous virtual format. The course, “Intermediate Incident Command System for Expanding Incidents,” is part of the National Incident Management System (NIMS) core curriculum within the NIMS training program. The course will include self-paced online trainings that include assignments coupled with a single, “live” session of a virtual instructor-led training.

Kimberly Arsenault serves as an intern at the Cleveland/Bradley County Emergency Management Agency where she works on plan revisions and special projects. Previously, Kimberly spent 15 years in commercial and business aviation. Her positions included station manager at the former Midwest Express Airlines, as well as corporate flight attendant, inflight manager, and charter flight coordinator. Kimberly currently holds a master's degree in emergency and disaster management from American Public University.

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