Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) Program Support
Today the United States of America is threatened by a wide array of hazards, including catastrophic natural disasters, acts of terrorism, cyberattacks, viral pandemics, and manmade incidents/accidents and disasters such as the Deep Horizon oil spill. It is imperative that we, as a nation, prepare for disasters so that the cost to society, both in terms of the human and the economic cost, is significantly reduced/minimized. Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear threats and hazards each present unique challenges in areas including Resilience, Prevention, Protection, Mitigation, Response and Recovery. ASR's CBRN Program Support services leverage the ASR team's expertise in emergency and program management to enable our customers and the nation to effectively prepare, prevent, protect, mitigate, respond, and recover from CBRN threats and incidents.
CBRN Program Overview and Objectives
The Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (Stafford Act) is a United States federal law designed to bring an orderly and systemic means of federal natural disaster assistance for state and local governments. In carrying out their responsibilities to aid citizens. Its objective included encouragement to states and localities to develop comprehensive disaster preparedness plans, and better intergovernmental coordination in the face of a disaster. The Stafford Act created the system in place today by which a presidential disaster declaration or an emergency declaration triggers financial and physical assistance through the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The Act gives FEMA the responsibility for coordinating government-wide relief efforts.
The Post-Katrina Emergency Reform Act of 2006 (PKEMRA) mandates that the President of the USA develop a set of national policies to guide preparedness for these hazards, with the goal of reducing or preventing potentially devastating consequences. President Barack Obama issued Presidential Policy Directive 8: National Preparedness (PPD-8) released on 30 March 2011 by President Barack Obama. PPD-8 and its associated/ component policies intend to guide how the nation, from the federal level to private citizens, can “prevent, protect against, mitigate the effects of, respond to, and recover from those threats that pose the greatest risk to the security of the Nation.” PPD-8 replaced/rescinded the previously issued Homeland Security Presidential Directive (HSPD-8) by President George Bush on 17 December 2003 and HSPD-8 Annex I (National Planning) issued December 4, 2007.
The objective of PPD-8 is: “Strength[en] the security and resilience of the United States through systemic preparation for the threats that pose the greatest risk to the security of the Nation, including acts of terrorism, cyberattacks, pandemics, and catastrophic natural disasters.” PPD-8 further states that National Preparedness Goals' efforts include: Resilience, Prevention, Protection, Mitigation, Response and Recovery.
Risk Management is a critical factor in ensuring the ability to prepare for, protect against, and respond to CBRN threats and incidents. The CBRN Risk Management Process includes:
- Define the Context
- Identify Potential Risk
- Assess and Analyze Risk
- Develop Alternatives
- Decide and Implement
- Evaluate and Monitor
ASR's CBRN Program Support Services
ASR has extensive expertise to support our customers' CBRN program requirements. ASR’s senior leadership has extensive experience and training in emergency management with a focus on prevention, protection, response, recovery and mitigation. ASR has developed corporate expertise, processes and systems to respond to hazards, threats and incidents.
ASR's accomplishments in providing support services for Homeland Security and national defense have been recognized by the U.S. Congress – see U.S. Congressional Records E 1362.
ASR’s CBRN Program Support services include:
- Technical, Program and Project Management Support
- Developing / updating / improving Standard Operating Procedures / Guidelines / Operating Procedures / Manuals and associated Annexes
- Training / Exercise Development / Execution / Readiness Tests
- Program Oversight / Planning / Support / Execution / Outreach
- Supporting operational activities
- Capability enhancement
- Scheduling / coordinating meetings
- Preparing / developing presentations / briefings / point papers
- Providing Subject Matter Expertise
- Other activities as required