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Volume 22 — Issue 38 | September 22, 2022

NIOSH advisory recommends firefighters train on use of multi-gas monitors

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) released a safety advisory last month: Understanding Multi-gas Monitor Readings – The Importance of Knowing Your Equipment.

Multi-gas monitors are increasingly being used by firefighters to ensure the safety of other firefighters and civilians during firefighting operations. A multi-gas monitor should be considered personal protective equipment since it is used for air monitoring and sampling to determine isolation zones and to assess what type of respiratory protection and other personal protective equipment are needed.

A multi-gas monitor is used in a variety of routine operations, such as responding to calls where the presence of carbon monoxide is suspected or known, during overhaul after a fire, and responding to flammable liquid spills or natural gas emergencies.

For these operations, multi-gas monitors are commonly calibrated to detect four gases: oxygen, carbon monoxide, hydrogen sulfide, and various flammable gases.

NIOSH’s recent safety advisory recommends that all firefighters are trained to use a multi-gas monitor for detection of hazardous atmospheres caused by low oxygen and dangerous concentrations of carbon monoxide, hydrogen sulfide, or other toxic gases. NIOSH also recommends that firefighters know how to use gas detection equipment to determine the lower and upper explosive limits of flammable gases and vapors. These measurements are needed in a variety of situations, but especially when firefighters respond to propane and natural gas incidents.

The advisory’s safety recommendations cite a NIOSH investigation of an incident in Wisconsin in 2018. In this incident, a fire captain died and another firefighter was injured when a utility worker struck a natural gas line. The natural gas leak led to an explosion and subsequent building collapse.

This safety advisory on understanding multi-gas monitor readings can be used by fire departments to develop or update training and standard operating procedures related to firefighter use of multi-gas monitors. A recent article by Firehouse provides a basic overview of atmospheric monitoring concepts, sensor technologies, meter-reading procedures, and common metering pitfalls.

(Sources: NIOSH, Firehouse, FireRescue1)

Highlights

NIOSH advisory recommends firefighters train on use of multi-gas monitors

San Antonio pioneers the use of whole blood for transfusions in the prehospital setting

Motorola’s new Public Safety Threat Alliance Information Sharing and Analysis Organization (ISAO) will provide public safety-focused cyber threat intelligence

EMI’s Virtual Tabletop Exercise Program FY 2023 schedule now available

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.

San Antonio pioneers the use of whole blood for transfusions in the prehospital setting

There is very little time to intervene when someone is losing a lot of blood fast.  A prehospital whole blood program can provide exactly what the patient is losing – blood – and provide it just in time.

A Regional Whole Blood Program based in San Antonio, Texas, is pioneering the use of whole blood for prehospital transfusions for trauma patients and those in hemorrhagic shock.

A state medical agency, the Southwest Texas Regional Advisory Council (STRAC) leads this multi-agency system, which includes the local blood bank, South Texas Blood and Tissue Center, the San Antonio Fire Department (SAFD) and the local trauma center, University Hospital.

The current scope of practice for most civilian EMS providers across the country is to use only isotonic IV solutions to treat a hemorrhage or trauma patient until the patient arrives at a trauma center and can receive a blood transfusion. These solutions usually contain only sodium chloride (Normal Saline) or lactated Ringer’s solution. Some medical flight programs may use packed red blood cells and other blood components for transfusions, but even for these programs, use of whole blood is not common.

Since it began in 2018, STRAC’s Regional Whole Blood program has established a growing body of evidence that transfusions using whole blood are not only feasible in a prehospital setting, but they also lead to better patient outcomes.

A few notable features of the program contribute to its success:

• Careful stewardship of blood, where blood units are shared among participating agencies and almost all blood is used where it is needed most before its expiration date.
• The use of Low Titer O Positive Whole Blood (LTO+WB). Blood of type O positive is much more common in the population than the “universal donor” type O negative. While not as ideal for emergency transfusion as O negative, donated O positive blood can be prepared so it has very low concentrations of the antibodies and proteins that may trigger immune reactions in patients. This allows for an adequate supply of donated blood that is safe for emergency transfusion when the patient’s blood type is unknown.
• Use of validated technology for cooling and warming whole blood, originally developed for military medicine on the battlefield.

To learn more about STRAC’s Regional Whole Blood Program and the role of the San Antonio Fire Department within this program, see the following resources:

• STRAC’s Regional Whole Blood Program website.
• SAFD’s Position Statement for the Management of Patients in Hemorrhagic Shock.
• A June 2022 update on STRAC’s program in TRANSFUSION, the Journal of the Association for Advancement of Blood and Biotherapies (AABB).

STRAC’s National Whole Blood Academy provides training to those interested in starting similar whole blood programs.

San Antonio Fire Department offers information on its program through lectures and conference engagements. For further information on SAFD’s prehospital whole blood program, contact Lieutenant William Bullock, EMS Medic Officer and Whole Blood lead/expert at the SAFD.

(Source: STRAC)

Motorola’s new Public Safety Threat Alliance Information Sharing and Analysis Organization (ISAO) will provide public safety-focused cyber threat intelligence

Cyber threats to public safety organizations are increasing in scope, scale and complexity but many agencies are challenged by a lack of cybersecurity resources required to mitigate risk and ensure continuity of public safety operations. To address this critical need, Motorola Solutions has established the Public Safety Threat Alliance (PSTA). The PSTA, a U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security (CISA)-recognized information sharing and analysis organization (ISAO), will begin operations in October 2022. The PSTA will focus on cyber threats to public safety, including threats to critical communications platforms such as land mobile radio (LMR), 9-1-1 call handling, computer-aided dispatch (CAD), and other law enforcement systems and networks.

The PSTA will leverage information related to cybersecurity risks from across Motorola Solutions’ Cybersecurity Services, coupled with information from members and trusted partners including CISA, other ISAOs, and nonprofits dedicated to sharing cyber threat intelligence, to generate actionable intelligence which will improve members’ cybersecurity posture, defense and resilience against ever-evolving threats to their no-fail public safety missions. The PSTA is building a network to better defend public safety networks worldwide.

Membership in the PSTA is free for all public safety agencies, and organizations can register for membership today at https://motorolasolutions.com/psta. PSTA membership includes:

• Access to a secure portal and mobile app.
  • Anonymized member reporting and information sharing.
  • 24/7 access to public safety-focused threat intelligence products.
  • Communications/notifications via email and secure chat.
• Public safety-focused information and actionable intelligence:
  • Collection from multiple public and private sources.
  • Analysis and contextualization.
  • Sharing among a trusted community.

Motorola Solutions is honored to work in partnership with public safety organizations to establish the PSTA as a critical cyber information and intelligence sharing hub for the public safety community. Drawing from their longstanding leadership in mission-critical communications, and more than 90 years of experience supporting public safety organizations and the communities they serve, Motorola Solutions is committed to the rapid establishment of a network of trusted partners as well as sharing information and intelligence on the most pressing cyber threats to public safety.

(Source: Motorola Solutions)

EMI’s Virtual Tabletop Exercise Program FY 2023 schedule now available

The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA’s) Emergency Management Institute (EMI) has released a fiscal year 2023 schedule for its Virtual Tabletop Exercise (VTTX) Program.

The target audiences for the VTTX Program are emergency management disciplines, including public safety, public works, public health, health care, government, administrative, communications, military, private sector, non-governmental organizations, and critical stress professionals.

These tabletop exercises are designed for a “community-based” group rather than individual participation. Each community-based group should consist of at least five or more personnel from federal, state, local, tribal and territorial (SLTT), corporate/industrial, higher learning/education-based facilities or Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD) emergency management organizations.

Exercises are offered monthly using a virtual platform to reach community-based training audiences around the country. Each tabletop exercise is 4 hours in length. The process allows 10-15 groups of key personnel within an emergency management Community of Practice (CoP) to connect virtually and discuss a simulated disaster scenario using a pre-packaged set of exercise materials.

VTTX exercises in fiscal year 2023 will address a wide range of disasters: extreme weather events such as wildfires, tornados, winter weather, earthquakes, and hurricanes; cybersecurity; active shooters; hazardous materials incidents; train derailments; mass casualty incidents; and more.

To learn more, see EMI’s VTTX Program overview. See the Virtual Tabletop Exercise Program Fiscal Year 2023 schedule for a list of all offerings and information on the exercise design and application process. If you are interested in conducting a VTTX for your organization, please contact EMI’s Integrated Emergency Management Branch at fema-emi-iemb@fema.dhs.gov or call 301-447-1381. Please email at least two weeks in advance of the scheduled training event.

(Source: EMI)

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

Securing 5G Open Radio Access Network (RAN) architecture from cybersecurity risks

CISA and the National Security Agency (NSA), through the Enduring Security Framework (ESF), have published a paper titled, Open Radio Access Network Security Considerations which assesses the benefits and security considerations with implementing Open RAN architecture.

This document was written for general informational purposes only. It is intended to apply to a variety of factual circumstances and industry stakeholders. Critical infrastructure stakeholders benefit from working together to address these security considerations, ensuring a secure and resilient Open RAN ecosystem. Download and share the Open Radio Access Network Security Considerations paper.

(Source: CISA)

ICS Medical Advisory (ICSMA-22-263-01): Medtronic NGP 600 Series Insulin Pumps

A vulnerability exists which could allow an unauthorized user to learn aspects of the communication protocol used to pair system components while the pump is being paired with other system components. Exploitation requires nearby wireless signal proximity with the patient and the device; advanced technical knowledge is required for exploitation.

Successful exploitation of this vulnerability could allow an unauthorized user to deliver too much or too little insulin through delivery of an unintended insulin bolus or because insulin delivery is slowed or stopped.

(Source: CISA)

Iranian State Actors conduct cyber operations against the government of Albania

CISA and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) have released a joint Cybersecurity Advisory (CSA), Iranian State Actors Conduct Cyber Operations Against the Government of Albania, detailing malicious cyber operations that included ransomware and disk wiper, rendering websites and services unavailable. The advisory indicates Iranian state cyber actors acquired initial access to the victim’s network approximately 14 months before launching the destructive cyberattack, periodically accessing and exfiltrating email content.

Joint CSA: Iranian State Actors Conduct Cyber Operations Against the Government of Albania outlines tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) and indicators of compromise (IOCs) likely used by Iranian state cyber actors as recently as July 2022. CISA and FBI encourage users and administrators to review the advisory and apply the recommended mitigations to limit the risk of compromise. For additional information on Iranian cyber threats, see CISA’s Iran Cyber Threat Overview and Advisories webpage.

(Source: CISA)

HC3: Sector Alert - Monkey Pox-Themed Phishing Campaign

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Health Sector Cybersecurity Coordination Center (HC3) has been made aware of a monkepox-themed malspam campaign that is currently targeting healthcare providers. The campaign has a subject of “Data from (Victim Organization Abbreviation): "Important read about -Monkey Pox– (Victim Organization) (Reference Number)” and utilizes an “Important read about Monkey Pox” theme. Inside of the email is a PDF with a malicious link which lures the recipient to a Lark Docs site. The site is Adobe Doc cloud-themed and offers a secure fax MonkeyPox PDF download. Clicking the download attempts to harvest Outlook, O365, or Other Mail credentials. This campaign may have leveraged business email compromises (BECs) of healthcare and public health (HPH)-related and possibly non-HPH entities.

(Source: HHS HC3)

NIST releases NIST IR 8286C: Staging Cybersecurity Risks for Enterprise Risk Management and Governance Oversight

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has released NIST Internal Report (IR) 8286C, Staging Cybersecurity Risks for Enterprise Risk Management and Governance Oversight. This report completes the cybersecurity risk management (CSRM) and enterprise risk management (ERM) integration cycle described throughout the NIST IR 8286 series.

Because information and technology comprise some of the enterprise’s most valuable resources, it is vital that directors and senior leaders have a clear understanding of cybersecurity risk posture at all times. It is similarly vital that those identifying, assessing, and treating cybersecurity risk understand enterprise strategic objectives when making risk decisions.

The authors of the NIST IR 8286 series hope that these publications will spark further industry discussion. As NIST continues to develop frameworks and guidance to support the application and integration of information and technology, many of the series’ concepts will be considered for inclusion.

(Source: NIST)

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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