Resilience Measurement Index: An Indicator of Critical Infrastructure Resilience

Technical Report · Mon Apr 01 00:00:00 EDT 2013

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/1087819· OSTI ID:1087819

Petit, F. D. P. ^[1]; Bassett, G. W. ^[1]; Black, R. ^[1]; Buehring, W. A. ^[1]; Collins, M. J. ^[1]; Dickinson, D. C. ^[1]; Fisher, R. E. ^[1]; Haffenden, R. A. ^[1]; Huttenga, A. A. ^[1]; Klett, M. S. ^[1]; Phillips, J. A. ^[1]; Thomas, M. ^[1]; Veselka, S. N. ^[1]; Wallace, K. E. ^[1]; Whitfield, R. G. ^[1]; Peerenboom, J. P. ^[1]

---

1. Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)

The world faces numerous threats from both natural and man-made sources. Since the beginning of the 21^st century, in the United States alone, we have experienced several devastating events. Incidents such as the attacks on the World Trade Center in 2001, the Northeast blackout in 2003, Hurricane Katrina in 2005, and Superstorm Sandy in 2012 have had far-reaching impacts that have directly affected our society’s well-being. Although current efforts that have focused on preventing or mitigating the impact of incidents have achieved admirable results, a more comprehensive approach is needed to improve the nation’s overall resilience. An all-hazards methodology that emphasizes not only protection but also preparedness, mitigation, response, and recovery programs and capabilities is desired. Presidential Policy Directive 21 defines 16 critical infrastructure sectors that are essential to the nation’s security, public health and safety, economic vitality, and general quality of life (White House, 2013). If the operations of these critical infrastructure sectors are essential, their protection and resilience is paramount. As stated by President Obama, “Our goal is to ensure a more resilient Nation—one in which individuals, communities, and our economy can adapt to changing conditions as well as withstand and rapidly recover from disruption due to emergencies” (Department of Homeland Security, 2010a). Enhancing the resilience of critical infrastructure requires its owners/operators to determine the ability of the system to withstand specific threats, minimize or mitigate potential impacts, and to return to normal operations if degradation occurs. Thus, a resilience methodology requires the comprehensive assessment of critical infrastructure systems/assets—from threat to consequence. The methodology needs to support decision-making for risk management, disaster response, and business continuity. Considering these issues, the Infrastructure Assurance Center at Argonne National Laboratory, in partnership with the Protective Security Coordination Division of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has developed an index, the Resilience Measurement Index (RMI), to characterize the resilience of critical infrastructure.

• Research Organization: Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: US Department of Homeland Security (DHS); USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-06CH11357
• OSTI ID: 1087819
• Report Number(s): ANL/DIS--13-01
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: ENGLISH