AMU Emergency Management Original Public Safety

EDM Wednesday Briefing: Pipeline Incident Preparedness Toolkit Available

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toolkit pipeline incident preparedness Arsenault

Emergency and disaster management briefing for August 18, 2021: Nearly half of the hospitals across the United States shut down their networks due to ransomware attacks; PG&E implemented Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS) that affected 51,000 customers; Haiti reports at least 1,941 deaths after Saturday’s 7.2 magnitude earthquake; CAL Fire reports a total of 6,540 wildfires have scorched 1.16 million acres so far this year; the Dixie Fire has now burned more than 626,700 acres; T-Mobile reveals the recent cyberattack affected at least 7.8 million current postpaid customers; a new toolkit is available to help emergency responders plan and prepare for pipeline incidents; and the FAA is hosting a symposium regarding Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) in September.

1. Nearly half of the hospitals across the United States reportedly shut down their networks in the last six months due to some type of ransomware attack. A new study reveals that while some of the healthcare organizations proactively shut down their networks to avoid an external breach, others suffered severe malware infections. Mid-sized hospitals allegedly appear to have been the most adversely affected, being disabled for an average of 10 hours at a cost of $45,700 an hour.

2. Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) implemented Public Safety Power Shutoffs in portions of 18 counties beginning on Tuesday. The PSPS affect a total of about 51,000 customers across the Sierra Nevada foothills, the North Bay mountains, the North Coast and the North Valley. Dry offshore winds, coupled with drought conditions and extremely dry vegetation, prompted the PSPS in an effort to prevent the start of wildfires.

3. The death toll from the 7.2 magnitude earthquake that struck Haiti on Saturday has now climbed to over 1,900. As rescuers attempted to dig through rubble to search for victims, the island nation was battered by Tropical Storm Grace on Monday and Tuesday. At least 9,900 people were injured during the quake, while approximately 84,000 homes were damaged or destroyed.

4. CAL Fire statistics show that a total of 6,540 wildfires have burned a combined 1,161,027 acres so far in 2021. There have been no reported fatalities from the wildfires, although at least 1,857 structures have been damaged or destroyed. Currently, the Dixie Fire remains the largest wildfire burning in California, with 6,041 assigned personnel, a total of 1,208 destroyed structures, and multiple evacuation orders still in effect.

5. The Dixie Fire continues to burn across four counties in California, including Butte, Lassen, Plumas and Tehama counties. The massive wildfire has scorched a total of 626,751 acres and remains only 31% contained. A Unified Command is currently managing the fire, which has been broken into East and West Zones for more targeted fire management and control.

6. T-Mobile confirmed that it was the victim of a cyberattack that affected approximately 47.8 million customers. That number includes current, past and prospective customers, including 7.8 million current postpaid customers. Stolen data allegedly includes first and last names, Social Security numbers, and driver’s license/identification numbers.

7. Pipelines are a critical part of the nation’s infrastructure, and ensuring preparedness for an incident involving a pipeline is essential to national security. The National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC), in conjunction with the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Administration (PHMSA), is seeking to raise awareness among volunteer fire services about the risks and needed preparedness for a pipeline incident. To address this issue, the NVFC and PHMSA developed the Fire Department Pipeline Response, Emergency Planning, and Preparedness Toolkit with links to pre-filled Incident Command System (ICS) forms.

8. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is hosting an Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) symposium on September 14-15 addressing the latest drone regulations. The use of unmanned aircraft systems within the emergency services sector continues to grow, and the symposium will offer public safety partners with the opportunity to learn and discuss the evolution of drone/UAS regulations over the past five years. Registration is required and is available via the FAA UAS Symposium website.

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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