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Volume 24 — Issue 5 | February 1, 2024

NIST releases results of follow-up study on PFAS in turnout gear

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has been researching firefighter turnout gear to measure the presence and amounts of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in the gear.

PFAS are a category of manufactured chemicals used in turnout gear to enhance its safety and performance. These chemicals have thermal stability and increase the ability of textiles to resist oil and water. However, PFAS have also been linked to cancer and many other adverse health effects. Studies have shown that firefighters have higher levels of some types of PFAS in their blood due to their increased exposure to these substances when compared to the general population.

Because there are both risks and benefits to using PFAS in turnout gear, NIST set out to measure the levels of specific types of PFAS in specific components of turnout gear, under a variety of conditions, in order to determine the actual exposure risks to firefighters.

NIST published the findings of the first Task in this project in May 2023, which measured PFAS levels in new, off-the-shelf firefighter turnout gear, including jackets, pants, gloves, helmets, and self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA). This study found that the amount of PFAS present varies widely between manufacturers and layers, but the highest PFAS concentrations were consistently observed in the outermost two layers of turnout coats and pants.

NIST has just announced completion of the second task in this research project, which measured PFAS after the gear had been stressed in ways that mimic typical wear and tear while a firefighter is on duty.

This follow-up study subjected these components of turnout gear to abrasion, heat, laundering, and weathering. The results showed that abrasion, weathering, and heat caused measured PFAS concentrations to increase. Laundering had little effect. In some cases, laundering reduced PFAS concentrations, presumably because PFAS were washed away into the wastewater.

This research is part of a larger NIST project to examine public health risks to first responders related to PFAS.

The following two reports provide the detailed findings of Tasks 1 and 2 of this research:

• May 2023 - Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances in New Firefighter Turnout Gear Textiles (NIST Technical Note 2248).
• January 2024 - Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances in Firefighter Turnout Gear Textiles Exposed to Abrasion, Elevated Temperature, Laundering, or Weathering (NIST Technical Note 2260).

(Source: NIST)

Highlights

NIST releases results of follow-up study on PFAS in turnout gear

Sustaining a community paramedicine program, webinar Feb. 5

DHS releases application guidance for FY 2024 Targeted Violence and Terrorism Prevention grants

Webinar: Reflections from 20 Years Examining the Social Dynamics of Fire Management, Feb. 22

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.

Sustaining a community paramedicine program, webinar Feb. 5

In recent years, emergency medical services providers (EMS) have expanded their traditional emergency response and transport roles by participating in community paramedicine and mobile integrated healthcare (CP/MIH) programs. These are emerging, community-based healthcare models designed to allow EMS providers to increase patients’ access to some types of non-emergency care. This decreases the use of emergency departments, which ultimately lowers overall healthcare costs.

These models are showing particular promise when integrated with harm reduction programs for drug addiction. Fire and EMS agencies across the country are in a unique position to assist existing community partners with harm reduction strategies. The Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, and Substance Use Program (COSSUP) highlights CP/MIH programs that are having an impact on the overdose epidemic. EMS programs in North Carolina and Florida are among those featured by COSSUP last year.

Last month, COSSUP featured the mobile integrated healthcare program of the San Antonio, Texas, Fire Department (SAFD). This is a medication-assisted treatment program, where the SAFD follows up with certain patients who received naloxone for an emergency opioid overdose reversal. The SAFD administers Suboxone in the field to these patients while they are awaiting treatment for opioid addiction.

However, with the continued staffing and funding challenges faced by EMS providers across the nation, the question of how to sustain these programs inevitably arises.

The Journal of Emergency Medical Services (JEMS) will host a webinar on Monday, Feb. 5, from 1-2 p.m. EST, The Economics of Community Paramedicine (How to Get Paid for Mobile Integrated Health).

Many agencies have discovered that readmission avoidance is the weakest of all economic models to successfully compensate and sustain CP/MIH. This webinar will discuss four economic models that can be used to convey value and sustain a CP/MIH program. Learn more and register for this webinar on JEMS’ website.

(Sources: COSSUP, JEMS)

DHS releases application guidance for FY 2024 Targeted Violence and Terrorism Prevention grants

On Jan. 29, the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS’) Center for Prevention Programs and Partnerships (CP3) released application guidance for the fiscal year (FY) 2024 cycle of grant funding for the Targeted Violence and Terrorism Prevention (TVTP) Grant Program.

The TVTP Grant Program seeks to fund eligible entities to design and implement sustainable, multidisciplinary projects that enhance targeted violence and terrorism prevention capabilities. State, local, tribal, and territorial governments; nonprofits; and institutions of higher education are eligible to apply for this funding.

The TVTP Grant Program’s 2024 priorities are:

• Enhancing Recidivism Reduction and Reintegration Capabilities.
• Advancing Equity in Awards and Engaging Underserved Communities in Prevention.
• Addressing Online Aspects of Targeted Violence and Terrorism.
• Preventing Domestic Violent Extremism.

While the official Notice of Funding Opportunity is anticipated to be released in early March 2024, prospective applicants are encouraged to use this forecast and application guidance to begin to register and maintain their accounts with the required grants systems, find project partners, and draft their applications for this anticipated funding opportunity.

The forecasted opportunity and application guidance are now available on Grants.gov: https://grants.gov/search-results-detail/352057

DHS CP3 will hold a series of webinars in February. The presentations will cover a general overview of the program, the types of projects funded, resources that applicants can leverage to complete their applications. Each webinar will provide the opportunity to ask questions. The following sessions will cover the same material:

• Wednesday, Feb. 7, 1 to 2 p.m. EST.
• Tuesday, Feb. 13, 3 to 4 p.m. EST.
• Thursday, Feb. 15, 1 to 2 p.m. EST.

To register, visit DHS CP3’s webinar registration form at the following link and select one of these sessions: https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=bOfNPG2UEkq7evydCEI1SuI0F5FzbBBDglf824jdtJxUMDVLQ1RMMU5ZUEFMU0FMRTlOVFdSTTRUMC4u

To learn more about the TVTP Grant Program, visit DHS.gov/tvtpgrants. Please contact the CP3 Grants Team at TerrorismPrevention@hq.dhs.gov with any questions.

(Source: DHS)

Webinar: Reflections from 20 Years Examining the Social Dynamics of Fire Management, Feb. 22

Dr. Sarah McCaffrey, a PhD fire social scientist and 20-year veteran of the U.S. Forest Service will present her research in a webinar on Thursday, Feb. 22, at 5 p.m. EST (3 p.m. MST).

The webinar, Reflections from 20 Years Examining the Social Dynamics of Fire Management, will explore her wildfire-related research projects that examined the role of risk perception and risk attitudes, social acceptability of prescribed fire, homeowner mitigation decisions, evacuation decision making, risk communication, and agency-community interactions during fires.

This webinar is part of the Partner Webinar Series, a monthly series organized by the International Association of Wildland Fire (IAWF), the Pau Costa Foundation (PCF), and the Association for Fire Ecology (AFE).

Visit the Zoom registration page to learn more about the speaker and to register.

(Source: IAWF)

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

CISA and FBI release Secure by Design Alert urging manufacturers to eliminate defects in SOHO routers

On Jan. 31, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) published guidance on Security Design Improvements for SOHO Device Manufacturers as a part of the new Secure by Design (SbD) Alert series that focuses on how manufacturers should shift the burden of security away from customers by integrating security into product design and development.

This third publication in CISA’s SbD Alert series examines how manufacturers can eliminate the path threat actors—particularly the People’s Republic of China (PRC)-sponsored Volt Typhoon group—are taking to compromise small office/home office (SOHO) routers.

(Source: CISA)

Updated: New software updates and mitigations to defend against exploitation of Ivanti Connect Secure and Policy Secure Gateways

CISA urges organizations to follow the updated guidance—including software updates—that Ivanti has published to their KB article

Additionally, CISA has issued a Supplemental Direction to its Emergency Directive on Ivanti Vulnerabilities. Although the Supplemental Direction and Emergency Directive are only for FCEB agencies, CISA strongly encourages all organizations to review the guidance and implement it as applicable.

(Source: CISA)

U.S. Government disrupts botnet People’s Republic of China used to conceal hacking of critical infrastructure

A December 2023 court-authorized operation has disrupted a botnet of hundreds of U.S.-based small office/home office (SOHO) routers hijacked by People’s Republic of China (PRC) state-sponsored hackers.

The hackers, known to the private sector as “Volt Typhoon,” used privately-owned SOHO routers infected with the “KV Botnet” malware to conceal the PRC origin of further hacking activities directed against U.S. and other foreign victims. These further hacking activities included a campaign targeting critical infrastructure organizations in the United States and elsewhere that was the subject of a May 2023 FBI, National Security Agency, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), and foreign partner advisory. The same activity has been the subject of private sector partner advisories in May and December 2023, as well as an additional secure by design alert released on Jan. 31, 2024, by CISA.

The vast majority of routers that comprised the KV Botnet were Cisco and NetGear routers that were vulnerable because they had reached “end of life” status; that is, they were no longer supported through their manufacturer’s security patches or other software updates. The court-authorized operation deleted the KV Botnet malware from the routers and took additional steps to sever their connection to the botnet, such as blocking communications with other devices used to control the botnet.

The court-authorized steps to disconnect the routers from the KV Botnet and prevent reinfection are temporary in nature. A router’s owner can reverse these mitigation steps by restarting the router. However, a restart that is not accompanied by mitigation steps similar to those the court order authorized will make the router vulnerable to reinfection.

(Source: DOJ)

HC3 Sector Alert: Possible Threat of Unauthorized Access to HPH Organizations from Remote Access Tool

Security researchers are warning that Healthcare and Public Health (HPH) organizations that use the remote access tool ScreenConnect could be adversely affected or targeted by threat actors. The impact of potential unauthorized access on both federal and private industry victims, many of which rely on this tool, would be a concerning development for the healthcare sector. This Sector Alert provides a technical overview of issues concerning the remote access tool, IOCs, and recommendations for mitigations to detect and protect against future cyberattacks.

Read the full Sector Alert from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Health Sector Cybersecurity Coordination Center (HC3).

(Source: HHS HC3)

Officials: ‘Akira' ransomware behind Bucks Co. emergency dispatch system cyberattack

About a week after a cyberattack crippled Bucks County's computer-aided emergency dispatch (CAD) system, officials, on Friday, announced they believe they know who was behind the attack.

"The County has shared with its local, state and federal partners that the ransomware “Akira” is involved so that they can have situational awareness and review their own systems," county officials announced. According to the Department of Health and Human Services, Akira is a Ransomware-as-a-Service (RaaS) group that started operations in March 2023.

Without this system, Bucks County officials said that the county has lost automated services powered by CAD and law enforcement officials cannot access databases for the Commonwealth Law Enforcement Assistance Network nor the National Crime Information Center. However, officials said, all 911 phone and radio systems remain operational as they investigate the cyberattack.

(Source: NBC Philadelphia)

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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