CIP Update

July 20, 2006

This newsletter is for cities, counties, and communities involved in public-private partnerships for joint emergency preparedness, planning, and prevention. 

Michigan State University produces the newsletter through the Critical Incident Protocol (CIP)-Community Facilitation Program under a grant awarded by the Office of Grants & Training, Preparedness Directorate, U.S. Department of Homeland Security.  This newsletter provides ideas, suggestions, best practices, and lessons learned to establish critical incident protocols using public-private partnerships.

Please go to: www.cip.msu.edu for more information about the program.

Participating Communities

Allentown, PA / Annapolis, MD / Bethlehem, PA / Brooklyn, OH / Carroll County, MD / Casa Grande, AZ / Clark County, NV / Evansville, IN / Hoover, AL / Lewis & Clark County, MT / Libertyville, IL / Littleton, CO / Marquette County, MI / Milwaukee, WI / Monroe County, MI / Northampton County, PA / Oakland County, MI / Perkiomen Valley, PA / Redmond, WA / Racine, WI / Richmond, VA / Rockville, MD / Sandy City, UT

We are currently working with 23 communities and will work with another 21 cities, counties, and communities over the next couple of years.  Of the 21 available CIP Programs, we are in contact with 10 communities.  Is there a location in the nation that you think may be interested in building a public-private partnership for joint emergency preparedness?  If so, please let us know.

Correction on Funding for the CIP-Community Facilitation Program

Since 1998 the CIP Program has been funded by the federal government and currently by the Office of Grants & Training, Preparedness Directorate, U.S. Department of Homeland Security.  Originally, the program began as a research endeavor; in 2000 the "Critical Incident Protocol - A Public and Private Partnership" booklet was published; and in 2002 we began facilitating the development of public-private partnerships for joint critical incident management in cities, counties, and regions in the nation.

Recently, we reported that funding for the CIP Program was projected through the fall of 2007.  That information was incorrect, as the funding is projected into the summer of 2008.

Video Briefs by Homeland Responder

Here is an excellent training resource for the emergency responder community using the power of video offered by the Homeland Security Training Network (HSTN).  HSTN was established to help provide information to career and volunteer responders across the nation. HSTN information will help responders explore the new boundaries of the nation's 21st century national security mission by examining the threats, the players, the organizational structures and resources required to defend the American homeland against chemical, biological, radiological/nuclear, explosive/incendiary attack or natural disasters.

The Homeland Responder is a web based video information network that delivers real stories and lessons on preparedness, response and recovery to the nation's citizen emergency services sector. The goal is to provide responders with a unique training portal that addresses current preparedness and response issues while answering questions and providing insight into lessons learned. It also assists America's response community with a baseline understanding of the training necessary to effectively and safely respond to man-made or natural disasters.

Some of the training topics for the homeland responder community include CERT, Citizens Corps, Department of Homeland Security, Disaster Preparedness, Emergency Medical Services, FEMA, Fire Safety, Fire Service, Law Enforcement, Public Safety, and more.

For more information, please go to: http://www.homelandresponder.org/pages/abouthstn.html

Dialogue on Public/Private Sector Critical Incident Issues

Michigan State University compiled a journal of critical incident issues between administrators and executives of the public sector and business community.  An executive summary highlights certain concerns and asks, "in terms of equipment, training, and information exchange, what are the best things public and private sector partners can do to prepare communities to respond to critical incidents?" (Dialogue on Public/Private Sector Critical Incident Issues, 2002, pages 1 & 2)

Overall Issues:

• Although there has been much activity since 9/11, there is still a tendency to work in "silos", as opposed to collaborative and coordinated planning
• The federal structure of law enforcement creates challenges in terms of clearly delineating roles, responsibilities, and communication
• The private sector can be a tremendous resource in information exchange, technology, and expertise, but is too often an untapped resource
• Effective public-private collaboration must recognize differences in mission and perspective

Training Needs:

• Private and public sector personnel should train together to address critical incidents
• Yes, there remains a lack of understanding of the need to include the private sector in training
• There is a need for community level engagement in critical incident planning

Information Exchange:

• There is a lack of shared understanding of the resources and expertise existing in both the public and private sectors

Equipment Needs:

• The lack of uniform standards and reliable sources of information about equipment results in wasted resources and incompatible equipment

Based on the above concerns, the group developed the following recommendations.

Universal Critical Incident Protocol:

• Establish and implement a standardized public-private critical incident protocol for communities
• Support and promote the development of mutual aid processes at the community level

Public-Private Resource Sharing:

• Develop a national strategy for engaging private stakeholders in support of universal critical incident protocol
• Promote joint incident-based training, exercising, and planning at the community level

Community Readiness:

• Develop and implement a strategy for broad-based community mobilization around critical incident preparedness
• Promote joint risk assessment processes at the community level
• Conduct a needs and capabilities assessment at the community level

These concerns and recommendations were published four (4) years ago in 2002. Unfortunately, many of the above concerns and recommendations are still valid today.

As an example, the Council on Foreign Relations recently published their Neglected Defense: Mobilizing the Private Sector to Support Homeland Security report and stated, "The federal government is not doing enough to harness the capabilities, assets, and goodwill of the private sector to bolster our national state of preparedness" (Council on Foreign Relations, 2006, para. 1).  To read these reports, please visit MSU's CIP Information Exchange website, where the publication is available.

Profiling a Public-Private Partnership Organization

Another organization which promotes the value of public-private partnerships for joint crisis management is Private & Public Businesses, Inc., (PPBI), a not-for-profit Missouri corporation located in St. Louis.

The PPBI mission is to link the private and public sectors in effective emergency management and disaster recovery planning focusing on training, awareness, and information sharing.  Their website is http://www.ppbi.org.  

PPBI will act as a clearinghouse for the exchange of information between private businesses and emergency management public agencies through communication, training and standards-setting in order to increase awareness of the economic viability of a community as an issue during recovery from disasters.

For more information on PPBI, please contact Lynda Mura at Strategic Teaching Associates at (315) 622-5924 or by email: sta@twcny.rr.com, or PPBI directly at ppbimail@twcny.rr.com. 

Joint Emergency Planning

Emergency planning involves decision making prior to an actual crisis or disaster, including the consideration of resources required to manage and resolve the event.  The plan must also include the necessary steps during and after the crisis is resolved (recovery).  However, it should be realized that all possible events are not foreseeable.  The important part of "joint" emergency planning will be the understanding on how available resources may respond together to any event. 

Joint planning is a learning process about mutual perceptions.  Plans must NOT be developed in isolation.  Joint meetings should occur early on, so that parties can agree on the ground rules and confidentiality issues.  The public and private sector plans must dovetail for maximum benefit.

The public and private sectors can develop a greater understanding of the value of joint emergency planning, and that can lead to other community partnerships.  Joint planning provides community leaders with an understanding of the process and possible repercussions, if cooperative planning does not occur.  It can illuminate the potential financial impact and liability resulting from the failure to adequately plan for a critical incident.  The loss of a business can have dramatic real-life impact on the community.

Here are considerations on developing a plan:

• If a plan doesn't exist, create one
• If a plan does exist, review it and exercise it (should be done annually, anyway)
• Agree on common terminology, identify acronyms, and discard confusing jargon
• Keep plans generic, simple, and flexible enough to address a "variety" of events
• Consider likely events based on available intelligence and past experiences; remember to watch for potential threats to emergency responders themselves
• Learn from the past and be alert to events happening in other communities
• Identify resource gaps and consider mutual aid pacts and contract resources
• Take advantage of available planning guidance
• NFPA 1600 describes standards for emergency management/business continuity programs

Recent Postings to CIP Information Exchange Website

To enter the "CIP Information Exchange" website, please go to https://angel.msu.edu and enter your user/password ID (or use msu.msu@angel in the User/NetID and "partnership" as the password to log in).  Click on CIP, which launches to the main menu.

Located in the folder "Bulletin Board - Information for all Communities" are just a few of the following postings:

"U.S. Government Failing to Mobilize Private Sector in Homeland Security Efforts"

"Sample Plan - Pandemic Influenza Preparedness & Response / New York City"

"Planning Help for U.S. Small and Medium Size Businesses"

"National Infrastructure Protection Plan - Final Version (June 2006)"

There are numerous other resources located on the website.  To locate a specific topic, use the "search" function, which can be found on the main menu page on the right-hand side in the green task bar.

Starting a CIP Program

Feel free to make a referral to the MSU staff about possibly starting a CIP Program elsewhere in the United States.  We can use your assistance! 

Past Newsletters

If you are interested in viewing past CIP Update newsletters, please go to www.cip.msu.edu and select "Newsletters" from the main menu. 

Closing

If you have any topics and/or ideas for a future CIP Update newsletter, please contact Brit Weber at https:///weberbr@msu.edu or (517) 355-2227 or other MSU staff members.  About every three weeks you will receive this newsletter via email.  If you no longer want to be on this list, please reply to this email.

Sources

Michigan State University, in cooperation with the Private Sector Liaison Committee - International Association of Chiefs of Police, and General Dynamics Land Systems. (June 7, 2000).  Dialogue on Public/Private Sector Critical Incident Issues

Council on Foreign Relations.  (May 3, 2006).  News Release - U.S. Government Failing to Mobilize Private Sector in Homeland Security Efforts, Warns Council Special Report.  Retrieved on July 16, 2006 from: http://www.cfr.org/publication/10570/us_government_failing_to_mobilize_private_sector_in_homeland_security_efforts_warns_council_special_report.html

Brit Weber
School of Criminal Justice
Michigan State University
1407 S. Harrison Rd., 335 Nisbet
East Lansing, MI 48823
Work:  (517)  355-2227
Cell:  (517) 206-1640
Visit our website at www.cip.msu.edu