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:

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

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

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: apus.epp@gmail.com

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!

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:

jgarlits@gmail.com

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

(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

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…”

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)

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)

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)

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

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 )

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:

victoria.locey@gmail.com

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

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.”

P a g e 1 6 T h e G u a r d i a n

IAEM Scholarship Application and Additional Information can be found at the IAEM website:

http://www.iaem.com/resources/scholarships/application.htm

IAEM scholarships are awarded to students pursuing an associate or diploma baccalaureate, or

graduate degree in emergency management or a closely related field.

AMU Radio offers a mix of adult

contemporary music and

scheduled

programming,

24 hours a day,

7 days a week.