Privately Owned Critical Infrastructure - Assignment Example

Privately Owned Critical Infrastructure al Affiliation) A natural disaster and terrorism threat risk assessment for the chemical facility Risk management and mitigation form the integral part of the critical infrastructure protection and resilience measures as developed by the NIPP. For these measures to be well organized and prioritized, DHS came up with a methodology for assessment of risk, which involves an assessment of the consequences likely to emanate from an attack, how vulnerable a facility is to an attack, and how likely an attack is to occur (Krausmann, Cozzani, Salzano, & Renni, 2011). With regards to a chemical facility, the history of the chemical sector in the development and utilization of different methodologies for assessing risks is far reaching and extensive. It is important to note that the type of hazards that different facilities are exposed to vary from one state or local jurisdiction to another. As such, it is important for a proper analysis to be carried out on the hazards that are particular to a given region to lay measures for the management of the various hazards. It is important to not only establish the kind of hazards that a facility is at risk of experiencing but also to determine the likelihood of occurrence of such hazards as compared to other possible hazards (Krausmann, Cozzani, Salzano, & Renni, 2011). In the assessment of the natural hazards that a chemical facility dealing with natural gases is likely to face, it is important to note the inherent risks. Incidents that involve chemical releases, fires, or explosions due to internal causes such as sabotage or accidents, or external causes including meteorological, hydrological, or geographical events, or terrorist attacks are likely to be faced (Krausmann, Cozzani, Salzano, & Renni, 2011). The two major gases manufactured by the facility include Arsenic pentafluoride and boron tribromide, which are highly toxic. These gases are stored in high quantities in insulated tanks. Given the location of the chemical facility, variations in the atmospheric stability and the wind speed form part of the meteorological conditions that may expose it to various hazardous accidents. Other natural disasters that the facility may be exposed to include earthquakes and floods. It is important to note that such natural hazards are of great concern due to their impact as some of them may initiate other events that may lead to even further damage. For instance, earthquakes result in other events such as ground failure, surface faulting, fires, landslides, and a release of hazardous materials such as the toxic gases into the environment may occur. One of the terrorist risks that the facility is exposed to includes theft or misuse of the chemical substances with the aim of causing harm offsite or on the facility (Krausmann, Cozzani, Salzano, & Renni, 2011). In addition, the chemical products may be contaminated with the intention of harming people. The effect on surrounding businesses and commercial interests if an event was to occur Natural and terrorism disasters that affect critical infrastructure cause outstanding effects in all the societal constructs, ranging from the political, social, to the economic constructs. One of the impacts of an event in case it occurs would be the damage to the structures as a form of physical impact (Lee, 2008). Events such as earthquakes, floods, and fires lead to the destruction of property not only of the affected critical infrastructure but also of the surrounding properties. This leads to an increase in the costs required in the reconstruction of the structures and re-establishment of the business. Damage to the building structures leads to the damage of the contents of the structures. For instance, in the case of hurricane winds, a building envelope may be destroyed, compromising the safety of the contents of the building such as furniture and electronics. The social impact of natural or terrorist events is also of great importance to commercial interests. The impact of the natural or terrorism event and the scope of impact may lead to long-term effects in terms of reestablishing the stability of the area, especially in the case where the local resources are limited (Lee, 2008). However, the involvement of the state and federal organs in the recovery process may facilitate quick restoration. The psychological effects of such events are also of great importance to the surrounding businesses. In this case, the population within the affected region may develop negative response from the events and develop behavioral changes such as avoiding the affected area with the fear of a reoccurrence of events (Lee, 2008). This may be aggravated by the fact that most of the people may lose their initial networks of social support including friends, neighbors, coworkers, and relatives in the event. Such consequences may lead to a changed risk perception among the population. As such, are likely to develop believes that the disaster is highly likely to occur again with an accompaniment of its consequences, an aspect that may lead to emigration from the affected area. In addition, increased intrusiveness of the hazard is likely to occur, an aspect that would contribute to increased emigration from the area as a healing strategy. This may have a great effect on the consumer base of the surrounding businesses. It is also important to note that as a result of an event, cases of social activism may occur, leading to political disruption, particularly during the recovery period (Lee, 2008). Such political disruption may paralyze the operations of the surrounding businesses. The private sector’s responsibility in establishing a prevention and mitigation plan One of the most prominent roles of the private sector in the management and prevention of natural disasters and terrorist attacks on critical infrastructure is establishment of early warning systems that are used in informing the parties involved in the establishment of the prevention strategies (Busch & Givens, 2012). Such early warning systems are vital to minimizing the risk of natural disaster. This role is less emphasized when it comes to the chemical sector as the warning times are short and thus they do not allow proper implementation of any measures that can prevent the occurrence of a given event. The private sector plays a vital role in the gathering of information concerning the vulnerability of critical infrastructure to imminent attacks and the likelihood of such attacks occurring. As such, the early warning systems create a leeway through which proper and timely collection of information can take place. With the availability of enough information concerning the availability of threats and the vulnerability of critical infrastructure, the private sector also has a role to play in the designing of facilities and any other included components in a way that would allow them to withstand the predetermined event. The structures developed should have resilience that would prevent them from collapsing and guarantee safety throughout their lifetime (Busch & Givens, 2012). In addition, it is important for the private sector to ensure that its critical infrastructure is designed in a way that would allow for maximum containment of any hazardous material that they store or manufacture. For instance, in the chemical facilities, it is important to ensure that the storage tanks for the toxic gases are well designed to ensure that the gases do not leak out even in the event of natural disasters such as earthquakes. It is important to note that most natural disasters or terrorist attacks on critical infrastructure pose a challenge, as they require a response to the event with a high possibility that different hazardous substances have been released into the environment. As much as all the releases require separate attention, the personnel face a task in handling the consequences of the event. As such, the private sector has a role to play in the establishment of emergency plans that put into consideration the characteristics of the natural disasters or terrorist events (Busch & Givens, 2012). The private sectors roles in supporting homeland security initiatives The role of the private sector in the preventing and mitigating any threats posed to the security of the critical infrastructure is not new both in literature and in practice. All through the years of war, armaments and mercenaries built by the private sector have been hired or purchase by governments all directed towards protecting the nation. It is important to note that up to 85% of the total critical infrastructure of the nation is owned by the private sector (Lee, 2008). These include financial institutions and banking, energy transmission and production facilities, and telecommunication networks. It is thus important for the public sector to form partnerships with the private sector to protect the critical infrastructure successfully. The major role played by the private sector in this partnership formed with the government is the sharing of information concerning cyber intrusions, infrastructure threats, and vulnerabilities with the public sector to facilitate proper planning of the measures that would allow for securing critical infrastructure. The Information Sharing and Analysis Centers (ISACs) under the private sector play a vital role in the management of any concerns involving infrastructure protection (Lee, 2008). Through these centers, the private sector carries out voluntary gathering of information, its analysis, and dissemination back and forth the government sectors. Through sharing of important information concerning the likelihood of threats, the private sector has a responsibility in the development of management plans for any possible risks. How the federal government is prepared to assist the selected critical infrastructure The federal government in partnership with the private sector has established various measures through which chemical facilities can be protected from natural and terrorism threats. To start with, the developed Web-based Chemical Assessment Tool (CSAT) that allows them to gather information concerning the chemical facility to establish the level of risk (Homeland Security, 2010). The government has also increased the person-hours spent on assessing the vulnerability of chemical facilities to establish how the resources would be allocated towards upholding resilience and protection activities. The government has also implemented the security guidance programs for the private sector. The federal government also host and takes part in different outreach opportunities such as trade conferences, Webinars, and event blogs, which allow the participating organizations to share effective management practices concerning security (Homeland Security, 2010). The government also hosts security summit for the chemical sector annually to allow the exchange of ideas and information concerning the best practices in chemical security between chemical professionals from the private and public sectors. The government has also developed and launched an awareness-training program for Web-based Chemical Security to promote awareness among facility employees (Homeland Security, 2010). In addition, the federal government has established collaboration with the councils of the state chemical industry towards creating an interactive seminar involving the owners and operators of facilities, and the responders to the emergencies at local level to allow for planning for future responses and prevention measures. On the other hand, the government, through the National Level Exercises, has participated in testing the effectiveness of the mechanisms for information-sharing between private and public sector partners. The government has also developed a clear roadmap towards establishing secure control systems within the chemical sector, and a strategy for implementation, towards achieving the milestones and goals stated (Lee, 2008). References Busch, N. E., & Givens, A. D. (2012, October). Public-Private Partnerships in Homeland Security: Opportunities and Challenges. Retrieved May 20, 2015, from Homeland Security Affairs: https://www.hsaj.org/articles/233 Homeland Security. (2010). Chemical Sector-Specific Plan: An Annex to the National Infrastructure Protection Plan. Retrieved May 20, 2015, from DHS: https://www.dhs.gov/xlibrary/assets/nipp-ssp-chemical-2010.pdf Krausmann, E., Cozzani, V., Salzano, E., & Renni, E. (2011). Industrial accidents triggered by natural hazards: an emerging risk issue. Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences, 11, 921–929. Lee, E. (2008). Homeland Security and Private Sector Business: Corporations Role in Critical Infrastructure Protection. New York: CRC Press. Read More