The Pacific NorthWest Economic Region (PNWER) launched the Partnership for Regional Infrastructure Security and the PNWER Disaster Resilience and Homeland Security Program in November, 2001 with the goal of improving the ability of the Pacific Northwest to protect its critical infrastructures and withstand and recover from all-hazards disasters. PNWER, through its Pacific Northwest Center for Regional Disaster Resilience, works with key public and private stakeholders to create and implement workable solutions to local and regional infrastructure vulnerability and other related needs. PNWER accomplishes this by raising awareness of infrastructure interdependencies, providing training and education, and developing tools, technologies, and approaches that build on existing capabilities and can be utilized across the United States, Canada, and the international community.
Regional Information Fusion System
The PNWER Center for Regional Disaster Resilience is working with the Washington State Fusion Center and private sector representatives within the Seattle Urban Area Security Initiative for an information sharing and analysis capability fusion system. Major objectives of this program are to facilitate regional information sharing by building trust among key public and private stakeholders and collaboratively identify security and preparedness gaps. The goal of the project is to develop a statewide virtual cross-sector, cross-jurisdiction, secure, and resilient two-way information sharing capability.
This project brings together public and private representatives from across the nationally recognized 18 critical infrastructure / key resource sectors to design an information sharing architecture and process to integrate the region's critical infrastructures into the Washington State fusion center. The initial needs assessment has been completed and the implementation phase of the project is beginning with coordination between PNWER, private sector stakeholders and the Washington State Fusion Center.
Columbia River Basin
The Pacific NorthWest Economic Region (PNWER) is hosting the 2009 Dams Sector Exercise Series - Columbia River Basin, and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) are the sponsors. Participating stakeholders include local, tribal, State/Provincial and Federal agencies, and private sector and non-profit partners.
This collaborative effort will be comprised of five tracks that will be conducted in overlapping phases throughout 2009. Track 2, Track 3, and Track 4 will each include a Table Top Exercise in March, July and September 2009, respectively. An After Action Strategy Workshop will occur after each event reviewing actions taken; identifying issues, challenges and gaps; and identifying potential steps for improvement.
The work of the Pilot Project is to continue to develop an overall strategy focused on risk-based mitigation to improve regional disaster resilience and long-term preparedness through undertaking a series of tabletop exercises with pre-exercise training seminars and follow-up action strategy workshops. This exercise approach will provide dam and levee owners and operators, local and state governments, and critical infrastructures and other essential service providers with a set of building blocks to enable development of the Pilot Project major deliverable—a regional risk management and mitigation strategy.
Interagency Biological Restoration Demonstration (IBRD) Project
DHS and DOD are collaborating with PNNL and PNWER on the Interagency Biological Restoration Demonstration (IBRD) pilot program for regional response of the private sector to a biological event. Currently, DHS and DOD are developing a regional strategy for consequence management. PNWER has facilitated a workshop with key regional stakeholders discussing the impacts of a bio-attack on the region.
Regional Critical Infrastructure Protection Workgroup
PNWER conducts quarterly conference calls with the CIP managers from the PNWER Member jurisdiction states and provinces. This interstate, cross-border forum has generated an open forum to discuss key issues that impact the region. In December of 2007, the CIP managers throughout the PNWER member jurisdictions were invited to attend and meet with each other to discuss cross border issues. This was the first meeting of the CIP managers throughout the region. PNWER is developing a session for the Annual Summit in Boise, Idaho that will bring the CIP managers from around the region together to meet with legislators and develop action items for better improved critical infrastructure and community resilience.
NorthWest Warning Alert and Response (NWWARN)
NWWARN is the only regional communication tool available for cross sector critical infrastructure communications. The web-based system provides information from trusted sources to protect critical infrastructure systems and ultimately the public. The platform is capable of providing early warning messaging and two-way situational awareness before and during a disaster. Please visit www.nwwarn.org to learn more about what the system can provide to critical infrastructures. PNWER has led this effort for over 6 years in cooperation with DHS, FBI, FEMA and private sector infrastructure partners.
Regional Critical Infrastructure Protection Interdependencies Program
The Seattle/King County Critical Infrastructure Protection Workgroup partnered with PNWER to conduct a Seminar with regional critical infrastructure owners and operators. The Seminar focused on transportation, supply chain and freight resiliency; developing a regional information sharing and analysis capability; pandemic and biological event resilience. In 2009 the focus will be on training for critical infrastructure owners and operators in the Seattle/King County area. The outcomes from these events will be shared with the region’s CIP managers.
Blue Cascades Interdependencies Exercises
PNWER has organized five critical infrastructure interdependencies exercises over the past five years. Each exercise was designed by the stakeholders and reflected regional concerns (terrorism, cyber security, natural disaster, pandemic flu, supply chain resilience). An integrated Action Plan was created based on the findings and recommendations of the exercises. Numerous projects from the Action Plan are currently underway. Blue Cascades V, conducted in December 2008 focused on supply chain and community recovery after a major earthquake in the Puget Sound region. Designed by regional stakeholders, the exercise helped identify planning gaps between private and public sector entities.
NorthWest Alliance for Cyber Security (NWACS)
PNWER serves as the Secretariat for NWACS, which was created after Blue Cascades II (September 2004). The mission of NWACS is to improve and maximize the cyber resilience of the Puget Sound region by maximizing opportunities and communications between local, regional and federal organizations, and enterprises.
Washington State Energy Assurance and Resiliency Workshop
PNWER is working with the Department of Energy, Office of Energy Assurance to develop a workshop with region energy stakeholders. This workshop will bring public and private sector stakeholders together to discuss the issues related to delivering energy to the region. The focus of the workshop will be helping state and local governments to develop and implement energy assurance and resiliency plans.
Current Committee Involvement
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U.S. Department of Homeland Security - Regional Consortium Coordination Council (RCCC)
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Washington State Infrastructure Protection Subcommittee (IPSC)
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Washington Region 6 Critical Infrastructure Protection Committee
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Regional Catastrophic Preparedness Program
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Puget Sound Partnership for Regional Infrastructure Security
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NorthWest Warning, Alert and Response Network (NWWARN)
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2010 Olympic Security Taskforce
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NorthWest Alliance for Cyber Security (NWACS)
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Statewide Preparedness for Philanthropic Sector Taskforce