|
DHS to Adopt Voluntary Preparedness Standards for Private Sector |
|
|
|
|
by Mickey McCarter
|
|
Wednesday, 31 December 2008 |
FEMA calls for proposed standards under PS-Prep program
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) intends to hold public meetings in January and February to solicit feedback on a voluntary preparedness program for the private sector.
The department is setting up a voluntary private sector preparedness accreditation and certification program known as "PS-Prep," DHS announced in a Dec. 24 notice in the Federal Register. Congress authorized DHS to establish the program in the Implementing the Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act (Public Law 110-53).
Working with the private sector, DHS intends to adopt a series of voluntary preparedness standards and then assess and certify the compliance of individual companies or organizations with those standards. In its Federal Register announcement, DHS called for comments on its proposal by Jan. 23, 2009. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has set up a Web site to take comments at www.fema.gov/privatesectorpreparedness.
"[T]he purpose of PS-Prep is to widely encourage private sector preparedness," the announcement stated. "The program will do so by providing a mechanism for a private sector entity-a company, facility, not-for-profit corporation, hospital, stadium, university, etc.-to receive a certification from an accredited third party that it is in conformity with one or more private sector preparedness standards adopted by DHS."
DHS stressed that although certification in compliance with the standards is completely voluntary, companies would benefit from adopting the standards and from developing standards for DHS to consider including in its guidelines.
The department breaks down participation in PS-Prep into three major phases: adoption, accreditation and certification. In adoption, DHS selects private sector preparedness standards. In accreditation, a non-governmental organization examines the capabilities of third-party organizations to certify private sector organizations as complying with a preparedness standard. And then in certification, the accredited third-party organizations declare that private sector businesses are in compliance with a particular standard.
The administrator of FEMA heads a PS-Prep Coordinating Council, which includes the assistant secretary of homeland security for Infrastructure protection, the undersecretary of homeland security for Science and Technology, the DHS general counsel, and the assistant secretary of homeland security for Policy.
In the past, DHS has encouraged the private sector to adopt preparedness standards through 18 critical infrastructure coordinating councils established to share information among sectors of US industry as described in Homeland Security Presidential Directive 7. PS-Prep would consolidate and increase awareness of voluntary preparedness standards through its centralized coordinating council.
The DHS announcement of PS-Prep does not establish any of the voluntary standards to be offered, but it does describe factors that would make up a good standard for those proposing them to consider. DHS also confirmed that it would consider the American National Standards Institute National Fire Protection Association 1600 Standard on Disaster/Emergency Management and Business Continuity Programs for adoption as it is specifically mentioned in the legislation that authorized PS-Prep.
|
Mickey McCarter |
| About the author: |
| eNewsletter Editor/Senior Washington Correspondent,
is a journalist with more than a decade of experience in reporting
on
military affairs and information technology.
|
| Read More >> | |
Columns 
