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Upcoming Workshops
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Incident Command
System 100/200 and 300
August
4-7, 2009 in Houston, TX
Qualified
Individual (QI) Workshop
September 9-10, 2009 in Houston, TX
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Pandemic Planning...Are you Prepared?
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O'Brien'sRM Consulting is here to assist you in all your
pandemic planning, training and exercise needs. Contact us at
281-320-9796 or email consulting@obriensrm.com
In addition, our sister company in the U.K., Link Associates, regularly
compiles a roundup of H1N1 influenza developments. To subscribe, click here.
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O'Brien's Response Management Designs
and Conducts Security Exercise for Cumberland County
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O'Brien's
Response Management Inc.(O'Brien'sRM), a global provider of
environmental compliance, emergency preparedness, response management,
disaster services and crisis management for numerous industry sectors
and government agencies, recently concluded a Homeland Security
exercise for Cumberland County, New Jersey.
The June 25, 2009 exercise was a U.S. Department of Homeland Security
(DHS) field exercise designed and facilitated by O'Brien'sRM on behalf
of New Jersey's Cumberland County Office of Emergency Management. Held
in Millville, NJ, this exercise focused primarily on preparing
emergency responders to effectively respond to terrorist incidents.
Funded by a DHS security grant, this exercise, described by County
officials as one of the largest the county has conducted, was the
County's second exercise to be held under this DHS program. Late last
fall O'Brien'sRM conducted a "table-top" exercise for County,
State and various local officials in order to prepare for this
full-scale exercise.
"I think it was a fantastic exercise," Cumberland County
Office of Emergency Management Coordinator Joe Sever said.
"O'Brien's Response Management worked closely with the County to
build a realistic and detailed scenario that really flexed our ability
to coordinate the response of more than 20 agencies and organizations
who responded," added Sever.
The Cumberland County Homeland Security exercise was a four-hour interagency
exercise focused on the initial field level response to a terrorist
incident. It was conducted in a no-fault, no inspection learning
environment as a valuable training tool for first response personnel.
Click Here to see the News
media coverage of the exercise.
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Introducing
News Media and Public Relations Services
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 O'Brien's Response Management Inc.
(O'Brien'sRM), provider of environmental compliance, emergency
preparedness, response management, disaster services and crisis
management for numerous industry sectors and government agencies, now
provides news media and public relations services as a fully integrated
element into its emergency response and crisis management
business."Successful organizations look for ways to mitigate their
risks. Risk to reputation not properly managed can seriously damage a
company. To help clients manage their risk before, during and after a
reputation-threatening incident, O'Brien'sRM has brought on board an
experienced government and energy sector communicator with an extensive
maritime background. We're pleased to announce that Tim O'Leary has
joined O'Brien'sRM as our Vice President of Communications," said
Tim Perkins, O'Brien'sRM Chief Executive Officer. For more information
contact Tim O'Leary at (281) 320-9796 or email toleary@obriensrm.com.
Website
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O'Brien'sRM
Deploys to Support Shell Yabuoca with CommandPro®
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O'Brien'sRM
participated in Shell's San Juan, Puerto Rico PREP Exercise 2009.
The exercise simulated a major pollution incident that occurred
within the Puerto Rico & U.S. Virgin Islands (PRUSVI) Area
Contingency Plan (ACP) area of operations. It focused on the assembly of
a Spill Management Team, formation of Unified Command (UC), assembly of a
JIC and completion of a Planning Cycle with the development of an
Incident Action Plan and supporting plans. O'Brien's RM deployed a total
of 8 personnel in support of the exercise.
O'Brien'sRM has integrated command strategy and tactics with ICS
processes and documentation in a product we call CommandPro®. The
resulting system combines decades of field experience with the latest
software technology. Read More
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Latest
CommandPro® Features
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 O'Brien's Response Management continues to provide robust
and easy to use features for their CommandPro® incident management
software. Recent enhancements include a complete Incident Command
System (ICS) form 213 Resource Request module. This module
automates the requisitioning and procurement of response resources during
an incident or exercise. The system not only generates
electronically completed requisition forms, but also automates the
process from request to; Section Chief approval, Resource Unit Leader
review, Logistics sourcing, and Finance Section Chief approval. By
capturing cost data on the front end, Finance can automatically generate
cost analysis summaries, in real time and on day one. To learn more about
these features and/or the CommandPro® system email kelly.wilson@obriensrm.com
or call (281) 320-9796.
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BP
Texas City Annual Oil Spill Response Exercise
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 O'Brien's
Response Management Inc. (O'Brien'sRM) facilitated a worst case discharge
oil spill exercise at the BP Texas City Refinery in June. Over 200
people participated in the exercise including the BP Texas City Incident
Management Team (IMT), personnel from the BP Americas Response Team,
several regulating agencies, and a number of contractors. Agency
participation included the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), U.
S. Coast Guard (USCG), Texas General Land Office (GLO), Texas Commission
on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), Texas City Office of Emergency
Management, NOAA, and Texas Parks and Wildlife.
The
exercise involved a very complex tank collapse scenario with crude oil
impacting their neighbors including a tank farm and an administrative
office building before impacting the waters of the Texas City Port.
The exercise began on June 16th with the call-out of BP Texas City's
IMT. The three day functional exercise was conducted from three
locations in the Texas City area. MSRC Galveston served as the
field truth location as well as staging for the equipment deployment
component of the exercise. A Joint Information Center (JIC) was
established at The Nessler Center in Texas City which was the site for
the JIC's mock press conference.
In
addition to the press conference, the PIO and other participants in the
JIC held press briefings and a town hall meeting over the course of the
exercise. O'Brien'sRM provided a JIC Coach, videographer, and media
role players during these sessions. To address communications issues at
The Nessler Center, Sprint supplied their deployment support vehicle to
provide connectivity capabilities and BP Texas City utilized their site's
satellite trailer for telephone service to the JIC.
The
remainder of the exercise activity was conducted at BP Texas City's
Emergency Operations Center (EOC) building. Of the O'Brien'sRM
staff in attendance, 23 were involved as controllers, ICS coaches,
evaluators, and/or role players. Six additional O'Brien'sRM
personnel were activated by the BP IMT to assist them with the oil
spill. These personnel were assigned to roles in the Operations and
Planning Sections of the IMT. The exercise concluded on June 18th
with lunch and a group critique session also facilitated by O'Brien'sRM
personnel. For more information contact Lisa Saint at (281) 320-9796 or
email lisa.saint@obriensrm.com.
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LEGISLATION AND REGULATIONS
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EPA
Extends Comment Period for Renewable Fuel Standard Program
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 July
2, 2009, U.S. EPA is extending the comment period by 60 days on its
proposed rule revising the national Renewable Fuel Standard program,
commonly referred to as RFS2. The original comment period was to end on
July 27, 2009 and will now end on September 25, 2009.
The proposed rule would dramatically increase the volume requirements for
renewable fuels, establish four categories of renewable fuels, and
require some renewable fuels to achieve greenhouse gas emission
reductions compared to the gasoline and diesel fuels they displace. These
revisions were mandated by the Energy Independence and Security Act of
2007. For more information contact Ralph Chaiet at (281) 320-9796 or
email ralph.chaiet@obriensrm.com.
Read More
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SPCC
Update
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 On June 11, 2009,
EPA again extended the compliance date for all facilities to November 10,
2010. Facilities must amend or prepare, and implement SPCC Plans by the
compliance date in accordance with revisions to the SPCC rule promulgated
since 2002. Farms must also amend or prepare their SPCC Plans, and
implement those Plans by the same date.
Regulation: Oil Pollution Prevention; Spill
Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure Rule - Compliance Date Amendment
(PDF)
This unsigned copy of the SPCC
Compliance Date Amendment rule is being provided until a signed copy of
the rule is available. A link to the official rule will be made available
here once it is published in the Federal Register. For more
information contact Donald Kluth at (281) 320-9796 or email donald.kluth@obriensrm.com.
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CFATS
Update
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 On May 15, 2009 the
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released the final versions of the:
· Site Security Plan
(SSP) questions;
· SSP instructions; and
· Risk-Based Performance
Standards Guidance (RBPS) document
Personnel at covered facilities should read all three documents before
inputting data into the Chemical Security Assessment Tool (CSAT)
SSP. If a covered facility so chooses, they may input planned and
proposed security measures in addition to the required existing
measures. DHS will consider planned measures as long as the
facility has taken steps to realize them (such as initiated equipment
installation or management has approved spending money for new security
measures). They will not consider proposed measures, but will give
advice as to their acceptability. For more information contact Steven Falkner at (281)
320-9796 or email steven.falkner@obriensrm.com.
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Prototyping
TWIC Implementation
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 Working with authorities
from the Port of Brownsville, Texas personnel from the Government
Services Division of O'Brien's Response Management are helping test and
evaluate equipment that will enhance the security of our nation's ports
and ensure the smooth movement of commerce across international
borders. This initiative, part of a national pilot project,
involves the deployment of machines that automatically scan, and verify
the accuracy of, identification cards (known as a Transportation Worker
Identification Credential (TWIC)) which must be carried by every
individual who requires unescorted access to secure areas of our nation's
port facilities.
The national pilot project is a program jointly administered by the Coast
Guard and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) on behalf of
the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. As part of this effort,
those agencies issued an advanced notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPRM)
on March 27, 2009 setting forth "preliminary thoughts on potential
requirements" for the use of electronic readers designed to work
with TWICs.[1] The ANPRM is the latest in a series of documents
related to the implementation of the Maritime Transportation Security Act
of 2002 (MTSA) transportation security card requirement.
The MTSA requires the issuance of biometric security cards to Coast Guard
credentialed merchant mariners and other workers requiring unescorted
access to secure areas of vessels and port facilities. The Security
and Accountability for Every (SAFE) Port Act of 2006 supplemented the
MTSA credentialing requirements and established a port implementation
deadline for TWIC, required a pilot program to test equipment (e.g.,
readers) that will be used to scan TWICs before the holder will be
allowed to enter a port facility and set a deadline for issuing
regulations requiring the deployment of TWIC readers. Although
TWICs are now required to enter all secure areas of port facilities in
the United States the equipment specifications for TWIC readers are still
being developed. Currently, authorities verify worker
identification using the "flash-pass" method in which they
authenticate the name and photo of the card holder and examine several of
the enhanced security features integrated into the cards, including
holograms and variable inks. However, the TWIC's biometric
elements, which verify fingerprint and other data unique to the cardholder,
is yet to be integrated into the authentication process. That will
change when equipment specifications are finalized.
As part of a national pilot project to develop TWIC biometric reader
specifications, five ports in the United States are already prototyping
different types of hardware capable of reading, and verifying, biometric
credentials. One of the implementation ports for this initiative is
the Port of Brownsville. O'Brien's Response Management Inc. has
played a key role in the port's TWIC prototype project, serving as the
port's technical representative and contract administrator for the
program and providing security grant program development and management
support. The TWIC pilot project was established to test the
technology (TWIC readers and associated hardware and software) and gauge
the effect that implementing equipment requirements might have on port
operations. For example, ports are interested in enhancing security
while minimizing any adverse impact on the flow of goods through the port
facility. The results of the pilot will help shape future
regulatory requirements for the equipment necessary to implement the
credentialing provisions of the MTSA and SAFE Port Act.
The Port of Brownsville was the first pilot program participant to have
in place functioning electronic TWIC readers capable of verifying all
security features built into the TWIC. The Port is currently
working with TSA, and its associated sub-contractors, to perform the
testing required of the prototype TWIC hardware installed at the port.
Currently, all persons requesting unescorted access to secure areas of
the Port are being asked to scan their TWIC through the installed readers
so that the validity of the TWIC can be verified. To date, this
process has had minimal effects on port operations and the system has
performed as designed. O'Brien's has also been working closely with
TSA's nationwide contractor on the installation and evaluation of TWIC
hardware and served as the port's main contact and manager for the Early
Operational Assessment (EOA) phase of the TWIC pilot project.
As a result of the joint effort between the Port of Brownsville and
O'Brien's the port has been in full compliance with the TWIC regulatory
requirements since November 2008. In order to satisfy the
requirements, the Port, working with consultants from O'Brien's, obtained
more than one million dollars in funding through the Port Security Grant
Program to establish the processes and create the infrastructure needed
to support the TWIC program. This infrastructure has included extensive
fence construction and the creation of a physical access control system
that utilizes the TWIC as the primary access credential.
The Port of Brownsville and O'Brien's are proud to be a key part of this important
effort. The Port of Brownsville is the first port in the nation to
have operational TWIC readers and the results of its prototype effort
will enhance maritime security throughout the United States. The
initiative will also help ensure the smooth flow of commerce so critical
to our nation's economic vitality by adding an additional, near seamless,
layer of security to our ports.
For further information contact Richard Teubner at (281) 320-9796 or
email richard.teubner@obriensrm.com.
[1] The ANPRM (74 FR 13360, Transportation Worker
Identification Credential (TWIC) - Reader Requirements) can be found by
typing "page 13360" in the "Quick Search" section of
the Government Printing Office (GPO) website: http://www.gpoaccess.gov/fr/index.html
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Tim
O'Leary, Vice President of Communications
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 Tim
O'Leary joined O'Brien'sRM as our Vice President of Communications in
April of this year. Before joining O'Brien'sRM, O'Leary worked at Shell
Oil Company for nearly eight years, where he provided communications
services to a variety of Shell business units and served as a company
spokesperson. While at Shell, O'Leary provided news media relations
support and planning to senior Shell leadership in the United States.
O'Leary was also the crisis management focal point for Shell in North
America. O'Leary is a retired US Navy Commander and qualified as a US
Navy Surface Warfare Officer.
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O'Brien'sRM
Welcomes New Employees!
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- Tim O'Leary, Vice President of
Communications
- Megan Badke, Word Processor
- Steven Falkner, Manager,
Compliance Services
- Chris Sartell, Senior Graphics
Artist
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