Incident Command Tool for Protecting Drinking Water

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Incident Command Tool for Protecting Drinking
Water

• Doug Ryan
• USDA Forest Service
• Research and Development

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Current Situation

• Drinking water sources are vulnerable to
  terrorist attack
• Protection is expensive and takes time
• Rapid, effective emergency response can minimize
  consequences to the public.

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Protecting the Public

• Incident Commanders direct first responders in
  emergencies
• Timely and accurate information vital to
  effectively protect the public
• Draw on information from many sources

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History

• Forest Service-ARS collaboration on pathogens
• ARSs anthrax monitoring experience
• Protecting the public requires critical
  information
• Information tool was needed

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ICWater Partners

• US Forest Service
• Linkage to Incident Commanders
• Technical Support Working Group (TSWG)
• Compatibility with existing consequence
  assessment tools
• DTRA
• Training MOU with USFS
• Operation and maintenance
• EPA
• NHD, Flow Volume and Velocity
• Model validation
• FEMA
• USGS
• Location of gages and monitoring stations
• Flow volume and velocity (NE SPARROW Project)
• Interstate Commission of the Potomac River Basin
• Comparisons with dye studies and other transport
  models

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ICWater Development Phases
Completed January 2004
Completed January 2005
To be completed August 2005
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• Hazardous Substance in Surface Water
• Where is it going?
• Drinking Water Intakes in its path?
• When will it get there?
• In what concentration?

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Other potential uses

• Forensic uses (upstream tracing)
• Training and exercises
• Planning
• Accidental spill response

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Incident Command Tool (ICWater)
Local Incident Commanders
Strategic Decision Makers
Emergency Response Analyzer
ICWater (RiverSpill)
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We Need Your Participation

• Is the tool useful?
• Does it convey the right information?
• Are formats (maps, graphs, tables, etc.) easily
  understood?
• How can it be improved?

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Some Side Boards

• NOT an Artificial Intelligence Device
• NOT a monitoring system
• NOT a detection instrument

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Summary

• Water sources are vulnerable
• Incident Commanders decisions reduce
  consequences an attack.
• Does ICWater provide the critical information
  ICs need?
• Your participation is vital.

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