Washington, D.C.-Michael D. Brown, Under Secretary of Homeland Security for Emergency Preparedness and Response, announced the availability of a new document that provides a comprehensive guide for all fire and emergency services. Prepared by the U.S. Fire Administration’s (USFA) Emergency Management and Response-Information Sharing and Analysis Center (EMR-ISAC) to promote critical infrastructure protection, the Fire and Emergency Services Preparedness Guide for the Homeland Security Advisory System provides suggestions for activities that may be appropriate for the five Homeland Security Advisory System (HSAS) Levels.
“The world has changed since September 11, 2001. We remain a Nation at risk from terrorist attacks and will remain so for the foreseeable future,” said Brown. “At all threat conditions, the fire and emergency services must remain vigilant, prepared, and ready to respond when called.”
HSAS Threat Conditions represent an increasing risk of terrorist attacks. Within this guide, the emergency response leadership will find some recommended preparedness measures for each Threat Condition. The contents of this document should assist the heads of fire and Emergency Medical Service (EMS) agencies with the development and implementation of appropriate agency-specific preparedness measures.
“The preparedness actions recommended are not all inclusive, nor do they reflect all the variations in local conditions, agencies, and operations,” according to U.S. Fire Administrator R. David Paulison. “These guidelines however, provide a good place to start development, or enhancement, of agency-specific plans. Agencies need to balance cost versus benefit of various proposed measures to determine the most cost effective ones.”
To obtain a complete copy of the guidelines, visit http://www.usfa.fema.gov/fire-service/cipc/cipc-jobaid.shtm.
