USNORTHCOM Role in Critical Infrastructure Protection and Disaster Response
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Attendees of the TISP Spring Forum: Role of USNORTHCOM in Critical Infrastructure Protection and Disaster Response learned of the U.S. Department of Defense’s (DOD)
efforts to cooperate with federal, state and local agencies and
private-sector companies to achieve its mission. The forum, held March
5-6, 2009, at Peterson Air Force Base, Colo., included presentations
from North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and U.S. Northern
Command (USNORTHCOM) characterizing their roles in critical
infrastructure protection and disaster response and a tour of the
Cheyenne Mountain underground facilities. The
presentations and tour illustrated the extraordinary capabilities of
resilient infrastructure and self-sustaining operations, as attendees
witnessed the command’s continual testing of capabilities through daily
exercises and contingency planning.
Lt.
Col. Michael Price, of NORAD and USNORTHCOM’s Action Team, briefed
attendees on the roles and separation of NORAD and USNORTHCOM.
USNORTHCOM’s primary missions include defending the homeland and
assisting federal and state agencies responding to any national
disaster. Both missions require adhering to complex federal and state
jurisdictional rules while deploying assortments of federal DOD
resources fulfilling the needs of state, local and volunteer agencies.
USNORTHCOM continues to work with federal and state homeland security
and emergency management agencies and examines lessons learned to better
anticipate needs.
Pat
Paulsen, USNORTHCOM Deputy Director Critical Infrastructure Protection,
provided an overview of DOD critical infrastructure protection and
compared its program to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s
critical infrastructure and key resources (CI/KR ) program. Not
only does DHS have a separate definition to determine criticality, it
has a different categorization for critical infrastructure and key
resources. USNORTHCOM works with a simple, clear approach to critical
infrastructure: “if it doesn’t cause the mission to fail, it is not critical.”
This guiding principle focuses USNORTHCOM operations to fully employ
strategic resources within DOD and the defense industrial base, in step
with other DHS CI/KR sector resources, working together on multi-hazard
tribulations.
Joe
Catalino, USNORTHCOM Chief of Private Sector Operations, Interagency
Coordination Directorate, discussed his role in working with agencies
and private-sector companies. The Interagency Coordination Directorate
works directly with private corporations like Wal-Mart and Caterpillar
to list resources and services available when they are needed. Finding
regional and local resources is not a simple task. The Society of
America Military Engineers’ (SAME) Readiness & Homeland Security
Committee organized their Post partners to conduct regional and local
security and resilience gap assessments. TISP will connect the Post and
other association chapters with USNORTHCOM to continue to expand the
list.
Following
the presentations, moderator Capt. William Grip, P.E., CEC, USN, of
NORAD and USNORTHCOM, opened the microphone to audience members to
address their interests in critical infrastructure protection and
disaster response. Infrastructure security funding, coordination with
private-sector companies and interagency collaboration were the topics
of greatest audience discussion.
As outcomes to the Spring Forum, TISP offers significant support to USNORTHCOM and DHS to advance their missions:
1. TISP
will connect USNORTHCOM with public- and private-sector agencies and
companies at a regional and local level. TISP is designing a resource
database that agencies may access to fulfill their requirements and
needs.
2. TISP offers a platform for public and private coordination, collaboration and partnerships.
3. TISP
will facilitate discussion for USNORTHCOM to be proactive earlier in
preparing and responding to civil disasters. TISP will assist with
designing institutional architectures to enable better communication and
more rapid response to all hazardous situations.
The presentations can be downloaded:.
Direct your questions regarding the TISP Spring Forum to Bill Anderson, TISP Director, at wanderson@tisp.org or at 703-549-3800, ext. 170.
We look forward to meeting you at the next TISP Forum.
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