U.S. Department of Homeland Security Washington, DC 20472 Grant Programs Directorate Information Bulletin No. 309 February 27, 2009 TO: All State Administrative Agency Heads All State Administrative Agency Points of Contact All Core City/Core County Points of Contact All State Homeland Security Directors All State Emergency Management Agency Directors FROM: W. Ross Ashley, III Assistant Administrator Grant Programs Directorate Federal Emergency Management Agency Charlie Payne Chief Office for Bombing Prevention National Protection and Programs Directorate SUBJECT: Allowing for the Purchase of Electronic Countermeasures (ECM) Equipment by Selected Grantees in the ECM Pilot Program The purpose of this memo is to provide an overview of the joint Department of Homeland Security (DHS) – Department of Justice (DOJ) Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) effort to establish a domestic ECM capability, identify ongoing efforts by DHS to support the National ECM Program, and to provide further guidance to selected states and urban areas on the use of grant funding to acquire ECM capabilities. The National ECM Program is an interagency effort led by the FBI to establish an ECM capability within the United States to address domestic radio-controlled improvised explosive devise (RCIED) threats. ECM reduces the risk to potential bombing targets and to incident response personnel by acting to thwart frequency based initiation methods utilized in RCIEDs. Effective ECM technology is used overseas daily by coalition forces in Iraq. The National ECM Program is currently guided by a working group comprised of federal, state, and local experts who have set and achieved program management milestones since 2004, culminating in a successful domestic ECM capabilities pilot program in 10 cities. The FBI has primary responsibility for operational aspects of this program based on its role as the federal law enforcement agency for counter terrorism and the sole training and certifying agency for public safety bomb squads in render safe operations, and as the www.fema.gov agency responsible for meeting conditions set by the National Telecommunications Information Administration (NTIA) for employment of ECM. DHS, through its Office for Bombing Prevention (OBP) acts in partnership with the FBI to coordinate and enhance national capabilities for the defeat of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and critical infrastructure protection efforts. The National ECM Program is ready to move from a pilot status to an integrated capability within our national IED security strategy. The nation’s 471 accredited bomb squads are the foundation of our national IED response strategy. Distributed nationwide, bomb squads provide the most immediate capability to effectively address IED threats, including those requiring the use of ECM. The ECM Steering Group has identified candidate locations for the next phase of ECM deployment. Those locations include: Atlanta, GA Bay Area - San Francisco, CA Houston, TX Jersey City/Newark, NJ Kansas City, MO Las Vegas, NV National Capital Region Philadelphia, PA Phoenix, AZ Twin Cities, MN For these locations, State Homeland Security Program (SHSP) and Urban Areas Security Initiative (UASI) funds may be used to obtain this capability, provided the state or urban area and the selected agency/bomb squad meet and agree to the following criteria: 1. Must be an FBI Accredited Bomb Squad 2. Submit an application to the FBI Hazardous Devices Operations Center (HDOC) for ECM Accreditation and receive the first level of accreditation authorization, which includes: a. Approval to use federal grants to procure equipment b. Approval to send certified bomb technician personnel to attend FBI Hazardous Devices School (HDS) for ECM training and certification 3. Purchase the National ECM Program approved ECM system. Note: The FBI is the lead federal agency for the National ECM Program, and holds the operating authority for the Program. Currently, there is only one approved ECM system validated for operations within the United States. No other ECM system or equipment, other than identified through this program, may be operated. The operating software will be owned by the FBI. All rights and usage can be revoked if the Operational Guidelines are not adhered 4. Purchase the make and model of vehicle which has been approved for ECM installation. 2 5. Complete the training and certification after which the final authorization for ECM accreditation will be awarded to the bomb squad. 6. Employ and operate the approved ECM system in a manner that is consistent with the Operational Requirements Document. 7. Maintain the approved ECM system in good working order. 8. Immediately advise the Federal ECM Program Manager of any failure of, or damage to the ECM system that cannot be repaired at the operator level. Following training and certification the participating agency/bomb squad will: 1. Be approved for ECM accreditation by the FBI HDOC. 2. Operate equipment within operational guidelines as defined in the FBI ECM Operational Requirements Document, which includes making notifications each time the equipment is activated. 3. Employ the ECM system operationally as part of its bomb squad response procedures. 4. Participate in the further development of a nationally coordinated ECM program that addresses interoperability and minimum standards regarding the equipment, techniques, policies, and training associated with the National ECM Program. 5. Report use of the ECM system in a format prescribed by the FBI HDOC. Additional information on the requirements to participate in the National ECM Program will be provided to the State Administrative Agency Heads of those areas which have been previously identified in this memo. To further address the threat posed by the use of RCIEDs, FEMA’s Grant Programs Directorate (GPD), in cooperation with the Department’s OBP, the FBI, and the National Bomb Squad Commander’s Advisory Board (NBSCAB), encourages the identified states to utilize existing and future grant funding allocations to purchase equipment required to obtain this capability. For more information on the authorized use of grant funds for IED deterrence, prevention, protection, and response purposes, please contact your FEMA Headquarters GPD Program Analyst or the FEMA Centralized Scheduling and Information Desk (CSID) Helpline at (800) 368-6498 or askcsid@dhs.gov. For more information on the National ECM Program, please contact FBI SSA Thomas Krall at 703-985-4087 or Thomas.Krall@ic.fbi.gov. For more information regarding IED deterrence, prevention, and protection capabilities, please contact the DHS Office for Bombing Prevention (OBP) at 703-235-5723 or OBP@dhs.gov. www.fema.gov