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Volume 24 — Issue 8 | February 22, 2024

DHS S&T releases SAVER market survey report on open-circuit SCBAs

The National Urban Security Technology Laboratory (NUSTL), a federal laboratory within the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T), has just released a market survey report, Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus.

The primary function of self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) is to deliver breathable air to the wearer from a source that is independent of the environment. Emergency responders use SCBAs to enter oxygen-deficient and other extremely hazardous environments.

SCBA units currently available for sale to emergency responders are modular and configurable, which enhances their capabilities. However, the way they are configured can have a significant impact on the final cost per unit paid by the purchaser.

This market survey is focused specifically on open-circuit SCBAs used by the fire service. It identified four unique SCBA products and the accessories, options, and capabilities associated with each product. All of the products meet the appropriate regulatory and industry standards.

With the four products selected, the market survey explores some of the new capabilities of open-circuit SCBA units. The report also aims to illustrate the variations in more standard features, such as materials, construction, and physical design. The products range in price from $5,000 to $12,000.

This information was compiled by NUSTL’s System Assessment and Validation for Emergency Responders (SAVER) program between January 2021 and March 2023. The information was gathered from manufacturer and vendor websites, internet research, industry publications, and government-issued requests for information.

This market survey is intended to provide emergency responders with information to guide their agency’s operational and procurement decisions. Emergency responders should consider the overall capabilities, technical specifications, and limitations of SCBAs in relation to their agency’s operational needs when making equipment selections. Agencies should also consider impacts associated with integrating equipment into their power and information technology infrastructure, data management, concept of operations, and required maintenance.

Access this report and related documents within DHS S&T’s SAVER library.

(Source: DHS S&T)

Highlights

DHS S&T releases SAVER market survey report on open-circuit SCBAs

NHTSA’s Model Minimum Uniform Crash Criteria updated to align with NEMSIS

DOI launches pilot program to strengthen local governments’ wildfire response capabilities

Webinar: Enhancing School Safety Using Behavioral Threat Assessment, March 8

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.

NHTSA’s Model Minimum Uniform Crash Criteria updated to align with NEMSIS

Law enforcement officers collect information from motor vehicle traffic crashes using police crash reports (PCRs). This information describes the characteristics of the events, vehicles, and people involved in the crash. Ideally the data from each PCR is then entered into a state’s centralized database, inspected for quality, amended if necessary, reported, and analyzed by a range of stakeholders.

Although all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and several U.S. territories collect data about motor vehicle traffic crashes, there are significant differences in the way that such data is reported.

To address this issue, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has established Model Minimum Uniform Crash Criteria (MMUCC). The MMUCC establishes a common language for reporting in the traffic safety community.

With the release of the 6^th edition of NHTSA’s MMUCC, data elements that were previously meant to be derived from other data systems were removed. Instead, the MMUCC now recommends linkages to existing data elements from other national data standards.

During the development of the 6^th edition, NHTSA’s Office of EMS provided significant assistance to align MMUCC with the data elements used by the National EMS Information System (NEMSIS) wherever possible. NEMSIS is a national effort to standardize the data collected by EMS agencies.

The new MMUCC now incorporates NEMSIS’ Universally Unique Identifiers (UUIDs), which can serve as key linkages between crash data systems and injury surveillance data systems. This data element is important to trace people receiving medical attention at the scene of the crash through the health care system and facilitate linkage of crash data with EMS data, including NEMSIS.

Access the 6^th edition of the NHTSA’s Model Minimum Uniform Crash Criteria on EMS.gov or NHTSA.gov.

(Source: NHTSA)

DOI launches pilot program to strengthen local governments’ wildfire response capabilities

On Feb. 6, the Department of the Interior (DOI) announced the launch of a pilot program to strengthen local governments’ wildfire response capabilities by converting vehicles to wildland fire engines.

The pilot program can be used by local governments to purchase slip-on tanker units that will allow them to quickly convert trucks and other vehicles to be operated as wildland fire engines. Local governments that provide emergency services to areas with a population of 25,000 or less are eligible to apply for this funding. Grant amounts will range from $10,000 to $200,000. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law authorized $50 million for the pilot program, and $5 million is available during this first round.

The funding will help small, remote emergency response agencies quickly expand their wildfire response capacity.

Grant applications must be submitted through the Grants.gov website. Statements of interest are due by Thursday, March 21, 2024. If invited, application packages will be due on Tuesday, June 4, 2024. Additional details about the pilot program and application process will be available in the Federal Register in the coming days.

(Source: DOI)

Webinar: Enhancing School Safety Using Behavioral Threat Assessment, March 8

The U.S. Secret Service (USSS) National Threat Assessment Center (NTAC) will host a live, virtual training event on Friday, March 8, 2024, from 1-2 p.m. EST, entitled Enhancing School Safety Using Behavioral Threat Assessment.

In this virtual training event, NTAC researchers will highlight the key findings and implications from their research on school violence prevention. Participants will learn about the background, thinking, and behavior of school attackers and how some schools discovered and stopped plots before violence occurred. This training will provide guidance on how schools may develop or improve existing violence prevention programs utilizing a behavioral threat assessment model.

The intended audiences for this training include law enforcement, corporate security, mental health professionals, faith-based community leaders, university faculty, threat assessment team members, and other community safety stakeholders.

This training event is part of a series of live, recurring virtual training events offered by NTAC on violence prevention for community stakeholders. Learn more about the series on NTAC’s website. See NTAC’s Virtual Training Calendar and Registration Form to register for this webinar or upcoming webinars in the series.

(Source: USSS)

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, EPA, and FBI release top cyber actions for securing water systems

On Feb. 21, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) released the joint fact sheet Top Cyber Actions for Securing Water Systems. This fact sheet outlines the following practical actions Water and Wastewater Systems (WWS) Sector entities can take to better protect water systems from malicious cyber activity and provides actionable guidance to implement concurrently

CISA, EPA, and FBI urge all WWS Sector and critical infrastructure organizations to review the fact sheet and implement the actions to improve resilience to cyber threat activity. Organizations can visit cisa.gov/water for additional sector tools, information, and resources.

(Source: CISA)

HHS announces new Cybersecurity Performance Goals, AAA urges engagement from EMS community

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR), announced on January 24, 2024, the release of new voluntary Cybersecurity Performance Goals (CPGs). These guidelines are specifically designed for the Health Care and Public Health (HPH) sector. Additionally, HHS launched a gateway website to streamline the implementation of these cybersecurity measures and facilitate access to extensive resources provided by HHS and its federal partners.

The HPH CPGs are designed to better protect the healthcare sector from cyberattacks, improve response when events occur and minimize residual risk. HPH CPGs include both essential goals to outline minimum foundational practices for cybersecurity performance and enhanced goals to encourage adoption of more advanced practices.

As healthcare continues to embrace digital transformation, the importance of cybersecurity has never been more critical. The American Ambulance Association (AAA) urges the EMS community to engage with this significant development. The new CPGs represent a proactive step by ASPR and HHS to fortify the healthcare sector’s defenses against cyber threats.

(Source: AAA)

Biden is boosting cybersecurity at US ports, where online attacks can be more ravaging than storms

President Joe Biden on Wednesday signed an executive order and created a federal rule aimed at better securing the nation’s ports from potential cyberattacks.

Nationwide, ports employ roughly 31 million people and contribute $5.4 trillion to the economy and could be left vulnerable to a ransomware or other brand of cyberattack.

The administration is outlining a set of cybersecurity regulations that port operators must comply with across the country, not unlike standardized safety regulations that seek to prevent injury or damage to people and infrastructure.

The new requirements are part of the federal government’s focus on modernizing how critical infrastructure like power grids, ports and pipelines are protected as they are increasingly managed and controlled online, often remotely. There is no set of nationwide standards that govern how operators should protect against potential attacks online.

(Source: AP News)

Cyberattack on Colorado public defender system causes 'moderate disruption' to Pueblo courts

Pueblo's district attorney is seeing "some impact" on local court cases as the state public defenders' office is in its second week of working to recover from a malware attack that has impacted its computer systems.

State Public Defender Zach Brown reported that public defender computers, case document storage systems, connections to some law enforcement systems and the ability to file or download pleadings remain unavailable.

"The primary impact has been the way in which we have shifted to provide as much business continuity as possible. Court staff is assisting by adding more detail to minute orders, printing docket schedules a day in advance, and printing off pre-negotiated plea and sentencing paperwork," a court executive explained. Pueblo courts also are accepting paper filings rather than electronic filings.

The attack is being investigated by the FBI.

(Source: Pueblo Chieftain)

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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