NTAS and Enhanced Security Planning

This weekend I did a blog posting on enhanced security planning, or contingency planning, looking at the reasons that it is important to have these plans in place and providing some examples of what might be included in that planning. Today I would like to take a look at how enhanced security planning should work with the new National Terrorism Advisory System (NTA). For high-risk chemical facilities tying these two things together is an important component of the facility site security plan and meeting the standards (yet to be revised) of RSBP 13.

NTAS

Officially starting tomorrow, the NTAS replaces the old, and controversial, color-coded Homeland Security Advisory System. Instead of the old five levels of the HSAS, the NTAS will see DHS issuing specific alerts that will come in two levels; elevated and imminent. Then new alerts will include specific information about the duration, potential targets, and other details of the threat. An example of the alert format can be found on the NTAS website.

Copies of current alerts will be found on the NTAS website. Individuals and organizations can sign-up to receive information on these alerts via email, Twitter® and Facebook®.

Since these alerts are public information, they will not include classified information. I would like to assume that ISCD has made some sort of provisions for providing detailed information, including classified information, about threats to CFATS facilities, either by chemical, industry or specific facility. Though, since ISCD is a program enforcement organization, they might not be included in the intelligence loop. Additionally, there is the problem of sharing classified information with un-cleared personnel; I have heard nothing about efforts to obtain security clearances for security officers at CFATS facilities.

CFATS Facilities and NTAS

Generally speaking a CFATS covered facility can expect to be affected by an NTAS alert under three circumstances; an alert for a geographical area, an alert for their industry, or an alert for their specific facility. With each alert coming in two possible levels that makes a minimum of six NTAS alert situations that need to be addressed in the RBPS 13 portion of the site security plan.

Of course the situation can get a lot more complicated for facilities with multiple COI especially if they cover more than one type of hazard. For example facilities with both a theft/diversion problem and a release toxic threat might expect to have separate enhanced plans for each under the facility specific and industry specific alerts.