CIP Update

October 16, 2009

This newsletter is for public agencies, businesses, non-governmental organizations, and other stakeholders involved or interested in public-private partnerships for joint emergency preparedness, mitigation, response, and recovery.

 

Michigan State University (MSU) produces the newsletter through the Critical Incident Protocol (CIP)-Community Facilitation Program under a grant awarded by the Training & Exercise Integration/Training Operations, Federal Emergency Management Agency, U.S. Department of Homeland Security. This newsletter provides ideas, suggestions, best practices, and lessons learned to establish critical incident protocols using public-private partnerships.

 

Michigan State University through the CIP Program will “enhance cities, counties, and region’s capabilities to prepare for, respond to, and recover from man-made and natural disasters through public and private sector collaboration, communication, and cooperation.”  MSU facilitates public-private partnerships and the CIP Program is free of charge to participating communities.

 

Please visit our website at www.cip.msu.edu for more information about the program.

 

Participating Communities in the CIP Program
The CIP Program has been initiated in 47 communities in 24 states with 4,200 participants establishing community public-private partnerships for joint management of critical incidents. We are looking to work with other cities, counties and regions. Is there a location in the nation that you think may be interested in developing a public-private partnership? If so, please let us know.

 

Currently, we are working with the following communities:
Alabama:  Hoover
Arizona:  Casa Grande
California:  Mountain View
Colorado:  Littleton
Connecticut:  Norwalk

Florida:  Western Panhandle
Illinois:  Lake-Cook Regional, Libertyville, Naperville
Indiana:  Evansville
Kansas:  Douglas County
Maryland:  Annapolis, Carroll County, Rockville
Michigan:  Dearborn, Detroit, Marquette County, Monroe, Oakland County
Missouri/Illinois:  Gateway Citizen Corps Coalition, St. Louis
Montana:  Lewis & Clark County
Nevada:  Clark County, Northern Nevada
North Carolina:  Buncombe County, Greensboro
Ohio:  Brooklyn
Pennsylvania:  Allentown, Bethlehem, Northampton County, Perkiomen Valley

South Carolina:  Columbia, Horry County
Texas:  Dallas
Utah:  Layton, Sandy City
Virginia:  Arlington County, Richmond
Washington:  Redmond

West Virginia:  Beckley/Raleigh County
Wisconsin:  Brown County, Dane County, Eau Claire County, Milwaukee, Outagamie County, Racine County, Superior, Winnebago County

Status of CIP Program

On March 17, 2009, we notified the readers of the CIP Update newsletter and other stakeholders that the CIP Program will not receive continuation funding; therefore, the program and staff will be terminated by late 2009.  In the meantime, we will continue to provide program services and if anything changes, we will notify you.

 

We encourage you who have participated in the CIP Program or are familiar with it to contact your legislators indicating your support in continuing funding for the program.  Thank you.

 

ASIS International Maintains Archive of “CIP Update” Newsletters

ASIS International is the preeminent organization for security professionals. Founded in 1955, ASIS is dedicated to increasing the effectiveness and productivity of security professionals by developing educational programs and materials that address broad security interests.

 

ASIS International has been a supporter of the CIP Program and continues to lead in private-public sector collaboration that ranges from local chapters to the national office.  The ASIS Law Enforcement Liaison Council (ASIS-LELC) works to foster vital private/public security partnerships while advancing critical infrastructure protection, business recovery and asset protection through information sharing, support and other initiatives.

 

Through the efforts of the ASIS-LELC membership and in collaboration with the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) Private Sector Liaison Committee, ASIS is establishing an online repository in their Library to house all of the CIP Update newsletters.  Therefore, people will be able to access five years of newsletters focusing on partnerships, crisis management, business continuity, emergency management, and much more.

 

We extend our appreciation to ASIS International and especially the ASIS-Law Enforcement Liaison Council members who pushed this effort forward in collaboration with the IACP Private Sector Liaison Committee.

 

For more information on ASIS International, please go to http://www.asisonline.org and to learn about the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), please go to http://www.theiacp.org.

 

Recently, an important event occurred.  ASIS International and IACP are in the process of signing a memorandum of understanding on “promoting the value of public/private partnerships”.  Both these organizations and especially through the combined efforts of the IACP-PSLC and ASIS-LELC they are bringing together their expertise in leading government/private sector collaborations.  These two key organizations will collectively utilize their resources to advocate for partnerships and will push the agenda from the nation to the local level.  Our congratulations to the people who made this happen!

 

How to Create a Community Public/Private Partnership for Crisis Management

During various meetings about partnerships over the years, we are often asked, “How do I work with the other sector?” and “What do we start talking about?”

 

We want to share with you concepts that are integral to making partnerships sustainable:

·         Include diverse representatives in the partnership that have a stake in emergency preparedness.

·         Start the process with just a few topics on the agenda – keep it simple!

·         How do you begin talking to the other sector?  Call them, introduce yourself, and tell them, “I think that we might be able to help each other,” and keep the discussion period on schedule.

·         We have heard several times, “Nobody ever asked me,” by someone in a meeting who makes that statement in response to offering a resource during a crisis or critical incident that occurred previously in their community.  Therefore, ask them, but do it before a crisis.

·         ‘Leadership’ and ‘Vision’ serve as building blocks to creating and sustaining a public/private partnership.

·         To make the partnership work, individual, organizational needs will have to wait until common group needs are first identified.

·         Develop the partnership that others can recognize as a true collaboration of public and private sector leaders and members.

·         Partnerships can be very rewarding and can also be challenging; therefore, keep it simple, on task, involve everyone, and communicate.

·         Partnerships build trust, understanding, empathy, and cooperation.

 

In the CIP – Community Facilitation Program, we use a certain process to assist communities in creating a partnership.  Though the process has a number of steps and workshops, we simplify the facilitation of the partnership through the following actions:

1.      Remaining true to the concept of public/private sector collaboration, we first seek leaders willing to work together and assist.

2.      We then ask these leaders to contact their networks to invite others; we provide examples of other organizations that traditionally want to be involved.

3.      We begin by having everyone work with each other on mutual tasks, which strengthens relationships and establishes a level of communication and familiarization.

4.      All big cities are different, all small cities are different, and communities that are adjacent are different.

5.      Local public and private sector stakeholders “know” their capabilities and what resources they need.

6.      Then, we extrapolate ideas and suggestions from the participants on strengthening the partnership through identifiable actions.    

7.      We as facilitators don’t need to tell them what they should work on – they know, therefore utilize their expertise and capture the data.

8.      Additionally, we drill down to identify what resources they have and identify their needs.

9.      Using a process of keeping it simple and everyone informed, the partnership groups starts meeting while incorporating the information we helped them create.

 

Some components are more critical than others, but what is important is always communicating with your partnership members and community.  Let everyone know what you are doing.  People are drawn to success and public/private partnerships are unique and rewarding.

 

Public Comments on Private Sector Preparedness Accreditation and Certification Program

The Office of the Private Sector, U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has announced that DHS is seeking public comment on the new proposed voluntary Private Sector Preparedness Accreditation and Certification Program (PS-Prep). PS-Prep enables private entities—including businesses, non-profit organizations and universities—to receive emergency preparedness certification from an accreditation system created in coordination with the private sector.  The deadline for public comments is November 15, 2009.

 

The notice proposes PS-Prep standards to enhance operational resilience, business continuity management, and disaster and emergency management among participating private sector partners.  DHS has selected three standards seeking public comment on, which are:

·         NFPA1600 – Standard on Disaster/Emergency Management and Business Continuity Programs (2007)

·         British Standard 25999-2: 2007 – Business Continuity Management

·         ASIS SPC.1-2009 – Organizational Resilience: Security Preparedness and Continuity Management Systems

 

In addition to the standards in the notice, DHS is establishing classifications and methods of certifications that recognize the unique needs and characteristics of small businesses.  Your input is paramount to the success of clear guidelines for small businesses.

 

Due to the fact that PS-Prep is a voluntary program for all private entities, we strongly encourage your organization to take the time to read the notice, consider the questions it poses for the private sector, and submit any comments or recommendations by the November 15 deadline.

 

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 November 15 though it will accept submissions at any time thereafter.

 

For more information, visit http://www.fema.gov/privatesectorpreparedness/. If you have any questions or thoughts regarding the PS-Prep program please contact Tracy Hannah, (202) 447-3360, tracy.hannah@dhs.gov.

 

Operation Partnership – Trends and Practices in Law Enforcement and Private Security Collaborations

One of the most extensive documents on public/private partnerships is the recently released Operation Cooperation, by the Office of Community Policing Services (COPS), U.S. Department of Justice.  Some of you are familiar with Operation Cooperation – Guidelines for Partnerships between Law Enforcement and Private Security Organizations that was published in 2000.  This 15-page document was the utilized around the nation as a guide for law enforcement and private security organizations in partnering.  Operation Partnership – Trends and Practices in Law Enforcement and Private Security Collaborations is a comprehensive review of research, practices, and methods.  For example, this study was based on the identification of more than 450 law enforcement-private security partnerships, as of 2007 (LEPSC, 2009, 7).

 

Operation Partnership is a 140-page document produced by the Law Enforcement-Private Security Consortium (LEPSC) in order to “provide research, training, and technical assistance services that support development of effective law enforcement-private security collaborations nationwide (LEPSC, 2009, i)”.

 

The document has seven chapters and appendices, including Appendix A: Fifteen key steps for getting started and five tips for enhancing an ongoing law enforcement-private security partnership.  Information sharing, training, resource sharing, external support, leadership, and sustainability are included in the chapters.

 

To download the 19-page Executive Summary, please go to http://www.cops.usdoj.gov/files/RIC/Publications/e08094224-OpPart_ExecSumm.pdf.

 

To download the full document, please go to http://www.cops.usdoj.gov/ric/ResourceDetail.aspx?RID=534.

 

All types of partnerships for joint crisis management, separate from law enforcement-private security could benefit from a review of this document.  Congratulations to the Law Enforcement-Private Security Consortium for this inclusive document.

 

Also, the above (full) document is available in our “CIP Information Exchange” database.

 

Recent Postings to the CIP Information Exchange Website
The CIP Information Exchange website is a large database for public and private sector professionals interested in homeland security, emergency preparedness, business continuity, disaster recovery, and emergency management.  It also contains research publications, government documents, news items, and more.

 

To enter the ‘CIP Information Exchange’ database, please go to https://angel.msu.edu and using the drop-down menu, select Angel Guest Account.  Click on ‘proceed’, and on the next webpage, enter “msu.msu” in the Angel Guest User box and “partnership” (both without quotation marks) as the password to log on.  On the next page, click on Critical Incident Protocol (CIP) – Community Facilitation, which launches to the main menu.

 

Located in the folder "Bulletin Board - Information for all Communities" are a variety of recent postings, including:

·         Leveraging Public-Private Partnerships to Improve Community Resilience in Times of Disaster

·         Safeguard Iowa Partnership (A Public/Private Partnership)

·         Operation Partnership – Trends/Practices in Law Enforcement/Private Security Collaboration

·         Critical Infrastructure Resource Guide 2009 (ASIS)

 

There are numerous other resources located on the website. To locate a specific topic, utilize the "search" function on the left side.  On top left side click on “guide” and when the sidebar box opens, go to the bottom in the box and click on “search” and follow the directions. 

 

Past Newsletters
If you are interested in viewing past CIP Update newsletters, please go to www.cip.msu.edu and select "Newsletters" from the main menu.

 

Closing
If you have any topics and/or ideas for a future CIP Update newsletter, please contact Brit Weber at weberbr@msu.edu or (517) 355-2227 or other MSU staff members. About every three weeks you will receive this newsletter via email. If you no longer wish to be on this list, please reply to this email.

 

Disclaimer
The views expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security or Michigan State University.

 

Sources

Van Hise, B.M.  (September 2009).  Unconventional Cooperation.  Security Management, 72-81.

 

Law Enforcement-Private Sector Consortium.  (2009).  Operation Partnership – Trends and Practices in Law Enforcement and Private Security Collaborations.  Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS), U.S. Department of Justice.

 

 

Brit Weber
Program Director
CIP-Community Facilitation Program
School of Criminal Justice
Michigan State University
1407 S. Harrison Rd., 335 Nisbet Bldg.
East Lansing, MI 48823
Work:  (517)  355-2227   Cell:  (517) 206-1640
weberbr@msu.edu
Please visit our website:  http://www.cip.msu.edu