NRT/RRT Co-Chairs Meeting 2002 NRT Initiatives and Accomplishments John Gustafson Executive Director, National Response Team March 4, 2003

NRT Priorities* Office of Homeland Security Coordination Incident Command/Unified Command Implementation Contingency Plan Reconciliation [NCP, FRP, FRERP, CONPLAN] Interagency Technical Assistance and Coordination for Anthrax and other Agents * Agreed to at Annual Meeting- Orlando, FL- February Accomplishments

NRT 2002 Accomplishments Office of Homeland Security (OHS) Coordination –NRT Designated by OHS as Policy Workgroup to Domestic Threat Response and Incident Management (DTRIM) Policy Coordination Committee –OHS Letters sent to Department/Agency Deputies – June, Accomplishments

NRT 2002 Accomplishments (cont’d) Incident Command/Unified Command Technical Assistance Document –Updates 1996 document; includes EPA's ICS/UC commitment; describes unified command NRT Training Initiative for ICS/UC –FEMA/National Fire Administration and Department of Transportation (DOT) –Prioritizes ICS/UC for $10 M DOT-Funded Planning and Response Training 2002 Accomplishments

NRT 2002 Accomplishments (cont’d) Technical Assistance Document for Anthrax Response – September, 2002 –Document provides response and cleanup technical information, for the Postal Service and other agencies and organizations NRT National Coordination Council (NCC) Interagency technical assistance group –EPA, CDC, ATSDR, USCG, OSHA, NIOSH 2002 Accomplishments

NRT 2002 Accomplishments (cont’d) International Assistance Agreement for Environmental Incidents in the Panama Canal –US Department of State, US Coast Guard, US EPA, and the Panama Canal Authority –Based on Panama Canal Commission 1998 PCC/NRT agreement; important international security and environmental significance 2002 Accomplishments

NRT 2002 Accomplishments (cont’d) Criminal Investigations and Environmental Response –Establishes Responder/Public Safety and Health as highest incident response priority –NRT Memorandum of Understanding (Department of Justice lead) 2002 Accomplishments

NRT 2002 Accomplishments (cont’d) Implementation of the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) on Coordination of NCP and ESA requirements –Agencies Involved: DOI/FWS, NOAA/NMFS, USCG, and EPA –CD-ROM with training and guidebook issued in 2002 –Interagency Working Group developing CD-ROM-based training targeted for each of the signatory agencies Science and Technology Committee –Completed the 1-year field test of the Selection Guide –Initiated the development of and in situ burning fact sheet. Draft expected Summer Accomplishments

Observations and Lessons Learned Reports NRT Lessons Learned from WTC and Pentagon Terrorist Attacks NRT Lessons Learned from the Anthrax Responses 2002 Accomplishments

NRT Lessons Learned Report Summaries - World Trade Center/Pentagon - Anthrax Attacks

Major Recommendations WTC/Pentagon Lessons Learned Report Response Planning in the National Capital Area (NCA) Prioritization of Chemical Hazards Public Health Risk Communication Plan Reconciliation Document Regional Focus of the FRP Terrorist Incidents in National Contingency Plan/Regional Contingency Plans/Area Plans 2002 Accomplishments

Major Recommendations WTC/Pentagon Lessons Learned Report (cont’d) Clarify Lead Federal Agency Role Incident Command/Unified Command SONS-like Structure for Hazardous Substance Incidents Interagency Coordination Sensitive Information 2002 Accomplishments

Major Recommendations Anthrax Lessons Learned Report NRT should work with OHS to get funding and assistance to develop assessment and cleanup technologies for biological releases. NRT should consider a response plan separate from the NCP for biohazard response or revise the NCP itself for biohazard response. NRT should develop a technical assistance document on the use of available technologies for assessing and remediating biologically contaminated sites Accomplishments

Major Recommendations Anthrax Lessons Learned Report NRT should develop a list of bio-agents to which the NRS is most likely to respond. NRT should establish worker health and safety guidelines and protocols and examine the efficacy of alternative methods of protection against bio-agents for responders Accomplishments