[20 Test Answers] FEMA IS-871A: Dams Sector, Security Awareness

Here are the FEMA test answers to IS-871: Dams Sector, Security Awareness.

Overview: The FEMA IS-871.A course was published on 10/30/2013 as the second course in the Dams Sector Web-based training series. The purpose is to promote security awareness and enhance the ability of dam owners, operators, and stakeholders to detect, deter, and respond to potential security threats.

FEMA IS-871.A explains how security awareness is an important component of an overall risk management program. In addition, it provides owners and operators with information that assists in identifying security concerns, coordinating proper responses, and establishing effective partnerships with local law enforcement and first responders.

FEMA IS-871.A test answers

Each time this test is loaded, you will receive a unique set of questions and answers. The test questions are scrambled to protect the integrity of the exam.

Question 1. TRUE OR FALSE: Site-related vulnerabilities are conditions or situations existing at a particular site that could be exploited by a terrorist or terrorist group to cause economic, physical, or bodily harm.
A. TRUE✅
B. FALSE

Question 2. Use of a facility by the public for recreation presents the potential for which type of site-related vulnerability?
A. Emergency planning and preparedness
B. Access and access control✅
C. Operational security
D. Cybersecurity

Question 3. Surveillance of Dams Sector facilities may represent a difficult challenge to potential aggressors because of their:
A. Remote location.
B. Proximity to first-responder locations.✅
C. Hours of operation.
D. Frequent drills and exercises.

Question 4. Possible indicators of attack plans involving explosives include:
A. Sudden increase in local power outages.
B. Thefts or seizures of large amounts of high-nitrate fertilizer.✅
C. People wearing clothing that is not consistent with the local weather.
D. Theft or seizures of significant numbers of large-caliber sniper weapons.

Question 5. The component of a dam through which normal reservoir releases are made is known as the:
A. Grout Curtain✅
B. Spillway
C. Filter Drain
D. Piezometer

Question 6. Select the TRUE statement regarding levees:
A. Energy generation is a primary purpose for the construction of larger levees.✅
B. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has jurisdiction over levees nationwide.
C. The total number of miles of levees in the United States is estimated at tens of thousands.
D. State governments cannot regulate or inventory levees within their State boundaries.

Question 7. Loss of life resulting from dam failure is considered to be what type of consequence?
A. Impact on government capability✅
B. Human impact
C. Economic impact
D. Impact on public confidence

Question 8. Select the FALSE statement from below.
A. Suspicious activity reports should withhold the reporter’s contact information.✅
B. Two key elements in preparing a good report regarding a suspicious activity are accuracy and timeliness.
C. An effective suspicious activity report should withhold irrelevant details when a threat is immediate.
D. Physical descriptions of suspicious persons, such as their gender and height, should be included in a report whenever possible.

Question 9. A well-designed and constructed levee:
A. Includes separation ditches to prevent water logging.
B. Must always breach once overtopped.✅
C. Should exhibit regularly-spaced sand boils.
D. Is at least 40 feet in height.

Question 10. States regulate _______ percent of the dams listed in the National Inventory of Dams.
A. Between 60 and 70.
B. Between 80 and 90.✅
C. Between 20 and 30.
D. Between 40 and 50.

Question 11. Most non-Federal hydroelectric facilities are subject to regulation by which of the following organizations?
A. Association of State Dam Safety Officials
B. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
C. U.S. Department of Homeland Security
D. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission✅

Question 12. TRUE OR FALSE: Studies of past threats reveal that surveillance is the weakest link in terrorists’ attack cycles.
A. TRUE
B. FALSE✅

Question 13. Interdependencies:
A. Are associated only with facilities located upstream from the project.
B. Are not a source of vulnerability.
C. Can be physical, geographic, or information-based.✅
D. Are limited only to facilities located in remote areas.

Question 14. A dam constructed of excavated natural materials using hydraulic fill, homogeneous earth or rock, or zoned earth and/or rock materials is known as a/an:
A. Hydroelectric dam.
B. Concrete dam.
C. Masonry dam.
D. Embankment dam.✅

Question 15. Which of the following scenarios indicates a vulnerability directly related to industrial control systems?
A. Software used in communications systems and backup control centers is outdated.
B. Large number of seasonal recreational visitors using mobile phones.✅
C. Facility personnel do not have access to night-vision equipment.
D. Procedures or mechanisms are not in place for the proper inspection of deliveries.

Question 16. Interdependency between critical infrastructures has dramatically increased in recent years due to their continuously growing reliance on:
A. Water treatment plants.
B. Agricultural products.✅
C. Natural gas power generation.
D. Telecommunications technology.

Question 17. Background checks should be:
A. Conducted solely on those employees exhibiting suspicious behavior.
B. Avoided because of privacy and disclosure laws.
C. Conducted on all employees/contract personnel for operational security.✅
D. Avoided because of extreme costliness.

Question 18. TRUE or FALSE: Dams Sector owners and operators should maintain active relationships with communities and other critical infrastructure facilities located upstream and downstream of the dam, particularly those that could be directly impacted by its failure or disruption.
A. TRUE✅
B. FALSE

Question 19. TRUE or FALSE: Most terrorist organizations have access to a limited range of weapons and tools, making a successful attack against critical infrastructure unlikely.
A. TRUE
B. FALSE✅

Question 20. Which common component of hydroelectric dams acts as a pressurized pipeline or shaft?
A. Generator
B. Turbine
C. Transformer
D. Penstock✅

Critical Infrastructure Security and Resilience Curriculum

Sector-specific courses

Foundational courses

Security awareness courses