FIRST Bomb Response App and Other Resources for the ESS

At the end of each week, the U.S. Fire Administration's Emergency Management and Response – Information Sharing and Analysis Center (EMR-ISAC), publishes "The Infogram". Typically, the publication features four or five brief articles on events, capabilities, resources or similar items of educational interest to the Emergency Services Sector (ESS). As could be expected, the lead story in last week's offering was one encouraging various elements of the ESS to review and reevaluate policies and procedures they would use if a Boston Marathon Bombing type event happened in their area of responsibility. To go along with that thought, The Infogram offered a partial list of helpful resources the ESS might like to consider. Here they are:

• Office of Bombing Prevention (OBP) offers training on demand,
• OBP also runs TRIPwire, a username/password protected site containing information on terrorist design, manufacture, and use of IEDs (register here),
• Center for Domestic Preparedness (CDP) offers free CBRNE training for first responders,
• Nationwide Suspicious Activity Reporting (SAR) Initiative provides both online and on-site training for fire, EMS, law enforcement, private security, 9-1-1, emergency management, and corrections officers,
• The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Independent Study program hosts free courses on a variety of emergency management topics including Incident Command System (ICS), National Incident Management System (NIMS), and hazardous materials incidents, and
• Departments or individuals should also contact their state fire marshal’s office, state police, state office of homeland security or emergency management, or state’s health/public health department to find applicable training scheduled or available to them locally.

In addition to this solid list by the EMR-ISAC, also worthy of attention is the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) First Responder Support Tool (FIRST)-Bomb Response app for smart phones and computers. This map based app provides ESS personnel with a near real-time means of managing a response to a potential or actual bombing event. Use the links below to learn more:

Bomb Threat? An App for That, Too

(DHS, S&T Directorate Website)

FIRST Bomb Response - Technology Profile

(FirstResponder.gov Website)

Comment: Unfortunately, the form of asymmetric warfare we call terrorism, will probably be with us for the foreseeable future. So, there's no time like the present to hit the books...

Lead graphic: DHS