What EMS Needs to Know About EMPs

In the blink of an eye, every piece of electronic equipment in a large part of North America could be disrupted or shut down. That’s the nightmare scenario associated with electromagnetic pulses (EMPs).

Caused either by an atomic bomb being exploded high in the atmosphere or a severe coronal mass ejection from the sun—like the September 1859 “Carrington event” that electrocuted telegraph operators and caused aurora lights to be seen over Cuba—an EMP is a burst of electromagnetic energy that overloads everything from power grids to the electronics connected to them. Unconnected devices like smartphones and modern vehicles can also be put out of service, depending on the power of the EMP and sensitivity of the electronics within these devices. 

The threat of a rogue nation disabling the U.S. using an atomic bomb is sufficiently serious that Congress established the Commission to Assess the Threat to the United States from Electromagnetic Pulse (EMP) Attack in 2001. Its 2008 report concluded there would be serious disruption/damage to the national power grid and telecommunication networks, as well as 9-1-1, dispatch, and other EMS IT/communications systems, at a time when the need for EMS would skyrocket due to traffic accidents and other EMP-induced calamities. 

“Some equipment needed to perform emergency services will be temporarily upset or directly damaged by an EMP attack, resulting in diminished capabilities during the time of greatest demand,” the report warned. “Little, if any, emergency services equipment has been hardened specifically against EMP.”

The Risks in Context

The biggest threat from EMPs is to running systems in use, particularly those connected to main power grids without adequate surge protection. This means radio and cellular systems, computer networks, medical equipment, and vehicles with computer-aided control systems (i.e., most modern cars and trucks) could be temporarily disrupted or permanently damaged.

The same risk exists with EMS helicopters, says Christopher Henson, an EMS pilot with Geisinger Life Flight in Danville, Pa., and secretary of the National EMS Pilots Association.

“The expectation is that most modern aircraft systems would suffer the same catastrophic impacts that most computer systems will during an EMP attack,” Henson says. “The same is true for the air traffic control infrastructure on which these aircraft rely.” This means EMS pilots could experience electronic malfunctions and even full system/engine shutdowns during an EMP attack, as well as a loss of airspace management by air traffic control.

The good news: Based on tests conducted by the EMP Commission, “We anticipate the electronics in emergency services mobile units will continue to function normally” after rebooting, said the report. The same appears to be true for handheld radios and other portable devices, depending on how powerful the burst is. (Find the full EMP Commission report here.) 

Vehicles that are running during an EMP burst could also suffer equipment malfunctions or engine shutdowns but will generally return to normal service after being restarted. “Of the trucks that were not running during EMP exposure, none were subsequently affected during our test,” said the EMP Commission report.

Now there are methods for hardening aircraft against EMP attacks, as is frequently done in military applications, by metallically shielding vulnerable components against such radiation. For unhardened EMS aircraft, the biggest challenge will be to restart systems before colliding with the ground or land safely if there’s not enough time for a full restart.

How EMS Can Cope

Currently there is little specific information that tells EMS agencies how to prepare for an EMP incident. Nevertheless, there are concrete steps they can take in case it happens.

Stoughton (Mass.) Fire Chief Michael Laracy knows both points to be true. During his previous job as deputy fire chief in nearby Walpole, Laracy delved into the issue for a National Fire Academy paper examining the potential impacts of an EMP attack on Walpole’s fire and EMS delivery. (Find it here.) 

Laracy scoured a wide range of sources to assess an attack’s consequences for Walpole Fire/EMS, including the EMP Commission report. What he found was disconcerting: “Homeland Security documents clearly show the threat of an EMP attack on the United States is not presently addressed, nor is there any mention that it will be in the near future,” Laracy wrote.

Even without this data, however, there are ways EMS agencies can prepare for EMP incidents right now. Take electrical power: The ability to resist and bounce back from an EMP incident varies from one electrical utility to another. As a result, “an EMS agency needs a better understanding of how their power is supplied, and they need to start having conversations with their electrical utility to find ways to better protect it,” said Laracy.

Other ways to prepare for an EMP incident include:

• Having a substantial supply of backup generators and fuel—both diesel and gasoline—to use when the main power goes off. “Vehicles need fuel, and service stations need electricity to power pumps,” the EMP Commission report warned. “Few service stations have backup generators. Thus, replenishing the fuel supply and restoring commercial power will pace the return to normal operations.”
• Keeping backup radios, smartphones, batteries, computers, monitors, and vital medical electronic equipment in storage in case in-service units are permanently damaged by an EMP.
• Having access to paper maps and other documentation to keep functioning while the power is gone and equipment is awaiting repair or replacement. “For example, based on a review of the representative Y2K public safety contingency plans, loss of the computer-aided dispatch capability can be overcome by the use of simple note cards for manually recording the information needed for dispatch,” said the EMP Commission report.
• Drawing up and practicing procedures to cope with an EMP incident. This can include learning how to steer a suddenly unpowered ambulance safely off the road and whether to return to station or to a designated rendezvous point for further instructions.

The Bottom Line

Even if a rogue nation never stages an EMP attack on the United States, the 1859 Carrington event proves natural solar storms can have a similarly damaging impact on this country’s electronic infrastructure. Thus, dealing with an EMP incident is not a matter of if for U.S. EMS agencies, but when. Preparation now makes sense.

James Careless is a freelance writer and frequent contributor to EMS World.