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SUSCEPTIBILITY OF OFFICE HVAC SYSTEMS TO ATTACK
Due to the concern of many property owners, managers, their tenants, employees, visitors, and others, we are issuing this notice regarding the susceptibility of the heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) and water systems of office buildings to attacks from chemical and biological agents. It is often the responsibility of property and maintenance managers to assess the readiness of their access control systems in the office buildings that they are responsible for. Owners and their clients must also make sure that their facilities are protected.
CHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL VULNERABILITIES
Chemical and biological agents can be used effectively as weapons. They are called the "poor man's weapon of mass destruction" because they are relatively easy to produce, hide and deploy. Plausible chemical and biological scenarios could include but certainly are not limited to the following:
- Terrorists visit a facility that is open to the public. They carry anthrax powder in bags designed to make the individuals appear slightly overweight. They scatter the powder as they make their way through the public areas, emphasizing distribution in areas near ventilation registers. Anthrax spores quickly enter the heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems and are distributed throughout the facility, contaminating employees as well as the public.
- Extremists, disguised or employed as facility site support personnel, bring drums of chemical agents labeled "cleaning agents" into maintenance areas of a facility. The extremists release the chemical agents from the drums in the vicinity of HVAC air-handling systems, such that the systems help distribute and re-circulate the vapors.
- A small vial of liquid or powdered chemical or biological agent is tossed into a facility's air-handling supply ducts, which may be located within easy reach of passersby. Or, chemical or biological agents are introduced into the external water supply to a facility at various locations.
- Covert operations performed off-hours by terrorists disguised or hired as maintenance, service, custodial or security personnel.
- Covert operations carried out at anytime by tenants or their employees--possibly by trusted or "harmless" employees who are terrorist cell sleepers called to action.
ASSESSMENTS REQUIRED
A proactive, independent and continuous assessment process must be done to assure that buildings are protected. At a minimum these assessments should be done on the following processes:
- Background checks and security clearances for anyone who regularly frequents the facility: all owners, managers, tenants, employees and contractor personnel, including permanent, full-time, part-time and temporary.
- Physical access control -- securing and locking of all air handling equipment whether they be in separate rooms, on the roof or on the ground.
- Physical control of all water supply systems.
- Formal training of security personnel and others to identify potential terrorists and threats.
- Corrective actions, notifications and warnings required when an assessment shows a deficiency.
- Response system--what people do and where they go if an attack has been carried out.
ACTIONS REQUIRED
Everyone who works in or frequents an office building should assure that those in charge of building management, maintenance and security actually do have an assessment process in place that will be effective both in preventing a chemical or biological attack on their building, and in responding to an attack if one is carried out.
See email bulletin from Michael Caggiano http://www.burbankwire.com/programs/caggiano.shtml
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