Region 9 Team Jumps into Action in Response to Typhoon Mawar
Most people would high-tail and run in the opposite direction if they saw a typhoon coming their way. Not Gen Tamura. Instead, the Region 9 protective security advisor (PSA) boarded a plane on May 20 from his home in Honolulu, Hawaii and headed to Guam just as Typhoon Mawar was barreling down on the island nearly the size of Chicago, located 1,500 miles east of the Philippines.
PSA Tamura joined Region 9 Cybersecurity Advisor (CSA) Jennilyn LaBrunda, who lives in Guam, and local, state and federal partners to provide support to the island as 140-mile-an-hour winds and heavy rain pummeled the U.S. territory. Typhoon Mawar flooded roads and knocked down trees and power lines, leaving Guam’s residents without power, phone service and access to water. PSA Tamura and CSA LaBrunda were soon joined by Region 9 Emergency Communications Coordinator (ECC) Tom Lawless, who helped restore communications on the island.
The Region 9 team was instrumental in the successful response and recovery efforts for the residents of Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), which were also heavily impacted. PSA Tamura and CSA LaBrunda supported the Emergency Support Function (ESF) #14 roles, which supports the coordination of cross-sector operations, and includes stabilizing key supply chains and community lifelines. Specifically, they coordinated and provided information about critical infrastructure to federal partners supporting other ESFs. PSA Tamura’s established relationships with partners in Guam and CNMI helped tremendously in connecting territorial and federal stakeholders. ECC Lawless supported ESF-2, which works to restore communications infrastructure, coordinates communications support to response efforts, facilitates the delivery of information to emergency management decision makers, and assists in the stabilization and reestablishment of systems and applications during incidents.
As a Guam resident, CSA LaBrunda’s local knowledge was a valuable asset during the response. Going above and beyond the call of duty, CSA LaBrunda left her home and family to ensure the accountability and safety of the six CISA Cybersecurity Division personnel who were on-island at the time the typhoon hit. She advised them to stock up on essentials prior to the typhoon, helped them find alternative lodging when hotels became unavailable after the typhoon, and provided them information about airport status, and other necessary information.
Back on the U.S. Mainland, the Region 9 Operations Team played an important behind-the-scenes role in the incident response. The team worked with the National Risk Management Center (NRMC) to develop an Infrastructure of Concern list for the incident. The team quickly instituted an operational tempo and reporting schedule to provide situation reports twice a day to CISA Central on Typhoon Mawar activity and the actions conducted by the regional team on the ground. Critical Infrastructure Specialist Chris Winslow worked as part of the Situation Unit to assist with reporting and served in a critical role as the liaison to CISA Central for all information requests. Regional Operations Manager Ashley McKibbin established reporting requirements and stood up the Special Events & Domestic Incidents Tracker (SEDIT) entry for better coordination. Regional Analyst Jennifer Monroe created a Typhoon Mawar Situational Awareness Site, which provided detailed information on the typhoon’s impacts. Regional Operations and Integration Branch Chief Thomas Gonzalez served as part of the Unified Coordination Group in conjunction with senior leadership in Region 9 and established daily accountability of all CISA employees in the affected area through PANS and telephonic means. Gonzalez provided critical strategic direction and advice to leadership based on the reporting and analytics that the operations team produced.
“Once again, I am proud of the efforts of the Region 9 team, who in time of crisis, did not flinch or waver and stepped up to protect the citizens of our Region and country,” said Region 9 Director David Rosado. “When others may have hesitated, our personnel charged into the fight and put in the work to protect those who were in most need, which is consistent with the highest standards exemplified by anyone working for CISA.”
Region 9 Protective Security Advisor Gen Tamura (second from left) joined federal, state and local partners in response and recovery efforts in the aftermath of Typhoon Mawar.
With 140-mile-an-hour winds and heavy rain, Typhoon Mawar pummeled Guam, knocking out power, phone service and access to water for the U.S. territory’s residents.