AVIATION CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE, AIRPORTS

& CATASTROPHES

Jim Smith, PhD, P.E.American Public University SystemSmith-Woolwine Associates, Inc.

jfsmith@swva.net

American Public University System | Educating Those Who Serve

Acronyms & abbreviationsAAR: After Action Review ACI: aviation critical infrastructureCBRNE: chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and (high) explosive CI: critical infrastructure COB: continuity of businessCOG: continuity of government COOP: continuity of operationsDHS: U.S. Department of Homeland Security DOD: U.S. Department of Defense EDM: emergency and disaster managemetnEMA: emergency management agencyEOC: emergency operations centerFAA: Federal Aviation Administration HSPD: Homeland Security Presidential DirectiveIAP: incident action plan ICS: Incident Command System IT: information technology MAC: multiagency coordination entity MANPAD: man-portable air defense systemsNIMS: National Incident Management SystemSARS: severe acute respiratory syndromeTSA: Transportation Security Administration

American Public University System | Educating Those Who Serve

Critical infrastructure

• A system that is essential for national survival or economic survival

• Examples– Highways– Electrical generation and transmission– Dams and levees– Highways and bridges– Aviation system

Aviation critical infrastructure

• One of 18 DHS CI sectors or 17 ASCE categories

• Comprises– Airports– Airlines and planes– Air cargo companies and planes– General aviation– Military aviation including mobility– FAA– Air traffic control system– Security of system– Intermodal connections to other critical infrastructures– Skilled personnel

Key events

• 9/11/2001 for intentional incidents

• 2003 SARS epidemic

• Aug-Sept 2005 Katrina for natural disasters

All three have led to changes in airport structures, policies, procedures, operations,

organizations, and defenses.

Gander on 9/12

Key terms

• Event – a planned happening

• Incident – an unplanned or unscheduled happening

• Disaster – an event or incident that causes severe damage but can be handled by emergency responders with mutual aid

• Catastrophe – a disaster that overwhelms the capabilities of the community or region

What sort of catastrophes?

• Not limited to aviation-related disasters

• Natural disasters

• Accidents

• Pandemics

• Civil disturbances

• Terrorism

• War and civil war

Natural disaster threats

• Floods • Hurricanes, typhoons, cyclones, tornadoes,

windstorms• Earthquakes• Landslides• Volcanoes and ash clouds• Wildfires• Blizzards and ice storms• Tsunamis

Accidents

• Crashes

• Industrial accidents

• Infrastructure failure

• Mechanical failure

• Human error

Pandemics

• SARS

• Bird flu

• Swine flu

• Potential bioterrorism agents – Converge with terrorism incidents

Civil disturbances

• Riots

• Strikes

• Demonstrations

• Boycotts

• Employee sabotage

Terrorism

• CBRNE attacks– Chemical - sarin– Biological - anthrax– Radiological- BA flights London-Moscow 2005– Nuclear– Explosive – Glasgow, Pan Am 103, Buncefield?

• MANPAD• Hostages• Hijacking• Psychological• Cyber• Disinformation

War

• War

• Civil war

Why focus on airports?• They are essential to receiving or sending aid in

disasters and catastrophes.

• As fixed assets, they are vulnerable, expensive to replace, and hard to repair if damaged.

• Planes and people can be moved or sheltered; airports can’t.

• Airports are iconic.

• Airports have been targets of terrorists.

• Airports have been used inappropriately by relief efforts following disasters.

Airport roles in disasters

• Receiving aid

• Dispatching aid

• Quarantine (initial)

• Helicopter base for rescue and reconn

• Logistics hub – intermodal terminus

• Communications – node or backup

• Backup EOC

• Security area

Inappropriate roles for airports

• Command and control centers• Mobile hospitals• Quarantine (long-term)• Reunification centers• Temporary morgues• Logistics storage• Billeting

Pre-site off-airport alternatives

Functioning means

• Airport continuity of operations (COOP)

• Airport continuity of business (COB)

COOP always applies to an airport, but COB is situationally sensitive to the scope and

nature of the disaster.

Stages of emergency and disaster management

• Prevention

• Preparedness

• Mitigation

• Response

• Recovery

• Reconstruction

Sustainability

• Generally applied to normal range of activities

• Applies to structural and organization designs that promote efficient and effective operations with minimum use of resources

• Could be stretched to include activities outside the normal range => MITIGATION

• All too often overlooks disasters

Resiliency

• Ability of a structure, organization, or system to do at least ONE of the following:– to avoid damage => PREVENTION– to retain an acceptable but reduced level of

functioning => MITIGATION– to return to an acceptable level of functioning

after a disaster or catastrophe => MITIGATION & RECOVERY

It all starts locally

• All disaster response starts locally, and the local flavor will persist no matter how much the response escalates to track the evolution of the incident.

• If the locality involves an airport, the airport’s preparedness can condition the nature and outcomes of the response.

Do you have to wait 72 hours for help?

Under the National Response Framework and prior doctrines, the expectation is that localities—including airports—will have

to wait about 72 hours for

outside (federal) aid.

EDM time spectrum

State

Hig

h

Specialized Federal Assets (LD/HD)

Federal Civilian

Private Sector

DoD (Titl

e 10)

Local Emergency Services

Specialized Regional Response Assets

Mutual Aid Agreements

Interstate Compacts

Req

uir

ed

Ca

pab

ilit

ies

and

Re

sou

rces

Lo

w

Pre-Event 12-48 Hours 48-96 Hours 30 DaysFirst 12 Hours

Cutting the 72-hour wait

• Get airport designated as critical infrastructure/critical facilities list

• Smart plans and strategies• Promoting self-help capabilities• Developing special response and recovery

capabilities• Giving and receiving mutual help beyond

mutual aid pacts – regional cooperation and coordination - DOGs

What’s a DOG

• Disaster Operations Group– SEADOG– WESTDOG– None yet in Midwest, New England, Middle

Atlantic, Hawaii, and Pacific

• Associated with EMAC and state EMAC coordinators

GPTDAB

Airport Response – Ivan 2005

MSY

Airport Response – Katrina 2005

Gulfport and Katrina

“Our highway infrastructure had been destroyed, the Port had suffered catastrophic damages and the rail system was inoperable. Our airport was the primary source for receiving aid and materials. Without the airport’s quick turnaround, we would have been cut off from the world and the much needed assistance that we needed to survive.”

Brent Warr, Mayor, City of Gulfport

LCH

PHX

Airport Response at Lake Charles – Rita 2005

BPT

SAN

APA

Airport Response at Beaumont-Port Arthur – Rita 2005

Key concepts

• Airports are even more critical in disasters and catastrophes.

• Airports are critical infrastructure.

• Airports must be protected from inappropriate uses.

• Airport design (structural, organizational, policy, and defensive) should promote continuity of operations.

Telling quote

“In a disaster, an airport can

substitute for almost anything else, but

nothing can substitute for an

airport.”Walter White, MEM

Actions to protect airport COOP/COB

• Structural

• Policy

• Organizational

• Procedural

• Defensive

These are highly cross-connected.

Structural(Physical facilities)

• Redundancy on site• Back-up emergency operations center (EOC)• Alternative sites• Hardening• Hardened communications and IT• CBRNE prevention and mitigation• Perimeter control• Fuel system protection• Air traffic control system protection• Alternate utilities• Interoperability standards

Special structural concerns• Design and construction to resist damage from

multihazards• Rapid post-incident evaluation• Rapid post-incident repair• Communications• Alternative logistics, especially fuel and

electricity• Shelter-in-place capabilities• Sustainment for essential employees• Documentation as-built and modified

EOC

• Nerve center for disaster operations

• Functions, space, connectivity, and people

• Supports and coordinates on-scene commanders operating under NIMS/ICS doctrines

• Can play role in all phases of emergency and disaster management

• Typically present at airports and at all levels of government and in corporations

• May go by other names but functions are the same

• MAC = multiagency coordination entity, sort of a super-EOC

Policy

• Subordination of airport asset to local, regional, or national incident management systems CONTROVERSIAL

• COOP/COB paramount strategic objective• Pre-planned responses to strategic threats• Pre-arrangements with agencies and surrounding

business community to help ensure COOP• Pro-mitigation orientation• Laws controlling demonstrations and trespass• Proactive policing policies• Funding of preparedness and mitigation measures

Organizational

• Full NIMS/ICS implementation• Joint training, drilling, and exercising

– Within airport– With surrounding agencies– With DOD and other federal agencies

• Avoidance of insurance blackballing• Worker protection• Worker morale• Internal security• Standards• Backup organizational units, especially EOC

Operational• Preparedness• Alternative modes of transport• Internal security• Interoperability• Standards• Pre-siting• Staging• Pull, not push: hold logistics at intermediate airports rather than

jamming up airport(s) in the middle of the disaster• Off-site logistic support and storage• Avoidance of non-essential uses• Training, drilling, and exercising• Interoperability• Standards – national and international

Access and credentialing

• Access to airfield by mutual aid and other outside responders is a difficult issue.

• Credentialing of responders for on-airport action is needed.

• Flexibility is needed for extreme cases.

Defensive

• Intelligence

• Counterterrorism

• Active defense

• Passive defense– SAM exclusion– Flight paths– Minimize target value– Time flexibility

Simultaneous threats

Antagonists could possibly apply terrorism, war, or violent acts to take advantage of

disruption due to natural disaster, accident, or pandemic.

Distant catastrophes

• Airports may be key assets in sending aid to distant disasters or catastrophes.

• Sending aid can stress airports and complicate normal COB/COOP.

• Distant catastrophes may send refugees and injured persons to an airport.

Newest challenge

Airports, especially international gateway airports like ATL, BWI, PHL, and MSP, are being asked to establish facilities, plans and procedures for Emergency Repatriation Centers to receive and support U.S. citizens repatriated from overseas crises.

Conclusions

• Disaster management at airports involves airports internally and airports in a community context

• Coordination and cooperation among airports is needed

• Strong airport-emergency management agency cooperation and coordination is cost-effective mitigation against all hazards

• Preparedness against multihazards works for natural disasters, pandemics, and manmade threats

• Other components of aviation critical infrastructure have parallel concerns and needs for preparedness

Last word

“In a disaster, an airport can substitute for almost anything else, but nothing can

substitute for an airport.”

But nothing matters unless the airport and its functions have been protected

or restored.

Resources for further study• www.airportstudy2008.com

• www.airportstudy2009.com

• Building sound emergency management into airports. Smith, J. F., Waggoner, S. S., & Hall, G. (2007). IATC 2007 Proceedings, 47-60.

• Memphis Airport as a model for disaster response. Smith, J. F., Waggoner, S. S., & Hall, G. (2007). Crisis Response Journal 3(3), 30-32.

• Protecting airport functionality during disaster responses: Natural disasters, accidents, and pandemics. Smith, J. F., Waggoner, S. S., Rabjohn, A., & Bachar, A. (2007). J. Emergency Mgt. 5(6), 29-40.

• Protecting airport functionality during disaster responses: Terrorism, war, civil war, and riots. Smith, J. F., Waggoner, S. S., Rabjohn, A., & Bachar, A. (2008a). J. Emergency Mgt., 6(3), 53-62.

• Protecting airport functionality during disaster responses: Solutions. Smith, J. F., Waggoner, S. S., Rabjohn, A., & Bachar, A. (2008b). J. Emergency Mgt., 6(4), 57-64.

• Maintaining airport continuity of business and operations during disaster response: the role of command and control relationships with emergency management agencies. Smith, J. F. (2008). J. Bus. Continuity & Emerg. Planning, 3(1).