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Volume 22 — Issue 22 | June 2, 2022

USFA publishes EMS Safety Practices manual

In April, the U.S. Fire Administration published its EMS Safety Practices manual, intended to provide information to enhance the health and safety of the emergency medical services (EMS) practitioner and support the reduction of occupational illness and on-duty injuries and fatalities.

To achieve this goal, the manual outlines how to develop a safety program that covers all aspects of EMS operations. It covers safety regulations and guidelines while also emphasizing the importance of developing a culture of safety in the organization.

The publication is divided into five sections, including basic elements of safety, physical and mental health, infection control and hazardous materials protective equipment, emergency operations, and vehicle operations. Each section is supported by extensive references.

Highlighted recommendations include:

Developing a culture of safety. This involves the ability to maintain good communication between leadership and practitioners to promote shared decision-making about safety of personnel. This is an essential element of safety, supported by the ability to complete thorough risk assessments, and the development of a formal safety program.

Maintaining physical and mental health. Each year, thousands of EMS providers visit the emergency department due to physical injuries. Additionally, about 85% of first responders indicated that they have experienced symptoms of mental health issues. The manual provides recommendations to reduce the burden of physical injuries and to ensure that mental health stigma in the workplace is reduced so that employees are encouraged to seek out appropriate resources and support.

Training on how to deal with infectious disease agents and hazardous materials. The manual provides a review of the data contained in recent scientific literature, with evidence-based recommendations and suggested best practice on how to control infectious disease agents and hazardous materials.

Improving situational awareness. EMS responders work in unpredictable environments where any scene can be safe one minute and become violent the next. Training on the response to, and de-escalation of, violent patient scenarios will help reduce risk of common physical injuries and lost days of work among EMS practitioners.

Mitigating traffic safety issues. The data show that transportation is overwhelmingly among the riskiest activities for EMS workers with regard to fatalities and potential liability. Many initiatives are underway to mitigate risk factors, including, but not limited to, the USFA’s Emergency Vehicle and Roadway Operations Safety Program and the Emergency Vehicle Safety Program, in partnership with the International Association of Firefighters.

The EMS Safety Practices manual is available for download from the USFA’s website.

(Source: USFA)

Highlights

USFA publishes EMS Safety Practices manual

AT&T launches first location-based routing for wireless 911 calls using device location rather than cell towers

E15 gasoline misfuelling risks and fire hazards: Public education resources for fire departments

ERSI offers Wildland Fires and Traffic Management training

Cyber Threats

The U.S. Fire Administration operates the Emergency Management and Response – Information Sharing and Analysis Center (EMR-ISAC).

For information regarding the EMR-ISAC visit www.usfa.dhs.gov/emr-isac or contact the EMR-ISAC office at: (301) 447-1325 and/or fema-emr-isac@fema.dhs.gov.

AT&T launches first location-based routing for wireless 911 calls using device location rather than cell towers

AT&T, the wireless carrier responsible for building the FirstNet communications network for first responders, is deploying a national location-based routing network feature to automatically transmit wireless 911 calls to the appropriate 911 call centers. The purpose of this new system is to provide the public with the same fast, accurate and reliable connection to a public safety answering point (PSAP), whether they are calling from their mobile device or a landline phone.

The first 911 systems were established over 50 years ago, when landline phones dominated the market. Now 68% of adults don’t even have a landline in their homes and 80% of 911 calls come from a mobile device.

Prior to this launch, wireless 911 calls were routed based on the location of cell towers, which can cover up to a 10-mile radius. This wide area can cause delays in emergency response, especially when a call is made within PSAP border areas where state, county or city boundaries overlap.

This new location-based routing system is the first of its kind. The initiative, which AT&T has called "Locate Before Route," will allow AT&T to identify where a 911 call is coming from within 50 meters of a mobile device's location and then route the emergency responders to the correct address faster. 

This improved accuracy will reduce wireless 911 call transfers beyond what the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) requires, accomplishing a long-standing FCC policy goal.

The nationwide rollout is now available in Alaska, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, Wyoming, Kansas, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota and Guam. Additional regions will be rolled out over the next several weeks. The rollout is scheduled to be completed by the end of June.

(Source: AT&T)

E15 gasoline misfuelling risks and fire hazards: Public education resources for fire departments

In April, the White House announced a plan to increase use of homegrown biofuels during the 2022 summer driving season to offset rising fuel prices and fuel supply challenges.

Ethanol is considered a biofuel because it is derived from corn. Most gasoline sold in the U.S. is blended with 10% ethanol, otherwise known as E10 gasoline. E15 gasoline - a fuel mixture containing 15% ethanol - is also sold in some states, but it is much less widely available. During the summer months, E15 gasoline sales are normally prohibited due to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations surrounding its potential to increase smog during warmer temperatures.

To align with the President’s plan, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued an emergency fuel waiver on April 29, allowing the sale of E15 gasoline from June 1 to September 15, 2022.

E15 gasoline has appeal to consumers as a transportation fuel due to its slightly lower price and slightly higher octane rating than standard gasoline. However, E15 gasoline’s potential to harm smaller and older engines is not widely understood by the public.

With the arrival of the summer recreation season, and the increased use of marine and outdoor gasoline-powered equipment, the increased availability and use of E15 gasoline raises some safety concerns.

The higher ethanol content can cause engines not designed for E15 to run hotter, damage seals, and cause fuel system leaks, which could increase fire hazards.

The Outdoor Power Equipment Institute (OPEI) conducted a poll in 2020, which found that nearly two in five Americans mistakenly believe that ethanol blends higher than 10% are safe to use for any gasoline-powered lawn equipment or other small engine products, such as motorcycles, boats, snowmobiles, and sport utility vehicles.

Use of ethanol blends higher than E10 in non-approved engines is prohibited by law and will void the warranty. But E15 is not always labeled clearly where it is sold, increasing the risk that consumers will fill their engines with the wrong fuel.

Fire departments should be aware of conditions where use of E15 gasoline could present a fire hazard, and where public education can help to prevent these dangers.

The following are some resources that could be used to increase understanding about the risks:

• The EPA lists the types of vehicles and engines for which E15 fuel is permitted versus prohibited.
• The Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Energy Information Administration (EIA) explains the facts about ethanol as a transportation fuel, including information about the differences between E10, E15, and E85, the most common ethanol blends in use. Photo examples of pump labels are provided.
• The U.S. Coast Guard, Sector Detroit posted a warning on its Facebook page in response to the EPA waiver on E15 gasoline sales this summer. The post contains a graphic showing how E15 gasoline labeling at the pump can be very misleading. It is often labeled “Unleaded 15”, or by its octane rating, as “Octane 88,” without clear reference to its percentage of ethanol content.
• OPEI created a public education campaign called Protect Your Power with messaging and infographics to always use E10 gasoline or less in outdoor power and off-road equipment such as sport utility vehicles and boats.

This year’s E15 waiver is not the first. In 2017, a waiver was issued to address fuel shortages caused by Hurricane Harvey. In 2019, EPA formalized its authority to issue waivers allowing year-round sales of E15, although this ruling was reversed in 2021. This year’s emergency waiver was issued due to economic factors and supply-chain issues.

While this year’s waiver is expected to affect only around 2,300 gas stations, a fraction of the roughly 150,000 filling stations in the U.S., it is possible that availability of E15 gasoline will continue to increase in the coming years, due to the EPA’s Renewable Fuel Standard Program. This program requires EPA to mandate continued increases in the volume of renewable fuel mixed with petroleum-based transportation fuels.

Those responsible for fire safety education should stay informed about the latest national and state legislation surrounding E15 gasoline and ensure the public is aware of the fire hazards and other risks when it is used improperly.

(Sources: EPA, U.S. Coast Guard, DOE EIA, OPEI, Reuters)

ERSI offers Wildland Fires and Traffic Management training

The 2022 wildland fire season is underway. The Hermits Peak and Black fires continue to burn actively in New Mexico and nearby residents remain evacuated. Currently, more than 5,000 wildland firefighters and support personnel are assigned to incidents across the nation.

According to the National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG), vehicle accidents are the source of more deaths and serious injuries to wildland firefighters than any other single cause.

Several struck-by line-of-duty deaths have occurred at wildland fire scenes. These events have involved visibility on the roadway obscured by smoke, insufficient vehicle backing safety practices, and improper boarding of firefighting apparatus. Wildland fire also presents a burn hazard to crews working and staging on and near roadways.

Traffic control and vehicle movement discipline are a critical component of wildland fire response. As buildings and infrastructure encroach further on undeveloped land and wildland fires involve more and more organizations across wider expanses of land, the hazards of exposure from moving civilian and emergency vehicles are likely to worsen.

To address these safety concerns, the Emergency Responder Safety Institute’s (ERSI’s) Responder Safety Learning Network released a 30-minute online course earlier this year, called Wildland Fires and Traffic Management. Topics covered include traffic incident management considerations for roadways affected by wildland fires, firefighting operations, and safety procedures to follow when wildland firefighting vehicles are operating near responders on foot.

The program also describes recommended safety measures. These include meeting National Fire Protection Association fire apparatus standards to avoid crashes and donning proper high visibility apparel before stepping out of the vehicle and wearing it throughout the response in compliance with applicable standards.

To take this training, first create a free account on the Responder Safety Learning Network, where members can access all available training and features. Then, once logged in, visit the Wildland Fires and Traffic Management course page.

(Source: ERSI)

Cyber Incident Assistance

MS-ISAC
SOC@cisecurity.org
1-866-787-4722

IdentityTheft.gov

IC3

Cybercrime Support Network

General Information

StopRansomware.gov

CISA's Known Exploited Vulnerabilities Catalog

FTC scam list

CISA alerts

Law Enforcement Cyber Center

TLP Information

Alert (AA22-152A) - Karakurt Data Extortion Group

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), the Department of the Treasury (Treasury), and the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) are releasing this joint Cybersecurity Advisory (CSA) to provide information on the Karakurt data extortion group, also known as the Karakurt Team and Karakurt Lair. Karakurt actors have employed a variety of tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs), creating significant challenges for defense and mitigation. Karakurt victims have not reported encryption of compromised machines or files; rather, Karakurt actors have claimed to steal data and threatened to auction it off or release it to the public unless they receive payment of the demanded ransom. Known ransom demands have ranged from $25,000 to $13,000,000 in Bitcoin, with payment deadlines typically set to expire within a week of first contact with the victim.

Prior to January 5, 2022, Karakurt operated a leaks and auction website found at https://karakurt[.]group. The domain and IP address originally hosting the website went offline in the spring 2022. The website is no longer accessible on the open internet, but has been reported to be located elsewhere in the deep web and on the dark web. As of May 2022, the website contained several terabytes of data purported to belong to victims across North America and Europe, along with several “press releases” naming victims who had not paid or cooperated, and instructions for participating in victim data “auctions.”

(Source: CISA)

Compromised US academic credentials identified across various public and dark web forums

The FBI is informing academic partners of identified US college and university credentials advertised for sale on online criminal marketplaces and publicly accessible forums. This exposure of sensitive credential and network access information, especially privileged user accounts, could lead to subsequent cyberattacks against individual users or affiliated organizations.

Read the full Private Industry Notification on the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3).

(Source: FBI IC3)

Verizon 2022 DBIR: 4 of 5 data breaches caused by “human element,” business partners involved in 3 of 5

Verizon’s annual Data Breach Investigations Report (DBIR), conducted since 2008, finds that modern data breaches can be almost entirely chalked up to a combination of employee mistakes and supply chain compromises; the odds say that one of these elements will almost certainly be involved in any organizational cyber incident.

(Source: CPO Magazine)

DDoS threats growing in sophistication, size, and frequency

Corero Network Security has published the latest edition of its annual DDoS Threat Intelligence Report that compiles the trends, observations, predictions, and recommendations based on DDoS attacks against Corero customers during 2021.

The report, now in its 7th year, highlights that DDoS threats continue to grow in sophistication, size, and frequency. Yet 2021 also reveals changes in attacker behaviour since the start of the pandemic including an increase of 297% in the use of OpenVPN reflections as a means of DDoS attack.

The report also finds 97% of DDoS attacks were under 10Gbps, as low packet rate attacks continued to grow during 2021. It suggests this may be the result of attackers sending packets to a victim at lower rates to avoid easy detection.

(Source: Help Net Security)

Feature Article: S&T Hackathon addresses emerging threats to critical infrastructure

The third annual Grand Challenge Hackathon, held both in-person and virtually in late February, paired homeland security, critical infrastructure, criminal investigations, cybersecurity, and counterterrorism professionals with students in these fields, providing them with an immersive specialized learning environment and offering them opportunities to analyze and solve real-life homeland security problem sets. After judging, four of the teams were awarded a total of $10,000 in prize money for their innovative solutions.

Read the full Feature Article for summaries of the winning solutions.

(Source: DHS S&T)

Lumos system can find hidden cameras and IoT devices in your Airbnb or hotel room

A group of academics has devised a system that can be used on a phone or a laptop to identify and locate Wi-Fi-connected hidden IoT devices in unfamiliar physical spaces. With hidden cameras being increasingly used to snoop on individuals in hotel rooms and Airbnbs, the goal is to be able to pinpoint such rogue devices without much of a hassle.

At its core, the platform works by snuffing and collecting encrypted wireless packets over the air to detect and identify concealed devices. Subsequently, it estimates the location of each identified device with respect to the user as they walk around the perimeter of the space.

(Source: The Hacker News)

The InfoGram is distributed weekly to provide members of the Emergency Services Sector with information concerning the protection of their critical infrastructures.

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