NFPA 1600 and 14 NFPA first responder codes and standards receive DHS designation as “Qualified Anti-Terrorism Technology”

November 20, 2009 – NFPA 1600, Standard on Disaster/Emergency Management and Business Continuity Programs and 14 other NFPA codes and standards have been designated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) as “Qualified Anti-Terrorism Technology” (QATT) under the Support Anti-terrorism by Fostering Effective Technologies Act of 2002 (SAFETY Act). This is the first block of standards to receive this designation by DHS. Under the provisions of the SAFETY Act, these standards were also certified as “Approved Product(s) for Homeland Security.”

In September of 2008, NFPA was the first standards development organization to receive this designation for its codes and standards development process.

According to DHS, the SAFETY Act encourages the development and deployment of new and innovative anti-terrorism products and services by providing liability protections. Designation as a QATT and certification as an approved product for homeland security under the SAFETY Act provides legal protections for the NFPA codes and standards development process and now these 15 individual codes and standards as applied to anti-terrorism.

The 15 standards are listed in the NFPA press release linked to the title of this blog. They address emergency preparedness, first responder competencies and professional qualifications, personal protective equipment and specialized tools. NFPA 1600 is also one of three standards that DHS has announced it intends to adopt for application to the PS-Prep Program, a voluntary private sector preparedness program designed to improve the ability of private sector entities to withstand and recover from disasters including terrorism.

“NFPA is pleased to have these standards recognized as anti-terrorism technologies which are important in protecting first responders to terrorist events and also in improving the ability of our infrastructure to mitigate and recover from such events while protecting people and property,” said James M. Shannon, NFPA president.

Federal protections under the DHS designation and certification are retroactive and recognize NFPA’s technologies “earliest date of sale” as September 11, 2001.

All NFPA safety codes and standards are developed through a process accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). The more than 250 technical committees responsible for developing and updating all 300 codes and standards include approximately 4,000 volunteers, representing enforcing authorities, installers and maintainers, labor, research and testing laboratories, insurers, special experts, consumers and other users.

NFPA has been a worldwide leader in providing fire, electrical, building, and life safety to the public since 1896. The mission of the international nonprofit organization is to reduce the worldwide burden of fire and other hazards on the quality of life by providing and advocating consensus codes and standards, research, training, and education.

DHS announces intent to adopt NFPA 1600 standard for the Voluntary Private Sector Preparedness Accreditation and Certification Program

"October 28, 2009 – NFPA 1600, Standard on Disaster/Emergency Management and Business Continuity Programs has been designated for adoption under the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Voluntary Private Sector Preparedness Accreditation and Certification Program (PS-Prep).

DHS/Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has published a request for comments in the Federal Register seeking public input on NFPA 1600 and two other standards that it intends to use as the criteria for certification of private sector preparedness programs as mandated by Congress in legislation that implemented the 9/11 Commission’s recommendations. The agency considered 25 standards and selected three based on scalability, balance of interest, and relevance to the PS-Prep program. NFPA encourages all interested parties to provide input to DHS/FEMA concerning the selection of standards for the PS Prep Program and to support the use of NFPA 1600 for this national program.

NFPA has made NFPA 1600 available for free viewing and PDF downloads. Since making it publicly available in 2005, there have been over 120,000 PDF downloads. It is also available as a free iPhone application.

Please submit your comments to FEMA by November 16, 2009. An electronic comment form and instructions are available at http://www.regulations.gov/ in Docket ID: FEMA-2008-0017-0100. Additional information on the PS-Prep program is available from FEMA.

Following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, NFPA 1600 was endorsed in the 9/11 Commission’s report. The 9/11 Commission’s recommendation on private sector preparedness and NFPA 1600 was reiterated in Public Law 108-458 in 2004 and most recently in Title IX of Public Law 110-53. Title IX calls for the voluntary certification of private sector preparedness programs. In addition to the endorsement of the 9/11 Commission, NFPA 1600 has been adopted by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security under the category of Incident Management System Standards along with 26 other NFPA standards.

Development of NFPA 1600 began in 1991, and the first edition was promulgated in 1995. New editions have been published in 2000, 2004, and 2007. The 2010 edition has just been completed. Throughout its history, NFPA 1600 has been developed by subject matter experts from both the private and public sectors. Private sector input has come from a broad range of industries including those that control our nation’s critical infrastructure.

NFPA 1600 addresses emergency management, business continuity, crisis communications, and recovery in a holistic framework that includes organization, management, risk assessment, prevention, mitigation, resource management, response, continuity, and recovery. NFPA 1600 is aligned with the Disaster Recovery Institute’s 10 Professional Practices for Business Continuity. The standard recognizes and provides the flexibility entities need when developing individual preparedness programs and does not preclude the use of corporate or industry best practices.

The Canadian Standard Association’s Z1600 standard correlates with NFPA 1600 and was developed under license from NFPA to be used as the national preparedness standard in Canada. Besides becoming the most widely used preparedness standard in North America, NFPA 1600 has gained significant attention in Latin American and Asia. Most recently NFPA 1600 has been adopted as the national preparedness standard in Argentina. It is translated and used by national standards bodies in Chile, China, Colombia, Ecuador, Korea, Thailand, Tobago, and Trinidad. It is also being used by European insurance companies.

NFPA has been a worldwide leader in providing fire, electrical, building, and life safety to the public since 1896. The mission of the international nonprofit organization is to reduce the worldwide burden of fire and other hazards on the quality of life by providing and advocating consensus codes and standards, research, training, and education."

Links to Title IX of Public Law 110-53, NFPA 1600, the designated standards, and resources for development of your emergency management and business continuity program can be found on the Preparedness, LLC website.

Proposed Standards for Voluntary Private Sector Preparedness Certification Program Announced

WASHINGTON—Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano today announced new proposed standards for a 9/11 Commission-recommended program for the private sector to improve preparedness for disasters and emergencies.

“Preparedness is a shared responsibility and everyone—including businesses, universities and non-profit organizations—has a role to play,” said Secretary Napolitano. “Ensuring our private sector partners have the information and training they need to respond to disasters will strengthen our efforts to build a culture of preparedness nationwide.”

DHS published a notice in the Federal Register today seeking public comment on three new standards identified for adoption under the Voluntary Private Sector Preparedness Accreditation and Certification Program (PS-Prep). PS-Prep is a partnership between DHS and the private sector that enables private entities—including businesses, non-profit organizations and universities—to receive emergency preparedness certification from a DHS accreditation system created in coordination with the private sector.

The notice proposes new PS-Prep standards to enhance operational resilience, business continuity management, and disaster and emergency management among participating private sector partners.

The notice proposes new PS-Prep standards to enhance operational resilience, business continuity management, and disaster and emergency management among participating private sector partners.

The notice proposes new PS-Prep standards to enhance operational resilience, business continuity management, and disaster and emergency management among participating private sector partners.

• NFPA 1600 “Standard on Disaster/Emergency Management and Business Continuity Programs”
• BS 25999
• ASIS SPC.1

The proposed standards, developed by the National Fire Protection Association, the British Standards Institution and the ASIS International, were selected based on their scalability, balance of interest and relevance to PS-Prep from a group of 25 standards proposed for consideration following the publication of a Federal Register notice in December 2008 announcing the program.

In addition to the standards in the notice posted today, DHS is establishing classifications and methods of certifications that recognize the unique needs and characteristics of small businesses.

Individuals wishing to submit comments on the proposed standards, recommend additional standards for consideration or comment on other programmatic aspects of PS-Prep may obtain a comment form and instructions for submission online at www.regulations.gov, in Docket ID: FEMA-2008-0017. DHS requests comments by Nov. 15, though it will accept submissions at any time thereafter.

For more information, visit http://www.fema.gov/privatesectorpreparedness/.

As chair of NFPA’s Technical Committee on Emergency Management and Business Continuity, which is responsible for NFPA 1600, I have been involved in the PS-PREP program since the legislation was been written by Senator’s Lieberman’s staff. I have posted links to all of the related documents and organizations to the "Standards" and "Public Law 110-53" section of “Resources” page of the Preparedness, LLC website. In addition, I have posted a self-evaluation checklist on NFPA 1600 to the website.

After the 30 day comment period is over, DHS will finalize the list of standards. ANAB now has to finalize the accreditation rule and begin the process of certifying third parties to evaluate private sector programs. Only then can the certifying bodies begin evaluating any programs.

Private Sector Preparedness Webinar

On April 15, the National Fire Protection Association hosted a 90 minute webinar on private sector preparedness. The webinar featured a presentation by Donald L. Schmidt, Chair of the NFPA's Technical Committee on Emergency Management and Business Continuity, who outlined the elements of a comprehensive preparedness program using NFPA 1600 "Standard on Disaster/Emergency Management and Business Continuity Programs" as the foundation. The webinar also discussed the voluntary program for certification of private sector preparedness programs called for by Title IX of Public Law 110-53.

Click here for directions for accessing this free webinar.

Title IX of Public Law 110-53: Updated Resource Links and Presentations

I have updated the Resources page within the Preparedness, LLC website to include links to the text of Public Law 110-53,"Implementing Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act of 2007," the text of Title IX of the law, DHS/FEMA resources, and a link to ANAB. ANAB is the organization that will develop program guidelines for the "certifying bodies" that will actually evaluate and accredit the private sector preparedness programs.

In addition, you can view PDF copies of presentations to the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association and the NorthEast Disaster Recovery Information X-Change, which provide background on Title IX of PL 110-53 and NFPA 1600, which is one of the standards that may be used as criteria for evaluation of private sector preparedness programs.

Voluntary Private Sector Preparedness Accreditation & Certification Program

Title IX of Public Law 110-53 (“Implementing Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act of 2007”) requires the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to develop a voluntary private sector preparedness accreditation and certification program. DHS was charged with tasks to establish the program including:

• Designate one or more organizations to act as an accrediting body
• Designate one or more standards for assessing private sector preparedness
• Provide information and promote the business case for voluntary compliance with preparedness standards

Since the law was passed in August 2007, DHS has designated FEMA Administrator Paulison to administer the program and chair the Private Sector Preparedness Council. The council includes leadership from the Science & Technology Directorate, Office of Infrastructure Protection, and the Private Sector Office.

DHS has signed an agreement with the ANSI-ASQ National Accreditation Board (ANAB) to develop and oversee the certification process, manage the accreditation, and accredit qualified third parties to carry out the certification in accordance with the accepted procedures of the program.

ANAB has organized its “Committee of Experts” to advise ANAB on the qualifications of the “Certifying Bodies” that will accredit qualified third parties. Don Schmidt, CEO of Preparedness, LLC and Chair of the NFPA 1600 Technical Committee, is a member of the ANAB Committee of Experts along with representatives from other standards developers and private sector industry representatives.

DHS has not yet formally designated any standards for assessing private sector preparedness under this law, although DHS’ Science & Technology Directorate has adopted NFPA 1600. At the October ANSI Homeland Security Standards Panel plenary meeting in Washington, officials stated they are not picking a “winner” and that all reasonable standards will be included. DHS, however, has privately informed ANAB to begin work using NFPA 1600.

DHS has also published an initial draft of their “target criteria,” which will be used to select standards for assessing private sector preparedness. The “target criteria” for selecting standards includes:

• A scope and/or policy statement.
• Identification and conformity with applicable legal, statutory, regulatory and other requirements.
• Objectives and strategies.
• Hazard and threat identification, risk assessment, vulnerability analysis, and impact analysis.
• Incident management, strategy, tactics, operational plans and procedures.
• Communications and warning.
• Training.
• Resources management and/or logistics.
• Assessments, audits and/or evaluation of programs.
• Program revision and process improvement including corrective actions.

These “target criteria” align almost exactly to the elements within NFPA 1600. Accordingly, we will discuss each of these criteria within upcoming newsletters.

Although this program is voluntary, businesses are watching closely. Whether they choose to seek certification or not, business leaders are evaluating their preparedness program. In the end, that’s what it’s all about—protecting employees, property, business operations, the environment, and the business entity itself.

7th Anniversary of September 11, Remembering Lars, Harry, Sal, and so many others

Today is September 11, 2008. It’s been seven years since that fateful day.

On September 11, 2001 I lost many good friends and colleagues. We all lost many fine citizens who just went to work that day. We also lost many of New York’s Bravest (FDNY), New York’s Finest (NYPD and PAPD), soldiers in the Pentagon, and those on the doomed aircraft. It’s a day none of us will ever forget.

On September 10, 2001 I was in Midtown Manhattan speaking at a seminar on emergency response and business continuity. The seminar was to be held in the World Trade Center on September 11, but it had to be moved to the Harvard Club and rescheduled because of the number of people who registered. Thank you to all who registered.

On the morning of September 11, 2001, I was speaking on the same subject, but this time it was in Boston’s Back Bay—at the Bull & Finch Pub of Cheers fame. Around 8:46 AM, I was asking the audience to picture themselves on the upper floor of a high rise building when the fire alarm sounds and they see smoke in the corridor. That was the situation faced by one of my clients when a multiple alarm fire in the Prudential Center ignited below them. That was back in January 1986. My client and everyone else in the Prudential Center evacuated safely—due to the heroic efforts of the Boston Fire Department—there were no automatic fire sprinklers at that time [there are now.]

On September 11, 2001 my friends, colleagues, and many fine Americans were not able evacuate safely. Their evacuation paths were cutoff…

I still see their faces when I pass people on the street. I can picture their faces in my mind and hear their voices in my head. I miss you guys—Lars, Harry, Sal, and too many others.

In the aftermath of 9/11, I had the opportunity to meet with staff of the 9/11 Commission—on the eve of the second anniversary of the attacks. I got to look at Ground Zero and remember everyone who was lost. In our discussion with the 9/11 Commission staff, we talked about preparedness. Emily Walker, the lead staffer from the Commission, relayed her painful discussions with family members of those who were lost that fateful day. She knew something more needed to be done. To condense months into a sentence, the 9/11 Commission embraced a recommendation for enhancing private sector preparedness. That recommendation has been echoed in multiple Federal laws and most recently in Title IX of Public Law 110-53. Let’s be better prepared. We owe it to Lars, Harry, Sal, and so many others.