Page 1
The Guardian
J a n u a r y 2 0 1 2 V o l u m e 6 , I s s u e 1
A Publication of the International Association of Emergency Managers
Student Chapter at American Public university System
The Guardian
Message from the IAEM-APUS President 2
The Crow 4
IAEM-APU Student Chapter Calendar 5
VX: Grand Central Terminal? 6
Border Security & Immigration Reform 11
Social Media: The New Disaster Warning System 14
IAEM Scholarship Program 16
Inside this month’s issue:
Page 2
As I first sat down to write this, people were traveling home
from the IAEM Annual Converence in Las Vegas. Due to work
conflicts I was not able to attend this year, but I did take ad-
vantage of the web based sessions IAEM offered in partner-
ship with The Knowledge Foundation.
A couple of days ago I was walking to get in my car and some-
thing cold and wet was sticking in what little hair I have. I
looked up, and sure enough it was snowing. Will this be a
busy year for winter storms? If you look type the words Alaska
and Snow into your search engine, you’ll see that areas
around Anchorage have received upward of 172 inches of
the white stuff this season. Coast Guard personnel in an icebreaker are helping a Rus-sian fuel ship
trudge toward Nome. One of our own, Shannon Riley, alerted us on our Facebook group page that he
is inbound to that destination. Push warm thoughts his way, I’m sure he will appreciate it.
The fact that this edition is being published in January (and the Conference in Las Vegas was in No-
vember) testifies to how busy my work schedule has been. It seems I got the Chapter into a bit of a
slump there for several weeks, but I believe we are back on track. December was a productive month
for us as we finally got the Chapter’s policies and procedures ratified, and many of our com-mittee
chairs and members active in their respective areas. You can go to our Facebook group page and
click the documents link to see who has volunteered for what.
The first shout out in this format I would like to give is to our new editor for The Guardian, Victoria
Locey. The great look and feel of this edition is due to her skills. Please pepper her with articles and
blurbs to keep our editions fat, and let her know what you’ve been doing in the EM realms so we can
brag about you in “The Crow” section.
Finally, I’d like to once again ask those who are willing to pitch in and help us fill the rest of our com-
mittee positions. Here is what we lack:
Professional Development Committee Chair (this is a voting member of the executive board!)
Distinguished Speaker Series Coordinator
AEM/CEM Advocacy Coordinator
Conference Coordinator
Thanks for keeping us the largest and most active IAEM Student Chapter in the world.
Jim
M e s s a g e F r o m T h e
P r e s i d e n t
Officers
2011-2012
President:
Jim Garlits
Vice President:
Erik Davis
Secretary:
Seth Hooks
Treasurer:
Bill Duchanse
Past President:
Hannah Vick
Faculty Advisor:
Professor Elizabeth Russell
Program Director:
Dr. Thomas D. Phelan
The Guardian
Editor:
Victoria C. Locey
Contributors:
Steven Santomauro
Erik G. Davis
By Jim Garlits, IAEM Student Chapter President
IAEM-USA@APUS
The Guardian
A quarterly publication of the Inter-
national Association of Emergency
Managers Student Chapter at the
American Public University System
About the cover photo: From NOAA’s National Weather Service (NWS) Collection.
“Dog ‘tasting’ the snowflakes during a heavy snowfall.”
Germantown, MD, February 16, 2003.
Accessed from: http://www.photolib.noaa.gov/htmls/wea01938.htm. Public Domain.
P a g e 2 T h e G u a r d i a n
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C O N T E N T S p a g e
P a g e 3 T h e G u a r d i a n
6
11
14
Early warning system; photo courtesy of noaa,
public domain
Page 4
The Crow flies to and fro, watching everything going
on below. He notices when an IAEM@APUS
chapter member (or any APUS student in EDM,
Homeland Security, or Fire Sciences, really)
distinguishes himself or herself by reaching out
to help in time of crisis.
Accolades and attaboys are also welcome.
To crow about your own accomplishments, send a
picture and a paragraph to the editor and we’ll make sure
your feats of greatness are properly squawked about in a
future issue of
The Guardian.
T h e C r o w
P a g e 4 T h e G u a r d i a n
Are you an undergraduate or graduate Emergency Management or
Homeland Security student?
Are you committed to excellence in your chosen profession?
Do you want to stand out among your peers?
Epsilon Pi Phi, the Emergency Management Honor Society, may be for you!
View membership criteria at: http://www.ffhea.org/3364.html
For more information contact the APUS Chapter of Epsilon Pi Phi at: [email protected]
E p s i l o n P i P h i H o n o r S o c i e t y
Come join the ongoing conversation with other
stakeholders before, during, and after disasters at:
http://blog.fema.gov
The Federal Emergency Management Agency now has a blog!
Page 5
I A E M @ A P U S S T U D E N T P A G E
P a g e 5 T h e G u a r d i a n
WANT TO JOIN OUR CHAPTER?
Go to:
https://www.iaem.com/members_online/
members/newmember.asp
And join as a student for $30
Once you have joined IAEM, you will receive an email re-
ceipt verifying that you joined or renewed. Forward the
email along with your APUS student ID number to Jim
Garlits at:
[email protected]
Upon receipt of your email copy we will add you to the
IAEM-USA Student Chapter at APUS’
collaboration portal on TeamLab.
Executive Board Meeting COMING SOON!
January Membership Meeting January 21, Noon
February Membership Meeting February 18, Noon
March Membership Meeting March 17, Noon
April Membership Meeting April 21, Noon
We will be continuing the Distinguished Speakers Series.
Stay tuned in at TeamLab to find out who our next speaker will be.
U p c o m i n g E v e n t s
You can participate in the IAEM-APUS Monthly
Membership Meetings by calling toll free:
Teleconference Number: (866) 706-1130
Passcode: 4201538
Page 6
(Chapter president note: One of the greatest concerns in Homeland
Security is that an enemy will procure and disperse a chemical or
biological agent somewhere in the United States. Hailing from Indi-
ana, I shared my fellow Hoosiers’ concerns over the massive stock-
pile of VX produced and stored at the Newport facility north of Terre
Haute since the early 1960s. After the September 11, 2001 terror-
ist attacks, Soldiers of the 101st Airborne were called to secure the
facility. After years of legal and political wrangling, destruction-on-
site began in 2005 and was completed in 2008. All of us who
knew the deadly potential of VX breathed a sigh of relief. This first
of a two-part series by Steven Santomauro, an APUS graduate
student, produced this piece in 2010 as part of his work in
EDMG 541)
(Continued from a previous issue of The Guardian)
Chemical and Medical Properties of the
VX Nerve Agent
Methylphosphonothioic acid (VX) is a V series chemical
nerve agent that is used dually as an offensive weapon, but is also
classified as an area denial weapon due to its chemical properties
which include an extremely low chemical breakdown (Hoover-
Davis; 3). VX is extremely deadly in small doses and will generally
cause death within a fifteen minute time period after the time of
absorption into the body (FAS; 2010; 2). VX is an extremely multi-
faceted chemical combination. In its most pure form it comes as a
liquid that is both colorless and tasteless with the consistency and
feel of motor oil, this consistency is what gives the chemical its
“persistence” and is what allows it to create long lasting contami-
nation (FAS; 2010; 2). For the purposes of the above scenario, the
VX will be released as an aerosol which will force absorption
through both inhalation and through physical contact with the skin.
VX, being a nerve agent, reacts with chemicals in the
nerve cells and musculature system to block the regular flow of
necessary chemicals. Nerve agents such as VX and Sarin work by
blocking the normal flow of enzymes in nerve cells that lead to
muscles. This chemical reaction causes the paralysis of major
muscle groups. The main difference in Sarin and VX is that VX
works far more rapidly and requires a smaller lethal dosage. This
will cause rapid constriction of muscles throughout the body
(FAS 2010; 1). These violent contractions tend to start at the
point of contact and eventually travel through the body to the
diaphragm and lungs and will cause both of these muscle
groups to contract, thus causing death by asphyxiation (FAS;
2010; 3). In conjunction with this course of action, the heart will
also be targeted as a major muscle and this will cause irregular
heart contractions (arrhythmia)(FAS; 2010; 3). The final possi-
ble course of action that the agent can take is to create a mas-
sive constriction in the lungs (pulmonary system), this will force a
massive secretion of mucus which will in turn cause death by
choking (FAS; 2010; 3). It has been generally observed that
when the nerve toxin is traveling through the nervous system
twitching movements can be seen where the nerve cells are
creating muscle spasms (FAS; 2010; 3).
Exposure to VX in its vapor form will cause symptoms
to occur within a few seconds. Immediate symptoms of VX expo-
sure include “chest tightness, headache, nausea, high blood
pressure, and increased heart rate,” in addition it should be
noted that even the smallest drop of VX will cause “sweating and
muscle twitching where the agent has touched the skin” (CDC;
2006; 1). Long term effects of VX exposure which will occur
between three and fifteen minutes after exposure will include
“convulsions, loss of consciousness, paralysis and death” (CDC;
2006; 1).
The average lethal dosages of VX include a drop as tiny
as 734 micrograms (µg) coming in contact with an adult of aver-
age size, being considered 70kg (FAS; 2010; 2). Thus the LD50
rate, the amount needed to cause casualties in 50% of a given
exposed population, will be only 10 milligrams (mg). This means
that it would only take 10mg of VX aerosol to kill 50% of those
exposed to the agent through percutaneous (skin) contact (FAS;
2010; 2). This is a very tiny amount, considering that 1700mg
are needed for Sarin gas, which was used in the Tokyo subway
attack in 1996, to reach this casualty rate, this means that VX is
170 times more lethal than Sarin gas per cubic meter (FAS;
2010; 2). When used as an aerosol the
LD50 rate must be combined with the
LCt50 which is the minimum lethal dos-
age able to cause death in 50% of those
exposed in a given area through inhala-
tion (FAS; 2010; 2). For VX, the LCT is
30mg per cubic meter (Sarin being
70mg) meaning that it will only take an
amount as small as 30mg per meter to
kill an average adult (FAS; 2010; 2). One of the most devastat-
ing qualities of VX is that the amount needed to incapacitate the
average adult is only 25mg while the dosage needed to kill the
average adult is 30mg as mentioned above (FAS; 2010; 2). This
means that there is a very tiny amount of difference between the
P a g e 6 T h e G u a r d i a n
By Steven Santomauro
continued on next page
Photo courtesy of NIL/NIH,
Public Domain
Page 7
have responsibility of the scene. In this case, FDNY will con-
trol the site decontamination as well as using its Hazmat and
Haz-Tac Teams to perform mass decontaminations of the
affected civilian populations. The responsibility of NYPD will
be to set up a perimeter security cordon. If the VX vapors
were released through an explosive device, NYPD will use its
Emergency Service Unit’s (ESU), Explosive Ordinance Dis-
posal team (EOD) to perform sweeps for any other explosive
devices as well. It should be noted that FDNY has jurisdiction
over any Improvised Incendiary Devices (IID) that may be
used for dispersal while NYPD has jurisdiction over any Impro-
vised Explosive Devices (IED) that may be used in the same
manner (FDNY; 2010; 13-16).
The following is an explanation of FDNY’s response,
hazard mitigation and decontamination strategies as well as
the proper mass decontamination standards and strategies
as set forth by the United States Armed Forces. The FDNY
utilizes what they call a “network centric” information sharing
system. This system utilizes data streaming technology in
order to gather intelligence related information from other
agencies at the Federal, State, and local levels (FDNY; 2010;
14). In the event of a chemical attack, the FDNY is able to
mobilize any or all of its 1600 specialist and trained techni-
cian members based on an operational need. All members of
the FDNY Hazmat team have specialized training in CBRN
attack related treatment and recovery (FDNY; 2010; 19). In
addition to the above, the FDNY will also mobilize its 600
specially trained mass decontamination unit members, these
as well as its more than 800 members specially trained in the
use of CBRN protective clothing (FDNY; 2010; 19). FDNY
also has 35 specialized Haz-Tac ambulance units that are
maintained by members trained specifically in CBRN injury
related treatment in both “hot zones” as well as so called
“mild zones.” All FDNY personnel have basic CBRN training
and are able to assist these specialists at the operational
level (FDNY; 2010; 19).
In the case of a chemical attack, FDNY is aug-
mented by the United States Marine Corps Chemical Biologi-
cal Incident Response Force (CBIRF) (USMC; 2010). It is
stressed by Commanding Officer Colonel John Pollock that
the CBIRF is “never” the agency in charge, and that they are
simply an augmentation group for domestic attacks (USMC;
2010). This specialized group of Marines go to large scale
events and assist the local jurisdictional agency if they be-
come over burdened with casualties. It is explained that the
first course of action after a suspected chemical attack is to
use chemical detection equipment in order to figure what
agent is being used. CBIRF claims that they are able to iden-
tify over 500,000 different chemical particles and do this so
that they can recommend appropriate actions for local re-
sponse, from what type of protective gear to wear or use
(USMC; 2010). This group of Marines works alongside FDNY
to transport and remove possible casualties from the immedi-
ate contamination area. Once this is done, they assist in
P a g e 7 T h e G u a r d i a n
deadly dosage and the incapacitating dosage, making it extremely
deadly to crowded, densely packed populations.
VX would be a very deadly gas to use in a subway station
such as Grand Central Terminal, because its vapor has a much higher
density than air (CDC; 2006;1). This means that because of its chemi-
cal properties VX will always sink to lower areas, a major danger con-
sidering that only a small percentage of the entire Grand Central Ter-
minal is at ground level. VX’s density will force the vapor to sink to
the lower levels of the subway station increasing the area of contami-
nation. Since it sinks so easily and since the vast majority of the
subway station is below ground level, the VX gas will travel with ex-
treme ease through the station and will cause more far reaching ef-
fects than if the station was above ground. In conjunction with the
ventilation shafts and subway tunnels, as well as with the wind veloc-
ity created by moving trains at the time of dispersal, there will also
very an extremely high probability of the gas floating into neighboring
businesses through the vents as well as travelling to other stations
which are all connected to the terminal.
Being a V series chemical weapon, the chemical make up
of VX is considered extremely “persistent” as opposed to a typically
“non-persistent” G series chemical weapon such as Sarin (GB) which
is extremely deadly, but has a rather short dissipation time. The slow
breakdown of VX allows it to contaminate the soil or the vicinity of a
specified area for up to a period of about twenty three weeks (Davis-
Hoover; 3). In a study done by the EPA, it was determined that when
compared to the breakdown rate of Sarin and Sulfuric Mustard, both
of which are desired chemical agents for procurement by terrorist
organizations, VX had the slowest breakdown rate and the most pro-
longed longevity (Davis-Hoover; 3). This characteristic makes it ex-
tremely hard to decontaminate in small areas, let alone in a space as
massive as Grand Central Terminal.
The slow chemical breakdown allows for a long contamina-
tion period, thus extending the amount of time for civilians to get
back to a normal life, and thus intensifying the psychological effects
of the act on the population. This would cause a decontamination
nightmare which in addition to unknown future health consequences
will effectively work to cost the city billions of dollars in clean up and
will work for the terrorist’s objective to induce economic collapse as a
means to cause political collapse. Such a contamination issue would
also force a closure to businesses within the area further expanding
the possibility of unemployment and economic despair and effectively
reducing the amount of income tax being paid into the city while si-
multaneously costing the city in clean up and rebuilding.
Emergency Responses to VX Related Casualties
In New York City, the Fire Department (FDNY) and the Police
Department (NYPD) would be the controlling force on the scene of a
VX related incident. Depending on the method of release, both will
continued on next page
“VX gas will travel with extreme ease…”
Page 8
important as the speed of its removal from the body, thus it is ad-
vised that fire departments use their readily available supply of
water to either hose down civilians or to use the hoses to create a
basic mass shower type system over a specified area until a decon-
tamination area can be set up (U.S. Army; 2000; 14). It is advised
that responders be extremely cautious when using fire hoses as
the high pressure systems can either force chemicals that are
trapped in the clothing towards the skin, or they can relocate the
chemicals within the showering areas thereby increasing contami-
nation (U.S. Army; 2000; 16).
The first and most important step in the decontamination
process is the removal of clothing. This is important because an
agent that is dispersed within a high density, closed structure will
increase the levels of toxic chemicals trapped within clothing (U.S.
Army; 2000; 14). Once the clothing is removed, it is advised that
the clothes themselves be quarantined since these chemicals are
highly active and may have very large amounts of chemical mole-
cules trapped within the fibers (U.S. Army; 2000; 14). Emergency
and decontamination workers must be careful when dealing with
either clothing of victims who are unwilling to remove their clothes,
as this may cause the chemicals to enter the decontamination
area, as well as increasing the probability that the chemicals de-
fuse from the clothing onto the emergency workers protective gear,
thus even making the protective gear a hazard after decontamina-
tion is completed (U.S. Army; 2000; 17).
The next step in the process is using water to remove the
chemicals from the skin. There are several ways that this can be
accomplished. The most basic method of decontamination is to
use water alone. While this will not remove the chemicals from the
skin, it will work to dilute them, thereby taking away a portion of
their potency (U.S. Army; 2000, 15). The best method for water
based decontamination is to use bleach. The bleach will work to
“hydrolyze and neutralize most chemical substances,” it should be
noted that it is recommended that commercial bleach be diluted
due to the strength of its chemical properties (U.S. Army; 2000;
15). In the case of VX, soap and bleach may be used as a demon-
izing agent, it is however recommended that these products not be
used in the event that a vesicant (blister) agent has been used
because they will occasionally make the blistering worse (U.S.
Army; 2000; 15).
Another important aspect of decontamination is prioriti-
zation of casualties based on the severity of their affliction. The
FDNY utilizes the help of the USMC to create an emergency triage
area near the decontamination site. In most cases the number of
both “apparent casualties” and “actual casualties” will be more
than emergency workers can handle. It is in this situation where
workers must choose who will receive emergency medical attention
first. It is in this scenario where the difficult choice of the greatest
good for the greatest number must be made (U.S. Army; 2000; 23-
24). The first designation for casualty response is the “ambulatory
casualty” area. This area is where the most severe casualties will
be transported. Most of the time, victims who were the closest to
confined spaces. According to NYPD, all high-rise buildings must
meet these specifications. Being a high value target, Grand Cen-
tral Terminal is also forced to deploy NYPD approved CBRN
counter measures within its facilities. The first requirement as set
forth by NYPD is the inclusion of an HVAC system within the prem-
ises. Air Technology Inc. is the MTA’s contracting company for
Grand Central Terminal’s HVAC system (Air Tech Inc; 2009). An
HVAC system is an air circulation system that is able to filtrate
and treat the air in a specified facility after a CBRN event. The
system in Grand Central Station is able to prevent the intake of
contaminated air into the circulation ducts, and is able to filter
any contaminated air that may infiltrate these areas. Further-
more the HVAC system works to control and redirect the move-
ment of contaminated air as well as working to find an alternate
route for ventilation purposes (NYPD; 2010; 69). It is also re-
quested by NYPD that the controls to the HVAC systems are se-
curely locked and are not located in publicly accessible areas.
The second requirement as set forth by New York is that
the air intake ducts be located twenty feet or higher from ground
level (NYPD; 2010; 69). In the case of a VX attack this is very
important considering that VX sinks due to the high density of its
chemical compounds. This will prevent the air intake ducts from
picking up the contaminated air and spreading it throughout the
facility. In the case of a CBRN attack such as VX in Grand Central
Terminal, NYPD requests the use of both solid filters as well as
carbon based filters to attract the contaminants, in addition they
recommend the use of an ultraviolet lighting system within the
ducts which is able to kill biological toxins as well as disassociate
and degrade physical chemical elements such as the sulfur and
phosphorous that make up the core chemical makeup of VX
thereby making it impure and far less harmful (NYPD; 2010; 70).
In the case of a VX attack in Grand Central Station, the
main ventilation shaft can be switched on along with the HVAC.
This will act to pull contaminated air out of the station, while at
the same time replacing it with clean, breathable air. The duct
system will either trap the contaminates within its filters or will
move them to an exhaust area where they can mix with outside
air, and can be diluted. Since these ducts are located throughout
the station, they will work to purify the air in the station, thus de-
creasing the rate of contamination and giving emergency workers
more time to evacuate possible casualties.
Mass Decontamination
In a report prepared by the United States Army, the
military suggests the need for a rapid, even basic decontamina-
tion is paramount in order to save lives. In addition, to the
Haz-Tac ambulances, fire departments across the country are
advised to use whatever recourses they have available at the
scene when they arrive. This includes using fire hoses under low
pressure as a basic decontamination method until more ad-
vanced resources arrive (U.S. Army; 2000; 14). The authors of the
report state that the method of agent removal is not nearly as
P a g e 8 T h e G u a r d i a n
continued on next page
VX: Grand Central Terminal? (continued)
Page 9
the point of release (hot zone) will be the first ones to be cared for,
and they will make up the overwhelming majority of ambulatory
casualties (U.S. Army; 2000; 25). There is an overwhelming probabil-
ity that these casualties will have traces of nerve toxin on their skin,
and will be exhibiting symptoms of poisoning. In the case of VX,
those casualties showing chest tightness, problems
breathing and oily skin should be the first treated (U.S.
Army; 2000; 26). It is further explained that the next high-
est priority are people who were furthest away from the
point of release. This area would be known as the “warm
or mild zone”, and it is imperative that those casualties
are not moved through the hot zone on their way to triage
(U.S. Army; 2000; 25). Casualties from this area will usu-
ally show signs of aerosol inhalation, which is far less seri-
ous than direct dermal contact with VX a nerve agent (U.S.
Army; 2000; 24).
It should be noted that while there is an antidote for VX
exposure, it must be administered within minutes to a few hours
after the time of contact. As mentioned above, symptoms start to
become visible within seconds of exposure and death will usually
take place within a 15 minute time period if the dosage is at or
close to the lethal amount (ATSDR; 2010). The known antidotes for
VX poisoning are atropine and pralidoxime chloride (ATSDR; 2010).
These antidotes work by blocking the nerve receptors off from the
nerve agent and preventing the agent from binding to the nerve
cells (ATSDR; 2010). These antidotes must be injected so that they
reach never cells and muscle tissue in order for them to react
quickly enough to combat the fast acting toxins of the nerve agent
(ATSDR; 2010).
Conclusion
As shown in prior research an attack on any densely popu-
lated area with a fast acting nerve agent will cause mass devasta-
tion. Since nerve agents such as VX are designed to be undetect-
able there is no warning prior to its release since it has no smell or
taste. The fast acting nature of the chemicals in VX make it impera-
tive that there be a fast acting, coordinated response by emergency
workers in order to save as many lives as possible. As shown, the
use of an impure Sarin mixture in the Tokyo subway caused around
12 deaths and left between 5,000 and 6,000 injured. Being that
Sarin is slower acting and less toxic than VX, the use of VX would
almost guarantee a very high death toll as well as a devastating
casualty rate.
It is of paramount importance for emergency workers to
decontaminate as many people as possible and as quickly as pos-
sible. Even the most primitive form of water based showering will
work at the very least to dilute the chemical combination and
make it less potent. This will give emergency workers more time to
act and slightly more time to retrieve the necessary antidotes.
While publically disrobing may be an uncomfortable and humiliat-
ing experience for many, it is a necessary part of the decontamina-
tion procedure. By disrobing, an individual is assuring that that the
chemicals that may have been trapped in the fibers of the
clothing are no long in contact with the skin. In addition, as
previously mentioned, reluctance to disrobe can also put other
lives in danger as well as the individual themselves. In this
case high pressure water systems can dislodge chemicals that
have not yet come into contact with the skin and force
them though the layers of clothing. In addition, it can
create further contamination in the decontamination
and quarantine areas, and contaminate emergency
workers as well.
Having a well planned fast acting procedure for decon-
tamination, quarantine, and treatment is imperative to
save lives. If the response is not coordinated the chemi-
cals in VX will take more lives than necessary and there
will be a far worse contamination issue. Finally, it is important
to recognize the paramount necessity for HVAC and advanced
ventilation systems in public places such as Grand Central
Terminal. Filtration and vent shafts are able to catch a vast
majority of CBRN material and can save many lives, when it is
in working order. It is imperative that facilities keep their HVAC
systems up to date in order to assure the safety of the people
who use the facility.
References
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. Medical
Management Guidelines. Health and Human Ser-
vices, Washington D.C. 2010. http://
www.atsdr.cdc.gov/mhmi/mmg166.html
Air Technology Inc. New Jersey, 2009.
http://www.airtechnologyinc.net/hvak.html
Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Emergency Prepar-
edness and Response: “The Facts About VX”. Wash-
ington, D.C. 2006. http://www.bt.cdc.gov/agent/vx/
basics/facts.asp
Davis-Hoover, Gooden, Sheely, Cambria and Phillip Koga. Per-
sistence of Sarin, Soman, VX, and Lewisite and De-
struction of Tabun, and Mustard Gas in Municipal
Solid Waste Landfill Leachates. Environmental Pro-
tection Agency, Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD.
http://www.epa.gov/nhsrc/pubs/
abstractCBALandfillLeachates101007.pdf
Federation of American Scientists. Chemical Weapons Secu-
rity. Washington, D.C., 2010. http://www.fas.org/
programs/bio/chemweapons/cwagents.html
Fire Department of New York City. FDNY Terrorism and Disas-
ter Preparedness Strategy. New York, 2010. http://
home2.nyc.gov/html/fdny/pdf/events/2007/tdps/
mission.pdf
P a g e 9 T h e G u a r d i a n
continued on next page
Photo courtesy of CDC,
Public Domain
VX: Grand Central Terminal? (continued)
Page 10
References
(Continued from previous page)
Gellman, Barton. Washington Post. “US Suspects Al Qaeda got
Nerve Agents from Iraqis.” December 12, 2002.
Harnden, Toby. Washington Post. “Pakistani Scientist Who Met
bin Laden Failed Polygraph, Renewing Suspicions.”
November 14, 2001.
Hoenig, Steven L. The Chemical Review. “Chemical Terrorism:
The Next Threat.” Department of the Army, Washing-
ton, D.C. http://www.wood.army.mil/chmdsd/pdfs/Jul
-Dec%202005/Hoenig.pdf
Moody, Adam. Reexamining Brain Drain From the Former Soviet
Union. Center for Non-prolifieration Studies, Monterey
University. Monterey Bay, California, 1996. http://
cns.miis.edu/npr/pdfs/moody33.pdf
New York City Police Department. Engineering Security.
“Guidelines for Air Handling and Air Monitoring Sys-
tems.” New York, NY, 2010. http://home2.nyc.gov/
html/nypd/downloads/pdf/counterterrorism/
engineeringsecu-
rity_070_guidlines_on_air_handling_and_air_monitori
ng.pdf
Orlean, Susan. National Geographic Magazine. “Grand Central
Passion.” New York, 2005. http://
ngm.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0512/feature6/
index.html
Al-Qaysi, Sa’id. Al-Watan al-Arabi. “US Said Aborted Planned
Attack on Bin Laden for Fear of Chemical Strike.”
February, 16, 2001.
United States Army Soldiers and Biological Chemical Command.
Guidelines for Mass Casualty Decontamination During
a Terrorist Chemical Agent Incident. Washington, D.C.,
January 2000. http://www.au.af.mil/au/awc/
awcgate/army/sbccom_decon.pdf
United States Marine Corps. “FDNY, Marines Train for Chemical
Attack.” 4/23/2010. http://www.usmc.mil/unit/
divpa/nycpa/Pages/104022-CBIRFFDNY.aspx
United States Navy. Terrorism- A Navy Department History Re-
search Guide: “Definitions of Terrorism.” Department
of the Navy, Washington, D.C., 2001. http://
www.history.navy.mil/library/guides/
terrorism.htm#definition
P a g e 1 0 T h e G u a r d i a n
To learn more about how you can prepare for and stay
safe during an emergency visit:
http://emergency.cdc.gov/
VX: (continued)
Page 11
agents. The agents fired their bean bags in an attempt to sub-
due the immigrants and the immigrants discharged their weap-
ons which were loaded with real ammunition and killed Agent
Terry. (McCombs, 2011). In May of 2011, two Border Patrol
agents were killed in an accident while chasing suspected illegal
immigrants (Schmidt, 2011). The increased violence against
these agents has demonstrated that the individuals entering the
country are brazen, have little fear of retribution, and demand
more action from the federal government. “The increased vio-
lence in the border region demands that Congress provide the
necessary resources and personnel to ensure the safety of all
Americans, especially border patrol agents stationed on the
border, and fulfill the federal government’s responsibility to se-
cure our border,” Sen. John McCain (R)
There have been some attempts at securing the south-
west border with various techniques. The Secure Fence Act had
required the Department of Homeland Security to build a fence
that would stretch approximately seven-hundred miles (DHS,
2010). The Tactical Infrastructure program was responsible for
developing, installing, operating, and maintaining the fence.
This fencing was developed for the purpose of deterring both
people and vehicles from entering the United States illegally
along the southwest border (DHS, 2010). It is strongly believed
that the new fencing systems will increase the chances of cap-
turing terrorists attempting to enter the United States, it will
make smuggling drugs or people into the United States more
difficult, it will reduce the risk of violence against U.S. citizens
that live near the border, and it will restrict anyone that has a
communicable disease from entering the United States illegally
(DHS, 2010).
The Tactical Infrastructure program is a good idea but
seven hundred miles of fencing is not enough to secure the bor-
ders. The federal, state, and local authorities must continue to
pay for and implement the fencing until it protects the entire
The Impact of Border Security and Immigration Reform
Your book recommendations!
Have you read a good book on an EM-related topic? If you think your fellow
students would find it interesting too, please submit a brief write-up on it, following
the format shown above. A thumbnail of the cover would be appreciated, as well.
Send your book recommendations to Dawn Heyse via TeamLab
P a g e 1 1 T h e G u a r d i a n
By Erik G. Davis
Part One:
Immigration reform and Border Security have been a
political battle that has occurred for decades and continues to be
a quagmire with slow progress towards a solution. Immigration
reform and securing our borders are necessary because they will
have a profound effect on our security, economy, and ensuring a
bright future for our nation.
Border security has become a major national security
issue the past several years and involve the four border states of
Texas, California, Arizona, and New Mexico. The border that runs
along these states is very large and porous which makes patrolling
extremely challenging and dangerous. There are over six thou-
sand miles of Mexican and Canadian land borders along with two-
thousand miles of water borders that are patrolled by approxi-
mately twenty-thousand Border Patrol agents (DHS, 2011). Be-
cause there has been little progress towards any solution, illegal
entry into the United States along with violence against Border
Patrol agents is still occurring on a frequent basis. In 2009, an
agent patrolling the border was attacked by four males near San
Ysidro California. One of the assailants that was captured was
arrested for assault on an agent and for reentry into the United
States as a prior deportee. The remaining assailants escaped
back into Mexico (DHS, 2009). In December of 2010, Border Pa-
trol agent Terry was killed in a shootout with several drug smug-
glers (Medrano, 2010). According to Sheriff Estrada of the Santa
Cruz Police Department in Arizona, Agent Terry was killed when he
and other members of the tactical unit were attacked by several
gunmen (Medrano, 2010). The Border Patrol agents are limited in
defending themselves and may have contributed to the death of
Agent Terry.
The illegal immigrants had refused the commands of the
continued on next page
Page 12
two thousand miles. Also, there must be a maintenance plan
in place where there is a constant inspection of the fencing to
look for damage that must be repaired. Also, the development
of various access roads for the Border Patrol should be devel-
oped to allow easier mobility of their vehicles to travel along
the border.
United States Customs and Border Patrol have im-
plemented various technologies to assist in securing our na-
tion’s borders. An unmanned aircraft called the Guardian has
been created for the purpose of homeland security. It is con-
sidered to be a class B Predator Drone. Similar to the original
Predator, it can be used for long periods of time, fly long dis-
tances, has incredible streaming video capabilities and can be
used for the purpose of identifying possible terrorists attempt-
ing to enter the United States (DHS, 2011). Because of its
video streaming capabilities it will be a valuable asset for intel-
ligence gathering for law enforcement and to give first re-
sponders an overall survey of an area hit with a disaster (DHS,
2011).
In October of 2009, the Customs and Border Patrol
received funding for the development of a program called the
Customs and Border Patrol Canine Development Program
(DHS, 2010). The program has successfully developed over
one-thousand and five hundred canine teams for the purpose
of border security (DHS, 2010). The program has one focus
which is detection. The canines are trained in human and drug
detection, passenger processing drug detection, search and
rescue, and currency and firearms detection (DHS, 2010).
In 2010, the Department of Homeland Security
(DHS) began to assist with securing the southwest borders by
developing various working relationships with local and state
law enforcement authorities (DHS, 2010). The Southwest
Border Law Enforcement Compact was created for the purpose
of assisting the border states with increasing man-power. The
increase in law enforcement officers comes from non-border
states that are willing to “lend” officers to the various local and
state agencies of those Border States.
The Department of Homeland Security is working with
the Department of Justice in creating an information system that
will connect the state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies
along the Southwest Border with the Department of Homeland
Security and Department of Justice (DHS, 2010). This new infor-
mation system will allow the various agencies, Department of
Homeland Security, and Department of Justice to share various
intelligence information. The Department of Homeland Security
is assisting the Fusion Centers of the Southwest Border in
strengthening their abilities to receive information, share infor-
mation, and to identify and mitigate any threats (DHS, 2010).
The DHS is helping with the development of a suspicious activity
program. This program will allow the local law enforcement to
track criminal activity by drug traffickers. This information could
be used for law enforcement activities on both sides of the bor-
der (DHS, 2010).
References
Department of Homeland Security. Fact Sheet: The
Next Steps (2010) http://www.dhs.gov/ynews/releases/
pr_1277310093825.shtm Retrieved: August 18, 2011
Department of Homeland Security (2011): U.S. Cus-
toms and Border Patrol http://www.cbp.gov/linkhandler/cgov/
newsroom/fact_sheets/marine/uas.ctt/uas.pdf Retrieved: Au-
gust 18, 2011
Department of Homeland Security (2011): Border
Security http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/border_security/ Re-
trieved: August 18, 2011
Department of Homeland Security (2009). Violence
against Border Patrol Continues to Linger http://www.cbp.gov/
xp/cgov/newsroom/news_releases/
archives/2009_news_releases/march_2009/03232009_6.xml
Retrieved: August 17, 2011
Immigration Policy Center (2010).
http://www.immigrationpolicy.org/just-facts/dream-act#d Re-
trieved: August 16, 2011
Garramone J. (2010) “Dream Act Would Expand Re-
cruiting Pool.” American Forces Press Service. The United States
Defense Department. http://www.defense.gov/news/
newsarticle.aspx?id=61928 Retrieved: August 16, 2011
Mason, C. (2010) Securing America’s Borders: The
Role of the Military http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/homesec/
R41286.pdf Retrieved: August 16, 2011
McCombs, B (2011). Records Show Agents Fired Bean-
bags in Fatal Border Gunfight http://azstarnet.com/news/local/
crime/article_681d29cf-845a-5aea-9f34-3837d70b8a31.html
Retrieved: August 19, 2011
P a g e 1 2 T h e G u a r d i a n
On The Southwest Border. Fence along the border
with Mexico that separates San Diego and Tijuana.
Photo courtesy of The FBI, Public Domain
continued on next page
T h e I m p a c t o f B o r d e r S e c u r i t y a n d
I m m i g r a t i o n R e f o r m ( C o n t i n u e d )
Page 13
References (continued)
Medrano, L. (2010). Border Patrol Agent Killed: Are Smug-
glers Becoming More Daring? http://www.csmonitor.com/
USA/2010/1215/Border-patrol-agent-killed-Are-smugglers-becoming
-more-daring Retrieved: August 19, 2011
Meet the Press (2010) http://colorlines.com/
achives/2010/09colin_powell_talks_up_dream_act_and_urges_gop
_to_rethink_immigration.html Retrieved: August 17, 2011
Mianecki J. (2011) “States Make Their Own Tuition Rules
for Undocumented Students,” Los Angeles Times, May 15, 2011,
Collections section. http://articles.latimes.com/2011/may/15/
nation/la-na-immigration-tuition-20110516 Retrieved: August 15,
2011
Sapp, L. (2011). Apprehensions by the U.S. Border Patrol:
2005-2010. http://www.dhs.gov/xlibrary/assets/statistics/
publications/ois-apprehensions-fs-2005-2010.pdf Retrieved: August
17, 2011
(This article will be continued in the next issue of The Guardian)
Seattle : March 21
San Francisco : April 10
New York City : May 8
Washington, DC : May 10
P a g e 1 3 T h e G u a r d i a n
Topics Include:
Innovative solutions and technology for improving community prepar-
edness
Best practices on collaborative emergency management planning
Challenges and barriers to planning and preparedness integration
across disciplines
Latest federal initiatives, including the "Whole Community" Approach
to Emergency Management
The Guardian
is in need of photos and narratives from
AMU and APU students engaged in activi-
ties related to the fields of Emergency and
Disaster Management, Homeland Security,
Fire Management, Safety, Continuity of
Operations (COOP), Contingency Plan-
ning, and Intelligence Studies.
Materials can be sent to
the editor at:
[email protected]
Page 14
By Jim Garlits
"This article is derived from material Mr. Garlits recorded
during the 2010 FEMA Higher Education conference break-
out session "New Uses of Social Media and Emergency Tech-
nologies in Emergency Management.”
Introduction
You are sitting comfortably in your living room
catching up on your favorite digitally recorded show when
your cell phone rings. The monotone text to speech aggrega-
tor begins tickling your ear. “Oh, not another one of those
auto-dialer telemarketing calls” you think as you prepare to
hang up. The words, however, have nothing to do with dou-
ble pane windows or vitamins. “Emergency.
“Emergency. Emergency” the voice announces. “This is your
friend Susan. Please Tweet that you have received this mes-
sage and will participate in my emergency flash mob. You
have two hours to evacuate your house with a go bag and be
on my porch. First, second and third prizes will be awarded
and snacks provided.” Welcome to the world of social media,
where the possibility of evacuation flash mobs are only the
beginning. Kim Stevens of the iDisaster blog, http://
idisaster.wordpress.com/, states that social media in emer-
gency management is not just us talking to the pub-
lic. Rather, there are two other important components: lis-
tening to the public and the public talking to the public.
The public is talking to you
Before the Queensland disaster, the city’s Face-
book page had 6,000 fans. After the cyclone, it had
155,000 fans with 4 million hits and 11,000 comments. If
an entity has a Facebook page, but is providing no content, it
is misunderstanding how social media works. Providing
relevant information in a timely manner and keeping it up-
dated is the heart of creating value online. Queensland was
doing things right. Their police updated their information
every 10 minutes, sent Twitter feeds directly to the media. If
an entity is doing this one thing right, the media and other
interested parties will stop calling your office and instead will
go to your website, and read your Twitter feeds. In one in-
stance, the public information officer was forward thinking
enough to Tweet information meetings live. The local radio
station was reading them live over the air, and the television
station was scrolling the feeds across bottom of the screen.
Here is one side of what is driving this phenomenon. Smart
phones and other portable devices provide access to infor-
mation. People are no longer sitting at desks getting their
information from a desktop computer. Rather, they are get-
ting their information on these “pocket computers.” Emer-
gency management’s job is to provide them with appropriate
content. During a disaster or an evacuation, people may not
have access to a desktop or even a laptop computer. They
may not be near a radio. But they do have their cell phones,
and in many cases they already prefer to receive their infor-
mation through this platform. Google real time# and
www.hashtags.org are a couple of tools that can be used to view
real time feeds from an event based on key words. It is important
to keep in mind that the nature of new technological tools is fluid
and what is available and useful today can change quickly. While
individual tools may emerge, evolve, or disappear, the trends sup-
ported by these tools normally have a longer track record, so don’t
be disappointed if a tool disappears. People have simply moved
to a new tool. Find the tool and you’ll find the people. Don’t be-
come stressed. They found it, and you will, too. Chances are the
old tool has been replaced by something that works even better.
The genius is getting the information quickly. If you are hesitant to
explore this new landscape, remember that this is valuable infor-
mation you otherwise would not have. Even if traditional media
capability gets wiped out, or buildings lose power, the public is still
out there Tweeting, posting pictures and videos, and updating
their Facebook page.
The public is talking to the public
The ground has stopped shaking in the area outlaying
the epicenter of the quake. Word has begun to spread that build-
ings and power lines are down. Firefighters, police and utility
workers are combing the streets. News trucks are stationed as
close to the mayhem as possible. A grandmother eight hundred
miles away sits in front of her television wringing her hands. The
toppled building she sees behind the newscaster is the one in
which her grandson lives. Suddenly her cell phone vibrates in her
pocket. She flips it open and exhales through joyful tears. The
tiny screen contains three words: im ok gran.
Who is okay, who is hurt, and who needs supplies? The new social
media is answering all of these and more. Traditional thought was
that after a disaster, there is no communication. What exists is
extremely limited. But things have changed. Whether the mes-
sage is “I’m okay” or “I’m trapped” there is abundant communica-
tion after a disaster. People are getting information out in a vari-
ety of ways. Even more surprising is that people outside the disas-
ter area, sometimes on the other side of the world, are contribut-
ing to rescue and relief efforts. The geotag from a loved one’s last
Tweet can give rescuers a general area in which to search. A pic-
ture of a missing person can be transmitted in seconds. After a
recent tornado, complete strangers were posting pictures of items
that had been blown into their yards, and medical records from a
destroyed hospital were scanned and sent back.
Recasting public information
Greg Licamele says, “You have someone on Facebook
describing [a disaster] scene as their Facebook status. You have
someone Tweeting details to hundreds of followers. You have
someone streaming video of the scene on YouTube, live. You have
someone texting a local TV station. You have someone uploading
cell phone photos to Flikr right away. So the old world is gone.
This is the world in which we live today. Twitter is the new media
first responder, according to Licamele. Some bullet points to con-
sider regarding social media in emergency management:
SOCIAL MEDIA: THE NEW DISASTER
WARNING SYSTEM
P a g e 1 4 T h e G u a r d i a n P a g e 1 4 T h e G u a r d i a n
continued on next page
Page 15
weather piece. The cardinal sin with social media is to create an
account and then not push messages.
FEMA is innovating in several ways. They are creating
a mobile site, working with non-profits and the private sector,
using it to get their messages to those partners, and asking
them to put it out through their own social media chan-
nels. They see themselves as a content provider.
The difference between FEMA and other organizations
is as Adamski says, “FEMA is not a first responder.” In instances
where people call FEMA during a disaster, before a federal dec-
laration has authorized them to respond, they refer people back
to their local agencies and aid providers.
One word you will hear quite often in social media is
“hashtag.” This is simply flagging a word with the standard
“pound sign” above the number 3 on your keyboard to follow a
topic on Twitter and other platforms. Shane gave a little known
tech trick away at the end of his presentation. If you want to
follow FEMA’s social media content on Twitter, but don’t have a
Twitter account, you can receive them by text on your cell
phone. To do so, enter 40404 as the entity you’re wishing to
communicate with. In the body of the text, type “follows FEMA”
and it will text you updates you can use, or push on through your
own social media channels.
Conclusion
Successfully implementing social media into your or-
ganization’s future can often appear as a daunting task. While it
can be frustrating learning how to use a new tool, we must
learn. The good news is that at its core, social media is intui-
tive. If you can get the right message to the right people at the
right time and in the right format, they will find it. The more re-
fined uses of social media, such as monitoring the publics’ con-
versations and sending a targeted response using advanced
technological functionality may fall well outside the scope of
most who use social media. It is comforting to know that such
possibilities exist, however, and that if called upon to do so, you
could now pull your cell phone from your pocket or purse and get
to work right now.
Traditional media is on the decline.
Government is only one content provider. Media, non-profits,
and other volunteers are out there, too. We need to be part of
their conversations.
Let others be your information ambassadors.
Timely and relevant information quickly goes viral on social
media
Customer service is this: Quality two-way communications
Get your content to where the public’s eyes are looking
Social media are now an essential communications and business
function.
How do we become our own publishers and tell our own story about
what is going on? First, no more “hourly news updates.” Publish as
it happens. Where exactly are the public’s eyes looking right now?
Use Microsoft PowerPoint on Slideshare.com
Use Flickr for pictures
Use YouTube for videos
Use Twitter to provide on-the-fly updates and to gather
intelligence through websites like hashtags.org
The three C’s of social media: content, content, content
Shane Adamski the director of digital communications for
FEMA explained how FEMA is using the new social media. According
to Adamski, they use it as two way conversation for answering ques-
tions. This is simple push communications, providing information to
the person who asked. But is that single person the only one who
needs the answer to his question?
The extension of that concept provides content for push-
ing information out to a wider audience. The challenge is to write or
tailor the messages to the platform. Is Facebook the best fit? Can I
get it out in less than 144 characters? Do I upload a blog post to
the organization’s website?
You will know you are doing it right when you are writing
original content and you feel comfortable that you’re pushing it out
through the right channel. Always be pushing messages every single
day, even during steady state operations, even if it is a safety tip or
P a g e 1 5 T h e G u a r d i a n
SOCIAL MEDIA (CONTINUED)
“One word you will hear quite often in
social media is “hashtag.”
Page 16
P a g e 1 6 T h e G u a r d i a n
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