<DOC> [107 Senate Hearings] [From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access] [DOCID: f:83688.wais] S. Hrg. 107-957 FIRST RESPONDERS' PROGRAM IN FISCAL YEAR 2003 BUDGET ======================================================================= HEARING BEFORE THE COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENT AND PUBLIC WORKS UNITED STATES SENATE ONE HUNDRED SEVENTH CONGRESS SECOND SESSION ON THE BUDGET FOR THE PROGRAMS OF THE FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY TO PREPARE FIRST RESPONDERS TO NATURAL AND MAN-MADE DISASTERS __________ MARCH 12, 2002 __________ Printed for the use of the Committee on Environment and Public Works U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 83-688 WASHINGTON : 2004 _____________________________________________________________________ For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office Internet: bookstore.gpo.gov Phone: toll free (866) 512-1800 Fax: (202) 512-2250 Mail: Stop SSOP, Washington, DC 20402-0001 COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENT AND PUBLIC WORKS one hundred seventh congress second session JAMES M. JEFFORDS, Vermont, Chairman MAX BAUCUS, Montana BOB SMITH, New Hampshire HARRY REID, Nevada JOHN W. WARNER, Virginia BOB GRAHAM, Florida JAMES M. INHOFE, Oklahoma JOSEPH I. LIEBERMAN, Connecticut CHRISTOPHER S. BOND, Missouri BARBARA BOXER, California GEORGE V. VOINOVICH, Ohio RON WYDEN, Oregon MICHAEL D. CRAPO, Idaho THOMAS R. CARPER, Delaware LINCOLN CHAFEE, Rhode Island HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON, New York ARLEN SPECTER, Pennsylvania JON S. CORZINE, New Jersey BEN NIGHTHORSE CAMPBELL, Colorado Ken Connolly, Democratic Staff Director Dave Conover, Republican Staff Director C O N T E N T S ---------- Page MARCH 12, 2002 OPENING STATEMENTS Bond, Hon. Christopher S., U.S. Senator from the State of Missouri....................................................... 33 Clinton, Hon. Hillary Rodham, U.S. Senator from the State of New York........................................................... 15 Corzine, Hon. Jon S. U.S. Senator from the State of New Jersey... 18 Jeffords, Hon. James, U.S. Senator from the State of Vermont..... 1 Smith, Hon. Bob, U.S. Senator from the State of New Hampshire.... 13 Voinovich, Hon. George V., U.S. Senator from the State of Ohio... 8 Warner, Hon. John W., U.S. Senator from the Commonwealth of Virginia....................................................... 16 Wyden, Hon. Ron, U.S. Senator from the State of Oregon........... 3 WITNESSES Allabaugh, Hon. Joseph, Director, Federal Emergency Management Agency......................................................... 5 Prepared statement........................................... 34 Responses to additional questions from: Senator Clinton.......................................... 46 Senator Jeffords......................................... 39 Senator Smith............................................ 42 Senator Voinovich........................................ 43 Senator Warner........................................... 49 Fogg, Woodbury P., National Emergency Management Association..... 23 Prepared statement........................................... 49 Report, White Paper on Domestic Preparedness................. 53-55 Resolution, Terrorism Committee Resolution on States' Principles for a National Domestic Preparedness Strategy... 56-57 O'Neil, Michael, chief, South Burlington Fire Department, Burlington, VT................................................. 27 Prepared statement........................................... 60 Wison, Edward, chief, City of Portland Fire Department, Portland, OR............................................................. 25 Prepared statement........................................... 58 Responses to additional questions from Senator Clinton....... 59 Zirkle, Kenneth, E., president, University of Findlay, Findlay, OH............................................................. 29 Article, National Center of Excellence for Environmental Management................................................. 63 Prepared statement........................................... 62 FIRST RESPONDERS' PROGRAM IN FISCAL YEAR 2003 BUDGET ---------- TUESDAY, MARCH 12, 2002 U.S. Senate, Committee on Environment and Public Works, Washington, DC. The committee met, pursuant to notice, at 2:30 p.m. in room 406, Senate Dirksen Building, Hon. James Jeffords (chairman of the committee) presiding. Present: Senators Jeffords, Clinton, Corzine, Smith, Voinovich, Warner, and Wyden. OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. JAMES M. JEFFORDS, U.S. SENATOR FROM THE STATE OF VERMONT Senator Jeffords. The committee will come to order. I consider this to be an important hearing, but also one that brings back so many memories in different directions, both terrible events we have been through and all. But I would like to start off by just talking a little bit about my personal experience. I am from a very small town called Shrewsbury. When we first got to the town and moved in, I wanted to volunteer for everything, so I volunteered for the fire department. That proved to be very advantageous because I lived on top of the hill and the fire engine was at the bottom of the hill, and I had a big barn. So they suggested, well, we have a 1936 pumper here that is a little rusty, but it still works pretty well, but the problem is, it is at the bottom of the hill. So by the time it gets to the top of the hill, it is all done. So I said, OK, I will be fire engine station No. 2. So one evening, we got word that down at the bottom of the hill a long ways a way a fire had started, so we were asked to go down there. So I got in my old Ford, 1936 Ford with mechanical brakes--that will give you part of the story away-- so we came roaring down. My neighbor was ahead of me in a little Volkswagen, and fortunately he pulled off quickly because I had lost the brakes by the time I got to the bottom. So I went right by the fire, and finally got it stopped. Then damned if I didn't run out of gas. So you had to get out, take the seat off, pull the cork out, and then pour out from a 5- gallon can into the tank. Well, while I was doing that--this is where my danger came--a guy with a big cigar leaned over and said, ``Can I help?'' I said, ``Yes, get the hell out of here.'' [Laughter.] Senator Jeffords. But we ended up being heroes because the other engine ran out of water just as we got ours revved up again, and we got it banked up and we were the ones that put the fire out. So I consider that in the end, it was a great victory. But it just gives you an idea when you live in small towns--you all have had experiences--but there are some hairy moments, and just driving a 1936 Ford down a steep hill was enough of one. But anyway, I want to welcome everyone. I would especially like to welcome Director Allbaugh and all the other witnesses, including Chief Mike O'Neil of the South Burlington Fire Department. We are here today to discuss the President's new First Responder Initiative. Yesterday, this Nation commemorated an unfortunate milestone--6 months since the tragic attacks on September 11. Since that time, much has been said and written about the terrible events of the day. I vividly remember my own visits to the Pentagon and the World Trade Center just days after the attacks, and I remember the sights, the sounds, the smells and most of all the relentless and tireless efforts of the first responders risking their lives in a heroic attempt to save others. But these men and women were heroes long before September 11. These men and women were heroes the day they became firefighters and police officers. As a former volunteer in my own small community, I feel a great sense of pride when I listen to the stories of the brave men and women--the firefighters and the police officers and other emergency personnel who on a daily basis answer the call to serve. Since September 11, I have thought every day about the causes of the horrible tragedy and what we as a Nation can do to better prepare ourselves against future terrorist attacks. Time is a great healer, and the passage of time has allowed the Nation to begin to feel normal again. For me, this healing process has brought a renewed commitment to make sure the Nation is prepared for and can respond effectively to any future acts of terrorism. However, we cannot allow the passage of time to dull our recollection of what we saw and felt on that day of September 11. The Federal Government under the careful orchestration of FEMA mobilized like never before to respond September 11. But as Oliver Wendell Holmes once said, ``I find the great thing in the world is not so much where we stand, as the direction we are moving.'' I believe the First Responder Initiative is an important step in the right direction, moving us toward a strong national preparedness network--a network composed of well-prepared, well-trained, and well-equipped first responders. As we move today away from September 11, we must not forget the continuing need. Currently in the United States, there are over 1 million firefighters and 600,000 law enforcement officers and 155,000 trained EMTs within this community. Because of their responsibilities and capabilities, they vary widely, and many areas have little or no response capability. This initiative aims at correcting these deficiencies by helping States prepare for and respond to terrorist attacks. But the Federal Government and the States must be partners in this process. I hope, as all Americans hope, that we will never again have to respond to another act of terrorism, but we live in a world where we must be prepared. I call on FEMA and the Office of Homeland Security to carefully craft this initiative. State and Federal Government must work together to ensure that our people on the front lines, our first responders, receive all they need to answer the call. I look forward to your testimony and am so pleased to have you here as our first witness. Please proceed, Mr. Allbaugh. [The prepared statement of Senator Jeffords follows:] Statement of Hon. James M. Jeffords, U.S. Senator from the State of Vermont Good morning. I'd like to begin by thanking all of our witnesses for participating in today's hearing. I am really looking forward to listening to your testimonies. Today's hearing stems from my long-term interest in helping our cities and towns become economically vibrant and culturally cohesive communities. One of the best ways to support these efforts is to provide our communities with growth planning and redevelopment tools. I have been involved in ``smart'' growth efforts since the 1960's when I served as a Vermont State Senator and Attorney General of Vermont. I am proud to have had a major role in drafting Vermont's development review plans that became Act 250, the first and most comprehensive State level growth management policy in the United States. I have continued my activities with regard to ``smart'' growth during my tenure in both the House and Senate. In January 1999, I established the Senate Smart Growth Task Force, a bipartisan, multi- regional caucus. Twenty-three Senators currently participate in the Task Force. The overall goal of the Task Force is to determine how the Federal Government can help States and localities address their own growth management issues. Growth decisions should be made, ultimately, at the local level. However, the Federal Government needs to continue assessing Federal policies that may interfere with local growth management. For example, the National Interstate System has had a tremendous impact on local development patterns. Over the last 10 years, we have brought substantial attention to this issue through the transportation planning process. We will address this issue in our upcoming hearing on Transportation and Smart Growth. The Federal Government also needs to provide communities with the necessary tools and resources to achieve local growth objectives. I believe that the two bills before us today help us make great strides in this direction. With the recent enactment of the Small Business Liability Relief and Brownfields Revitalization Act, we have made great progress in addressing local liability and financial concerns. Through the Brownfield Site Redevelopment Assistance Act, we have an opportunity to complement these efforts. S. 1079 will address that next step after assessment and cleanup; the step in which communities actually begin redeveloping the sites. The economic benefits are incredible. The U.S. Conference of Mayors estimates that brownfields redevelopment could generate more than 550,000 additional jobs and up to $2.4 billion in new tax revenues for cities. The other bill we will discuss today is the Community Character Act. This bill presents another important opportunity to provide communities that wish to plan proactively with the resources to do so. This is especially important for my home State of Vermont. Rural communities frequently grapple with a lack of planning resources and expertise. I recently learned from our distinguished Vermont witness that only 39 percent of rural governments do comprehensive planning versus more than 70 percent of metropolitan governments. S. 975 provide the necessary resources to even out that ratio. Finally, I am in the process of working on another ``smart'' growth legislative proposal. It will substantially improve decisionmaking capacity for local planners. The legislation will provide communities with the resources to access visualization, modeling, and other planning tools. I look forward to working with my EPW colleagues on this legislation. Senator Jeffords. Oh, yes. Sorry about that. OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. RON WYDEN, U.S. SENATOR FROM THE STATE OF OREGON Senator Wyden. Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, I want to commend you for holding this very important hearing. Let me say I also share your views about Director Allbaugh. He has been working with me on a number of issues and been extremely responsive, and we are very pleased that he is here. I also want to take this opportunity to welcome Mr. Ed Wilson, who is chief of the city of Portland's Fire Department and serves with great valor at home in my State. I think it is obvious, Mr. Chairman, that there is a new appreciation for the bravery of this country's first responders. Our fire, police and emergency personnel came through so tremendously on September 11 and I think for millions of Americans there is no much more awareness about the crucial role that the first responders play in saving lives. But first responders cannot help us win this war against terrorism with bravery alone. They also need resources, the right tools and the right training. That is where the First Responder Initiative comes in. I am very pleased to have the opportunity to work with the Bush administration on a bipartisan basis to ensure that the first responders have actual resources, and not just promises and slogans. It is obvious that in working on this effort, there are going to be some difficult choices. It is not possible to have all the resources to buy everything that you would want in an ideal world. But I do believe that the Congress, working with the Administration, can make sure that the dollars available buy the biggest possible improvements in preparedness and safety. I also want to say, Mr. Chairman, I think it is critical for the Congress in addition to making sure that there are adequate resources for the first responders, fire, police and emergency personnel who work for the Government, to have the opportunity to have their work supplemented with the skills and talents of thousands of patriotic Americans with extraordinary scientific and technological ability. Toward that end, I will shortly be introducing legislation that will give us a chance to mobilize those leaders with science and technological training. At a minimum, we ought to make it possible in every community in this country to have a data base of expertise-- those who have expertise available in health and scientific areas. It ought to be possible to have a data base where communities can turn to get help from the private sector. We have a Strategic Petroleum Reserve in this country. I think we ought to have a Strategic Technology Reserve where it would be possible for communities to call on private companies, many of them have contacted me in this regard, to get help, both with technology and with personnel. Finally, I think we ought to have a test bed so that we can analyze the thousands and thousands of products that are coming now to government at all levels, that have great potential for helping us win this war against terrorism, but for which there really is not any systematic way to evaluate them. So I think that the First Responder Initiative is an important one. It allows the Government to get on the side of the first responders, and it is not going to count in this country unless you have additional resources for the first responders. But I think we need to go further than that, and in addition to these government efforts, I think there should be a new effort to mobilize those in the private sector with science and technological training. Mr. Allbaugh has been very forthright in sharing his ideas and suggestions in this area, and like you, Mr. Chairman, I welcome him today. Senator Jeffords. Director Allbaugh, please proceed. STATEMENT OF HON. JOSEPH ALLBAUGH, DIRECTOR, FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY Mr. Allbaugh. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I appreciate the opportunity to be here today. Senator Wyden, good to see you again. It is an honor to come before this committee and talk about President Bush's First Responder Initiative. I would like to take a few minutes to describe the proposed program and its value to America's national preparedness in the 21st century. But I think that before I do that, it is important for the committee to hear about some of the lessons learned from September 11 that illustrate the need for firefighters, police, and emergency medical personnel to have a single defined coordinating authority and point of contact within the Federal Government. One of the lessons of September 11 was that lack of a single incident command system for the entire country. On that day, New York, Pennsylvania and northern Virginia all activated unrelated operations, hindering FEMA's efforts to gather and disseminate important information. The same kind of incomplete coordination is the root cause of several other lessons we learned that day. For instance, onsite commanders at the World Trade Center in New York City had no choice but to turn away hundreds of self-deployed firefighters from around the country because they had no way of knowing what training or experience levels those individuals, those selfless volunteers had at the time. Many first responders deployed to New York from other jurisdictions often found their equipment was incompatible with that used by the city of New York Police and Fire Departments. Items such as breathing apparatus and personal protective gear are not standardized around the country or even city to city within a State. So much of the equipment made available on the scene that day could not be used. This problem of limited interoperability is especially frustrating in the area of communications. While at Ground Zero for several days, I personally witnessed first responders passing notes, handwritten notes, back and forth to one another as the most reliable, effective means of communication. On September 11 and in other emergency situations, seamless communication interoperability would have saved lives. Addressing this overall problem of compatibility is one of the primary up-sides of mutual aid. More robust and meaningful mutual aid agreements will bring the first responder community closer together on a lot of these issues. I am concerned at this time that only 6 of FEMA's 28 urban search and rescue teams are trained to respond to a weapons of mass destruction scenario. In hindsight, none of these lessons and concerns are new or surprising, but the seismic change in the world we all witnessed on that day has transformed these solutions to these problems from marginal action items on some bureaucratic to-do list, to the moral responsibilities of a challenged Nation. The first step toward finally solving these problems head- on is President Bush's First Responder Initiative we are here to discuss today. The First Responder Initiative includes $3.5 billion in the 2003 budget request, most of which would be distributed to States and local jurisdictions to give them critically needed funds to, No. 1, purchase equipment; No. 2, train and exercise personnel; and No. 3, plan to respond to a terrorist incident in their community. The grants will be administered by our Office of National Preparedness. To address some of the lessons learned, the first responder community will coordinate with the Office of National Preparedness, which will establish national standards for interoperability and compatibility in a number of areas, including training, equipment, mutual aid and exercising. The grants, coupled with the standards, will balance the dual needs for both flexibility and accountability at the State and local level. At FEMA, ONP will be working within the Federal Government and with States to coordinate every terrorism-related first responder program so that the entire national response system will be singing off the same page. The lessons we learned on September 11 accentuate the need for this single point of contact approach. The current model of Federal terrorism preparedness of scattered unrelated programs without a single coordinating entity cultivates the inadequacies that were clearly visible on September 11. With its longstanding relationships within the first responder community, and successful record of grant distributions, FEMA is the perfect home for this initiative. I look forward to working with you and other members of the committee to make President Bush's vision of a seamless national response system a reality. I thank you for inviting me today. I have submitted written testimony for the committee's acceptance, and I would be happy to entertain any questions. Senator Jeffords. Mr. Allbaugh, it is my understanding that FEMA will distribute first responder funds to the States by formula, and that population will be a major factor in this formula. I represent, of course, a small, less-populous State. Can you explain what factors other than population you will consider in distributing funds? Also, can you discuss how the States will assess local needs and what percentage of the funds you expect to go to the local governments? Mr. Allbaugh. One of the things that we did last fall right before Thanksgiving was to conduct a capability readiness study of all 50 States and the territories. It is extremely important that what we learned in that 15-day period be a cornerstone of this formula, not only based on their own current capability, but also based on population. Some States have heard the call years ago, and taken the responsibility themselves. Other States have not. Even within States, some communities have stepped up to the plate and accepted that responsibility of preparing, training, exercising, and funding properly their first responders. So I think working with the States and local communities, we will devise a system that will be fair to all. Given the fact that I believe that this $3.5 billion is just the first installment of many years, I believe it will take many years to correct this problem, but we will be taking the first step in the right direction. Senator Jeffords. I was at the Pentagon site closely after the beginning, and talked with the firefighters there. There were responders from I think Nebraska and all over the place. Mr. Allbaugh. Right. Senator Jeffords. One of the problems they had were the inability to communicate with each other. That is sort of a massive-type problem in the sense of any kind of coordination or what we do to make sure there is some common frequency. What is being done in that regard? Mr. Allbaugh. Well, we have an interagency committee that is studying the communication problems. I happen to believe that communication is the single most vital problem that we face in this country when it comes to responding to incidents. We are about the business of savings lives and protecting property, and if we cannot communicate, we are putting those lives further at risk. Ron Miller, our IT expert, is working with many other Agencies inside the Government on this. There are a lot of private firms outside the Federal Government that believe they have the single answer. There needs to be a clearinghouse for this new technology. I am anxious to get this ball rolling. Senator Jeffords. Yes, there is so much potential, but I can understand also that with so many different communities and all, it is going to be not an easy situation. Mr. Allbaugh. Right. I think, Mr. Chairman, our biggest challenge for us is to at FEMA set national standards. We do not want to be in the business of telling a community or a State, you need to by X equipment or Y equipment. But we need to set the standards, design the specifications, and then allow the States and the communities to live up to those standards. Senator Jeffords. In your testimony, you briefly address the Assistant Firefighter Grant Program. You said that the program remains an important element in supporting the most pressing needs of the at-risk community. I know this is especially true in small States like Vermont. I understand the President's budget proposes to administer this program through the Office of National Preparedness. Will this new First Responder Initiative phase-out funding for this most important program? Mr. Allbaugh. I believe very strongly that the two programs need to be administered separately. They will be very compatible. The Fire Grant Program that we started last year with the blessing of Congress, funded at $100 million in fiscal year 2001. We have current funding of $360 million. Whatever Congress gives us, I assure you we can get out the door. That is for basic firefighting needs. There were no set-asides in that program--a truly competitive program that was administered fairly. The Terrorism Grants with the First Responder Program is a much broader program, much bigger program, more robust in a lot of areas. It does not address basic firefighting needs that the 33,000 departments have nationwide. However, I believe both programs together complement one another greatly. Senator Jeffords. Senator Voinovich. OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. GEORGE V. VOINOVICH, U.S. SENATOR FROM THE STATE OF OHIO Senator Voinovich. Mr. Chairman, I apologize for being late. I had a bill-signing at the White House, as a matter of fact, on a piece of legislation that was voted out of this committee, the Appalachian Regional Commissions. I would like to welcome Joe Allbaugh here. Mr. Allbaugh. Thank you. Senator Voinovich. I would like my statement that I was going to deliver to be inserted in the record. Senator Jeffords. It will be. Senator Voinovich. Mr. Allbaugh, I sincerely believe that your Agency is the right one to handle this initiative. I am very concerned that when the money is allocated that it is actually used for the things that you want it to, and I am glad that you are going to be writing the specifications. But I have been a mayor and a Governor, and so often a program comes along and it is an opportunity maybe to get some stuff that you were not able to get locally because you did not have the money for it. I think we ought to make sure that the money that is spent really goes for things that are going to make these responders much more able to deal with a terrorist attack. So I think that the specs are important. I did not have a chance to hear your testimony. I would be interested in any comments you may make on that. The other thing that I wanted to bring to your attention today, and I am 1pleased with the progress that we have made in terms of responding to Ground Zero and what we have done at the Pentagon and so on, but as you know, I am very concerned about the units that participated--the first responder units. We had an Ohio unit that participated at Ground Zero. A couple of weeks ago, you and I had a telephone call about the conversation about that, and I also talked to Governor Ridge. It is very, very frustrating that today that the information that these individuals need in terms of what they were exposed to, and you have mentioned there were some Agencies that have to be coordinated. The EPA and a couple of other ones still do not have the information in regard to what were they exposed to. Some of them have gotten asthma and pneumonia. I think it is incumbent on your Agency to work with the others and make sure that they get the information that they need so that they can find out what they have been exposed to, so that will give them some direction in terms of the kind of medical help that they need. Second of all, they need the forms, the paperwork that is necessary to be filled out so that they can take advantage of the Federal Compensation Program. What we have gotten back from them is that they have complained is that right now in some of the paperwork, they feel they are being nickeled and dimed in terms of the Agency. We are sending paper back and forth, and they are very concerned about--they have told my office that they have approximately $1 million in expenses from the work at the World Trade Center. They need help from FEMA to get reimbursed and the process is not going well. FEMA is nickeling and diming them on the paperwork and rejecting claims for what seems to be like bureaucratic reasons. I am concerned about that, because if we are going to have local responding units participate, and hopefully we will not have any more of these things, God forbid, but if we do, how we treat those that participated is going to have a lot to do with how willing they are to respond to other things that might occur. I would like to know just where are we on this. I think we owe it to them. Mr. Allbaugh. Senator Voinovich, you have asked several questions there. Let me try to take them in order. I, too, am deeply concerned about what everyone was exposed to in New York City. On February 1, I put together a task force representing all the Agencies. We are working through those issues. There was a followup meeting yesterday, that we will be sharing information that we have gleaned1 from all the Agencies as quickly as we possibly can. On the funding side, I know that there are a multitude of issues to be resolved. I would like to know specifically. I could meet with your staff about that particular issue. But we have made just about everyone whole on every submission that they have given us thus far. There are numerous teams that have not submitted any paperwork thus far. It is not my intention, nor do I believe it is anyone's intention at FEMA, to nickel and dime a USAR team to death when they have overhead that they need to take care of. So after this meeting, I would like to talk with staff and figure out exactly what their concerns are. We have an ongoing dialog with every USAR team member. We have a health team made up of 18 individuals that are closely monitoring each one of the teams. We deployed 21 teams to New York City. I am deeply concerned as to what those individuals are exposed to. We are monitoring that. I know that we spent $10 million thus far reimbursing those teams. Senator Voinovich. The question I have is what--at this stage of the game, it has been a long time. Senator Clinton is here with us, in New York, and many of her people were also exposed to it. What information have you made available to those individuals that were in New York and to the other first responder units as of today about what they were exposed to. That is No. 1. No. 2, has there been some kind of formal process that you put in place so that these people could take advantage of filling out the papers to be compensated for what they went through? Mr. Allbaugh. There is a formal process for each individual and for each team. We have asked them to have medical checkups. We have asked them to have blood tests for heavy metals, to have a chest X-ray. We are waiting for that information. We will pay for everything that they incur in this process as a part of the disaster. No one is going to be out a dime insofar as taking care of their medical concerns. This has been translated not only to each task force, but to each individual in a letter that I signed to those task force members. There were 1,400 and some-odd that were in New York City and we have communicated with every one of them directly. Senator Voinovich. I have found from my experience that how well we treat them now will have a lot to do with the kind of response that we are going to get from them in the future. I think that the response that came out from the country to the Pentagon, to Ground Zero was just spectacular. I hope that you can move on that as quickly as possible and get that worked out. Mr. Allbaugh. It is a primary concern of mine, Senators, I assure you. How we treat this folks today, as you alluded to, is how we will be able to respond in the future. [The prepared statement of Senator Voinovich follows:] Statement of Hon. George Voinovich, U.S. Senator from the State of Ohio Mr. Chairman, thank you for holding this hearing today on the President's proposed First Responder Initiative. This is an important issue to Ohioans and other First Responders that were deployed to Ground Zero last September. I hope that as a result of these hearings, we can ascertain how we can help support our first responders in their home communities, God forbid to respond to other terrorist attacks that we may have. As I said on September 11th and several times since, I believe that our first responsibility is to support the victims and their families. Mr. Chairman, I also believe that we have a responsibility to ensure the health and safety of those who have worked on the front lines to respond to these terrorist threats. We have a responsibility not only to the New York police and firefighters but also the First Responders from Ohio and across the country and the people from the Federal agencies that responded. I got to see first hand the hard work of these State and local first responders when I toured the Pentagon with Senator Jeffords just a few days after 9-11 and then again when I visited Ground Zero a few days later. In both tragedies it was local emergency response personnel, not Federal personnel, who were the first on the scene and who provided the bulk of relief services. The stronger the relationship between FEMA and State and local first responders the better our Nation's overall preparation will be in the event of a terrorist attack. I am pleased that the President has evaluated the level of cooperation and responded with this proposal for the First Responders Initiative run through FEMA. To that end, I hope this program stays focused on terrorism response and that we make sure that funds authorized don't just end up augmenting the Firefighters Grant Program or paying for basic firefighting equipment, but instead are allocated based on the risk of a terrorist threat. I believe that given the mission of this agency, FEMA is perhaps the best choice of any Federal agency to oversee this initiative. After all, the basic responsibility of this agency is to lead the Nation in preparing for, responding to and recovering from major disasters by coordinating the efforts of up to 26 Federal agencies. Just last month I had the opportunity speak with some of the representatives from Ohio's Task Force One who worked at Ground Zero. These men and women expressed concerns about the lack of receiving consistent information about what they were exposed to so that they can be properly treated by their doctors. They still haven't received enough information to successfully process claims through the Federal claims system. Officials from Ohio Task Force One have told my office that members of the team have approximately $1 million in expenses, including health care expenses, from their work at the World Trade Center. They need help from FEMA to get reimbursed and the process is not going well. They have told my office that FEMA is nickeling and diming them on the paperwork and rejecting claims for what seems like bureaucratic reasons. These are not wealthy individuals by any means and these units operate on tight budgets. These are hardworking men and women who risked their lives to respond to a serious disaster. After that conversation, I had a chance to speak personally with you, Director Allbaugh and tell you exactly what the people in Ohio were worried about. I think we had a good conversation, however, I am disappointed that I have not had a response from your office. Can you tell me what FEMA is doing to expedite the reimbursements for these teams and their members? Also, what is being done to help these individuals know in advance what is expected of them from a paperwork standpoint so they can get their reimbursements as quickly as possible? Many of these expenses are health-related. Members of Ohio Task Force One have developed respiratory illnesses including pneumonia and asthma. What is FEMA doing to help the task force with its Federal workers compensation issues? I shared my concerns with Tom Ridge who said he would look into it. We still don't have any information. As I said to you, if we want State and local teams to be in a position to assist FEMA with disaster response, we must make sure that FEMA itself responds after the disaster when these teams have needs. I hope that before the week is out, we can get the information they requested, not just for Ohio, but for all of the teams of First Responders that came from all over this country to lend a helping hand in New York City. On the issue of how to strengthen relationships between FEMA and State and local first responders, I'm confident that today's witnesses will help to lead us in the right direction and give us some insight on how we should proceed. I would particularly like to welcome from Findlay, Ohio, the President of the University of Findlay, Mr. Kenneth Zirkle. Mr. Zirkle, welcome to today's hearing. I am sorry that I cannot be here for your testimony this afternoon. I have a Governmental Affairs Committee hearing taking place at the same time and as the Ranking Member on that Committee, I need to be in attendance. However, I appreciate you coming here today and, I would like to commend the University of Findlay on their Environmental Health and Safety preparedness program. I look forward to reading your testimony in the record. Mr. Chairman, it is my hope that this Committee will work hard to ensure the President's vision of a successful First Responders Initiative becomes a reality. I look forward to working with each member of this committee to make sure that we reach that goal and working with FEMA to get the information necessary to help our First Responders in Ohio and everywhere else in this Nation. Senator Jeffords. Senator Wyden. Senator Wyden. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Director Allbaugh, we agree that the single most important thing to improve emergency response and to save lives is to enable these first responders to talk to each other. I think the country was just horrified that in New York City, arguably the most sophisticated communications place on the planet, you had these firemen hand-walking in the messages that you talked about before my subcommittee in December, and mentioned again today. Of course, this is because systems break down in these tragedies and many are incompatible. Would it be possible under the First Responder Initiative to use some of those dollars to work on projects to promote communications interoperability? I am going to in my legislation that I have talked about on a number of occasions-- we are going to make some funds available under my legislation for some pilot projects to promote communications interoperability. But I know that some of the local government folks that are here and have been visiting are wondering whether some of the money under the First Responder Initiative could be used for these kinds of projects as well. I am sure this is early on in terms of the Administration's work, but what are your thoughts on that? Mr. Allbaugh. I am sure we could use some of that money for that, but once you start dipping into what the purpose of the money is for, then you dilute and you are ultimately going to cut out the amount of money that we are able to distribute. We are planning to distribute $3.5 billion in four broad categories, No. 1, having the ability to do proper planning; No. 2, proper training; No. 3, exercises; and No. 4, equipment purchases. Now, we are setting aside just a ballpark figure--$2 billion--for equipment purchases. I am sure there might be a few dollars we could use out of that for further study. But I am reluctant to dip into that. What I am interested in is getting the most amount of money we possibly can to those State and local entities, and that is why we decided to cap, quite frankly, the States' portion or participation at 25 percent of this money so we can force the bulk of the money--75-80 percent of the money--on down to the local communities where they actually need the money the most to make the difference in saving lives and protecting property. Senator Wyden. Now, you have also said that in the wake of the terrorist attacks, you all were flooded with proposals for technology to help you do you your job, and mentioned that because the Agency is an operational organization, it really is not set up to evaluate and test new technologies. I have gathered from comments you have made earlier that something with testing facilities capable of evaluating whether some of these technologies work and are particularly useful compared to the alternatives would be helpful to you. Do you think that something like that would be a step forward for FEMA right now? Mr. Allbaugh. I do think a clearinghouse to test some of these alleged proven technologies would be very beneficial. We are not set up in that fashion. We are a response mechanism, a preparation mechanism, a teaching mechanism, a preparedness entity. We do not have the testing facilities. I know there are many other Agencies, for example NIST over at Commerce, could be a perfect entity to take on this responsibility for all of the Federal Government. Senator Wyden. I would like to explore further with you the role of NIST, because I think that that is an Agency that perhaps has been underutilized and I share your views in that area. Now, we also would like to have, as I mentioned in my opening statement, a data base of technology and scientific expertise in communities around this country, so that your people, State and local emergency officials and others can turn to it quickly. You have also indicated that right now, there is some confusion with respect to where you turn to get technological and scientific expertise. Do you think the kind of data base that I am describing here could be helpful to your people? Mr. Allbaugh. It probably could be helpful. The basis of our knowledge stems from our long-term existing contracts with major players across the Nation. Those are the individuals--not individuals, but companies that we turn to when we have a specific need. I am interested in pushing the envelope and testing that brain matter even further. Not all ideas reside in one particular location. So if there is a data base for a particular expertise, I would like to take advantage of it. Senator Wyden. Let me ask you about just one other aspect of what I have been looking at, to make sure that we tap all the potential in the private sector. That is the Strategic Technology Reserve. I really do compare it to the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. The Strategic Petroleum Reserve is there if we get into a crunch with respect to oil and energy. What I have been told is all across the country we could really bank, either literally or in terms of a virtual kind of assurance, tremendous resources from the private sector. Do you think something like that would be worth exploring as well? Mr. Allbaugh. I think it is worth exploring. I am afraid I do not know enough to really comment. Senator Wyden. Well, we are going to be soliciting the views of the Administration, but I think in particular the First Responder Initiative and the focus that you have placed on making sure the dollars get to the local level and make sense, I want you to know that I am going to be working closely with you and the Administration to try to have the private sector supplement it. We are going to include some dollars for some pilot projects in terms of communications interoperability, to keep those data bases in place in terms of private resources, for test beds so that you and others will be able to evaluate products. We want to talk to you some more about the Technology Reserve. I want to thank you as well for your responsiveness. Mr. Allbaugh. Well, I thank you for that. I think if there is one issue we should try to solve nationwide it is the communications problem. It does more and will do more to save lives and protect property than just about anything else that we will probably talk about here this afternoon. Senator Wyden. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Senator Jeffords. My good friend and neighbor, Senator Smith. Senator Smith. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Director, welcome. It is good to see you here. Welcome also to my friend Woody Fogg who will be testifying on the next panel, from New Hampshire. I did have a prepared statement, Mr. Chairman, which I will introduce as part of the record. Senator Jeffords. Without objection. OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. BOB SMITH, U.S. SENATOR FROM THE STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE Senator Smith. I just want to ask a couple of questions of you, Mr. Director. I in many ways have sympathy for you knowing the turf battles you are going to have to fight here as you try to put all of this into one effective emergency responding Agency or entity or whatever the correct term is. To me, it makes sense for FEMA to be the Agency to lead this effort. They have a great track record, and I know this decision by the President has not come without some internal strife. But you are a tough guy. You look tough, too. I mean, that is the thing. Mr. Allbaugh. I take that as a compliment. [Laughter.] Senator Smith. But I think it is common sense. We all fight these inside the beltway turf battles. Hang in there. We will get to the heart of it. The most important thing is to do what is right for the Nation, and that means that if something we support is not right, then we will come around to that view, I think, in the end, to do what is best-suited. I am going to just throw four issues out there that give you a chance to respond briefly, on the points that they make about why it should not be FEMA, and just who is the lead Agency, and you can respond to it in any way that you see fit. The first point, first criticism, which is not my criticism, but the general criticisms, is that FEMA is not a grant Agency, therefore would not be effective in being the lead Agency in this effort. Mr. Allbaugh. Senator, the best way to respond to that is rely upon our track record. In 2001, we issued grants over $3.5 billion alone in a multitude of programs. Unfortunately, as a result of the incident in particular in New York City, as Senator Clinton knows, we will alone this fiscal year approach $8 billion and probably even go higher than that. These are dollars that make a difference in individual's lives. We have excellent relationships with the States. We move the money very quickly. I am very proud of our NPS's, which are teleregistration facilities. We have four of them. Normally, when an individual calls and registers with us over our 800 line, within 2 or 3 days or maybe 4, they are receiving a check from us to help them get back on their feet. So we know how to move money. We move it very quickly and to say we are not a grant Agency, that is probably about 50 percent of what we do is move money. Senator Smith. How about the issue that ODP programs are primarily law enforcement, and you are not a law enforcement Agency? Mr. Allbaugh. We are not a law enforcement Agency. I do not want to become a law enforcement Agency. But I do believe that communities should not be confused where they go for their first responder training. Whether it is at FEMA, Justice, Defense Department, EPA--it does not matter to me. I think we ought to provide a unified, simplified, one-stop shop for all types of training. Most of the ODP training that I am aware of revolves around basic firefighting, which we do through our Fire Administration, HAZMAT, and rescue operations. So I think it is important to the American public that we make it as simple as we possibly can insofar as going to a repository for all their training. Senator Smith. The other issue which is often raised, which I had a chance to witness first-hand, and I know Senator Clinton and others did, was the issue that it may not be the best option as a coordinating Agency. I was in New York I think 5 days or 6 days after the attack, and saw the building that FEMA had set up there with just--I was commandeered, I guess, on the docks there. I forget what the building was. Mr. Allbaugh. Pier 90. Senator Smith. Pier 90. Mr. Allbaugh. Yes, sir. Senator Smith. Thank you. It was amazing--all the hustle and bustle, and the booths and the people. Basically what could have been total confusion was not. It was very organized and compartmentalized. If there is anybody that could do it any better than that, I do not know who it is. Mr. Allbaugh. Well, we are charged specifically by the President and through the Federal Response Plan to be the Agency of coordination and facilitation. We do not have a lot of Federal assets that we own personally. What we do have is the knowledge to commandeer those assets that other Agencies have, and mobilize them in a timely fashion to save lives and protect property. That is one of the things that we do best. Senator Smith. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Senator Jeffords. Senator Clinton. OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON, U.S. SENATOR FROM THE STATE OF NEW YORK Senator Clinton. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. It is a pleasure once again to have the Director here. I cannot express eloquently enough, I am afraid, my personal gratitude and the gratitude of New Yorkers for the extraordinary job that he and his team have done. I appreciate your bringing this First Responder Initiative to this committee for our consideration. I am hoping that we can work through some of the questions that have been raised because clearly what we have learned since September 11 should inform everything we do from this point forward. That is what I know the Director and his staff are attempting to do. I have introduced a Homeland Security Block Grant last November or so because what I started hearing were the concerns that this initiative attempts to address, from all over New York, where far away from New York City, in places like Buffalo, for the first time they were just getting calls for hazardous materials responses and found themselves going deeper and deeper into red ink trying to figure out how to get out there and help, especially after the anthrax attack. Among the questions that I would like to ask the Director, it really comes down to how do we make sure that we not only get the money out there to the local community, but that the local community is able to use it both for the planning and the exercise and the training and the initiatives that you have got in your description here, but what is happening now is that they are spending so much money on overtime. They are just going deeper and deeper into debt. I have been meeting with the Conference of Mayors, and I am wondering, Mr. Director, how we are going to help them out of their new increased obligations? How do we take care of these overtime expenses, for example? Because elsewhere in the President's budget, I know that we are seeing cutbacks in the COPS program and the local law enforcement block program. So at the same time that we are trying to upgrade our capacity to respond to disasters, we are cutting some of the resources we would otherwise give to local law enforcement. You know, there seems to be a kind of mismatch. This does not fall under your bailiwick, because you are trying to get everybody up to speed for disasters, but the front line of those disaster responses are our local police and fire. So how are we going to take care of issues like overtime expenses attributable to responding? Mr. Allbaugh. I am not sure how to answer that, except that I do not believe the Federal Government should bear the brunt of all those expenses. I think we are in partnership with State and local communities as we proceed down this road together addressing these personnel issues. I really do not want to be in the personnel business either. I think that is a local issue more than anything else. What we can do is provide them standards and the technical expertise; draw a roadmap, if you will; help them to try and get there along the way by giving them also a certain amount of flexibility to achieve some local concerns. It will take time and it will take money. But I know communities all across the country are fighting the battle of overtime on personnel. I was in Syracuse last night and this morning; sat with the Fire Department there and it is their No. 1 concern. Plus, they have many members of the Department that are coming up for retirement, and it is difficult on the recruitment side; it is difficult on the retention side. This is not a problem that resides just in one community. It is all across the United States. I am all ears, as they say. I am searching for that answer as well. Senator Clinton. I think that that is a matter of great importance to this committee, because the first line of our homeland defense are those local responders, so we have to figure out how we are going to help local communities be able to confront that. I want to followup, too, on what Senator Voinovich said. The efforts we have made to try to provide information, and this committee was nice enough to authorize a subcommittee hearing that Senator Lieberman chaired that I asked for in Lower Manhattan, to try to get to the bottom of what was going on with the air quality issues. What we hear, what Senator Voinovich hears from his first responders in Ohio, we have not completed a medical screening of our firefighters--25 percent have some kind of respiratory, bronchitis, asthmatic reaction. One thing that I believe we should try to do across the board, and I appreciated what you said to Senator Voinovich, was to pick up some of the costs for those medical exams, because the Federal Government needs to know what we are learning from them. This is something that needs to be factored into the work that FEMA does. So I think we really should look and try to figure out how better we can both screen our first responders and then do followup medical treatment. Mr. Allbaugh. I will tell you one thing, and members as well, Senator Clinton, that as a result of one of the lessons we learned in deploying our urban search and rescue teams for September 11th, these men and women were deployed without any type of medical exam prior to deployment. What we have instituted since that date is that everyone will receive a medical exam prior to deployment so we have a baseline when they return to compare to. I think it is a positive step. I think members of those task forces appreciate that step. As we learn more, we will continue to change. We have to be cognizant of being able to have the flexibility to add new procedures when called for. This was a perfect example. Senator Clinton. I have some additional questions which I will give to the Director in writing. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Senator Jeffords. Senator Warner. OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. JOHN W. WARNER, U.S. SENATOR FROM THE COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA Senator Warner. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for having this important hearing. So nice to see you again, Director Allbaugh. Mr. Allbaugh. Good to be seen, Sir. Senator Warner. I remember vividly our first meeting when we described FEMA. It appeared to be a relatively straightforward assignment. Now, you have, I think, the most important assignment, next to the President, and that is homeland defense. Our President had the wisdom way back before he was elected, in his speech at The Citadel, to express his concern for preparing to defend America here at home. The rest is history. Now that responsibility in many respects falls on your shoulders, and I am glad that this committee is going to give you the support that you need. Mr. Allbaugh. Thank you, sir. Senator Warner. We were talking about Senator Wyden, a very important subject on the interoperability. I went to the Pentagon about 5 hours after that plane hit, and worked with the Secretary of Defense. I went out and saw the responders and experienced then some of the difficulties of the inability to have a common communications system. I am pleased to say that we, Virginia and the area here, the greater metropolitan area of Washington, got $20 million to get this interoperability into our system. So I hope it can be achieved elsewhere. I turn now to the urban search and rescue teams. I would like to mention here that it was Senators Nunn, Lugar, Domenici and I joined them in 1997, that had the vision; and it was President Clinton who, on his watch as President, enacted these measures into law. So I am going to read a rather lengthy question, and I will see that it is handed to you, and ask you for your views on this question. The search and rescue teams have proven to be a vital component to our emergency response efforts even before September 11. In Virginia, the Fairfax team has responded to earthquake recovery efforts worldwide. Also, the Virginia Beach team responded at the Pentagon attack. As you well know, these urban search and rescue teams bring uniquely trained professionals and equipment to disaster scenes. State and local rescue efforts do not have these capabilities. The following situation came to my attention shortly after September 11, and I credit the distinguished Mayor, Meyera Oberndorf, for bringing this to my attention--the Mayor of Virginia Beach. The task force at Virginia Beach consists of 180 trained individuals. On September 11, 62 members of the task force responded to the attack on the Department of Defense. Only one-third of the 180-man team could be outfitted to respond. The rest of the team members remained in Virginia Beach. If there had been another incident, they would not have been able to respond because of a lack of equipment. Also, it is my understanding that last year FEMA designated Virginia Beach as one of six FEMA task forces nationwide to respond to domestic attacks involving weapons of mass destruction. It is clear that these premier urban search and rescue teams are not fully equipped to perform their missions. Can you tell me and the committee what are the funding needs to fully equip and train the existing 28 FEMA urban search and rescue teams across America? Mr. Allbaugh. Sixty-four million dollars to get them up to speed immediately. We have submitted not only for the 2003 budget, but for the 2002 supplemental; $15 million for the 2003 budget. It was subsequently cut back; and in the supplemental, $32 million. But it is a high priority for me to properly equip, properly train, make sure that they were WMD trained, as you said--6 of the 28 are trained to that capability right now, and that is not satisfactory in my book. Senator Warner. My understanding is, you said $64 million. There is $6.5 million only in the President's budget. Mr. Allbaugh. Yes, sir, I know. Senator Warner. Consequently, Mr. Chairman and members of the committee, I think it is incumbent upon us to address that issue in the forthcoming deliberations on our budget. My second is the First Responder Initiative. Again, the three mayors in the Virginia Beach-Tidewater area--Meyera Oberndorf, Joe Frank and Paul Frame have put this question to me. We applaud the President's initiative to provide critical resources to the local police, fire and rescue. We saw first- hand how critical local fire and police were in responding to the attack on the Pentagon as Arlington County was the first onsite, and ultimately became the on-scene coordinator for all recovery efforts. Also, every major fire department in the metropolitan Washington area provided critical resources at the Pentagon. Many of us are very interested in the criteria that FEMA will use to allocate the first responder grant funds. I believe we all know that many local fire and police departments are the only resources to protect critical Federal installations. The Virginia example is very telling. We know that Arlington County and other local departments are the only responders for major Federal installations from the Pentagon to the Central Intelligence Agency. Elsewhere in Virginia, local fire and police are the first responders to major defense installations in the Hampton Roads area. Can you tell me to what degree will we be protecting critical Federal facilities factor into FEMA's criteria for this new First Responder Initiative? Mr. Allbaugh. Well, we have not addressed that yet, Senator. We are in the midst of internal discussions on that subject. I would be happy to get back with you when we bring that to closure. I can assure you we have and will have in the future ongoing dialog with State and local entities to make sure they have ample opportunity to have their say about this. I am most concerned about setting standards. I am most concerned about accountability. I am most concerned about giving these departments the flexibility to meet what they see as their priorities, as well as facilitating the continuing buildup of our infrastructure nationwide. Senator Warner. They are the ones that have to respond. They need the financial support, and it has to be in the $3.5 billion that you are now funding. Mr. Allbaugh. Yes, sir. Senator Warner. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Senator Jeffords. Senator Corzine. OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. JON S. CORZINE, U.S. SENATOR FROM THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY Senator Corzine. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I welcome Director Allbaugh. It is terrific to see you. I want to commend you and all of the people at FEMA for the tremendous response that we have seen given to the September 11 attacks. I want to specifically say that you have been very responsive, and your people have been to New Jersey's dialog about recovery needs. They are ones that I will give more emphasis to in my questions. But I do hope that you will get a sense that we are very much strongly supportive of the initiatives being put into FEMA on this first responder preparedness. Mr. Allbaugh. Thank you, Senator. Senator Corzine. I will go parochial for a second. There are a number of issues that fall out of the post-September 11 situation that impact New Jersey. We have had conversations with a number of your folks, including Deputy Director Brown, about transportation infrastructure, particularly as it relates to the changed patterns of transportation that have occurred because of the PATH closure. There is significant dialog about whether funding on that actually will be recognized or taken into consideration. We are under the impression, and the Governor's office and the Attorney General's office are that FEMA is authorized to cover New Jersey's interim transportation needs. I wonder if that is your understanding? Mr. Allbaugh. That is my impression as well. I am not sure as to the specific incident or issue that you are referring to. Senator Corzine. It has to do with actually paying for additional ferry, rail and bus service that is really taking the overflow or the redistribution of transportation. Mr. Allbaugh. I do not know specifically about that, Senator, but I would like to take the opportunity to check that out and then respond back to you on that. Senator Corzine. We will put in writing the specifics of it. But it is a very heavy burden on the State, and I think it is actually very important for the revitalization of Southern Manhattan. Mr. Allbaugh. My recollection, and I am receiving confirmation that it is eligible, so I am not sure why there is a roadblock, no pun intended, as to why this is not going forward. Senator Corzine. We would very much love to hear a response about where it stands in the process. Mr. Allbaugh. We will do that. Senator Corzine. I know you have many priorities. This is one that our people are concerned about. The second issue is about straight time reimbursement for some of the aid provided to the New York response, which is a continual issue. Mr. Allbaugh. Right. Right. Senator Corzine. Aid to New York that was provided in New York, whether it is State police closing down tunnels and bridges, or hospital services provided. There continue to be open questions about whether that meets the criterion. We have a number of communities that are pressed just as I am sure many local communities are across the country, but they took on additional burdens that are really quite substantial. The two Senators from New Jersey were encouraging the folks to do what they needed to do, not that they would not have done that anyway, but there was a sense of good faith that they would be treated in a mutual aid resource agreement for the efforts they made. Mr. Allbaugh. I was in New York yesterday and Sunday, and had a meeting specifically on this issue. It is my understanding that we are moving along on getting a lot of those issues resolved. If there is something specific that we are not addressing, I think I need to know that as well. Senator Corzine. We will go through that. There are a number of communities up and down the---- Mr. Allbaugh. Could you add that to your letter? Senator Corzine. Yes. We will do that. Mr. Allbaugh. We would appreciate that. Senator Corzine. I will make sure that we have it. Mr. Allbaugh. If there are communities that are missing in the dialog, I want to get them in the mix, of course. Senator Corzine. A lot of this is just the mechanics and logistics of getting it done, and I know you have a lot of-- your people have been quite engaged and open to process it along. Thank you. Senator Jeffords. Senator Voinovich. Senator Voinovich. Mr. Allbaugh, when you came to my office and we talked prior to your confirmation hearing, we talked about the human capital crisis that is confronting the United States of America. Mr. Allbaugh. Yes, sir. Senator Voinovich. For the benefit of the committee members, by 2004, we could lose about 55 percent of our people through early retirement or regular retirement, and our Senior Executive Service up to about 70 percent by the year 2005. You indicated you thought that you were in fairly good shape. Mr. Allbaugh. We are not in good shape. Senator Voinovich. I am really worried about that because one of the things, and I hate to be bringing back news from the locals in Dayton, but the fact of the matter is they have said that they think that you really need a lot more people in the urban section of FEMA. I remember being up at Ground Zero, and of course that as an extraordinarily unusual situation, but we had people from the Department of Energy. You just went out and scouted up the best people you could to give you assistance there. I would like for you to share with the committee what plans you have under way to deal with the human capital needs that you have currently, and what additional capital needs are you going to have to respond to in terms of taking on this new responsibility. Last but not least, do you have the budget and the tools to attract that people that you are going to need to get the job done? Mr. Allbaugh. I have been in this position about a year, and it was clear to me right up front that we have not been spending enough time internally on our employees--properly training them, helping them with a career path. Retention was a problem. Recruitment--there was essentially no recruitment. I brought in about a month and a half ago a new Human Resources Director from OPM, Doug Fair. We are working together in crafting a plan to address all of our needs. I think over the next 18 months, somewhere between 45 and 50 percent of our Agency is eligible for retirement. That is just a lot of gray matter to be walking out the door. Since September 11, the retirements have accelerated. People have come to my office with a different perspective on life, which I cannot fault them for--wanting to spend time with their kids, their grandkids, their spouses. But it is a severe need that we have at FEMA, particularly given the stresses and strains of responding to disasters natural and man-made. I do not have an answer crafted yet. I would be happy to get back to you, sir. I know Doug is working as hard-out to try and accommodate me on a variety of issues in this arena. Whether we have the necessary budget or not, I would have to say probably not right now. FEMA suffers from its own successes in that if you want a job done you give it to FEMA and oftentimes we are given the task to perform, but not necessarily the resources to complete the task. So as a result, many of our people in not only the Washington headquarters, but in our 10 regional offices, wear two, three, and four or five hats at the same time. It puts an inordinate amount of stress on those individuals, on their families who I think make the ultimate sacrifices because those individuals are kept away from home more than necessary. I would like to respond back to you in writing and tell you exactly how we are doing. Senator Voinovich. I would like to have you do that in terms of what your current needs are, what additional needs you are going to have when you take on these new responsibilities. Mr. Allbaugh. We have identified with the First Responder Program. We do know what we need. Senator Voinovich. Also the issue of tools, because in another committee that I am supposed to be at right now, Mr. Chairman, we are dealing with this issue of human capital and the President's management agenda, and after 3 years, my agenda, and trying to give Agencies the flexibility that they need to retain the people that they have on-board and to attract in people at the entry level and actually at the mid- management level. One of the things that I must say that too often here we talk about the money to buy things, but we neglect the fact that Agencies in the Federal Government need the tools and the people to get the job done. We are all talking about Enron. Well, if you go and check at the Securities and Exchange Commission, you will find that they have lost a third of their people because of the fact that their pay scale is--I think, Senator Corzine, you know that-- not competitive. We can just go straight through the Federal Government and find that we have some really severe problems because we had a period of downsizing without any attention to reshaping those Agencies to get the job done. If he does not have the people that he needs to get the job done, I do not care what we do in terms of some of these other things that we are talking about today, he will not be able to perform properly. So I am really interested in your providing that to me. I want to stay on top of it. I know I have been a little bit tough on you today. Mr. Allbaugh. Have you? Senator Voinovich. Yes, I have. Mr. Allbaugh. We have a few answers, but I do not think you have been that tough. Senator Voinovich. But I just want to say to you---- Mr. Allbaugh. There are questions that need to be answered, and if I do not know about them, we need to get the answers to you. So I think that is fair. Senator Voinovich [continuing]. I would like to say to you that I thank you very much for the sacrifice that you have made for your country, and the hours that you have put in. I thank your lovely wife for the sacrifice that she and your family have put up so that you could continue to do this job. I think so often we take for granted the people like you that come into government. We do not appreciate what you go through. I just want to say thank you very much. Mr. Allbaugh. Thank you, Senator. Senator Jeffords. We all join in that thank you. Senator Wyden, last question. Senator Voinovich. Mr. Chairman, could I do one other thing? Pardon me--I just want to introduce Ken Zirkle from Ohio. I failed to do that. Ken is at the University of Findlay. Senator Jeffords. Stand up, Ken. Senator Voinovich. He has trained all of our EMS people in Ohio. Ken, I have to run out of here because I have to go to the other committee that is dealing with this human capital thing, but thank you for being here today. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Senator Jeffords. Senator Wyden. Senator Wyden. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I do not want to turn this into a bouquet-tossing contest, Director Allbaugh. Mr. Allbaugh. Please don't. Senator Wyden. I think it is clear you have a lot of support here, and particularly on the proposition that your key programs are going to need more resources. I want to ask you about the urban search and rescue area in particular. As you know, I think this is a very attractive kind of program. Senator Warner touched on it as well. It is one that works. I really see it as a model for an area that I am interested in getting into, and that is to mobilize people in the science and technology area. I tentatively called it NETGuard--the National Emergency Technology Guard where we would rely on people from private enterprise to help with people and equipment. What is your sense? Do you think that properly developed--and we are going to be asking the Council of the executive branch on it--that these kinds of teams, these kind of NETGuard teams could play a useful role in assisting the efforts of local emergency response authorities? Mr. Allbaugh. I think if they are focused and they understand who is in charge when it comes to the decisionmaking process, that obviously smart people who have the right talent could be nothing but an asset to responding to disasters man- made or natural. Senator Wyden. That was what I was hoping to see evolve. The last thing you want to do is to get talented people, say, from Intel or Microsoft or these leading technology companies, to basically come on into a very difficult situation and sort of stand around and get in the way. We want to work with you to make sure that we mobilize these resources so that they do not usurp the authority of the local first responders and really do complement what you and your people are doing on the ground. We will be asking for your counsel, and I thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Allbaugh. Thank you, Senator. Senator Jeffords. Thank you sincerely for very, very excellent answers, and we enjoy working with you and look forward to working with you again. Mr. Allbaugh. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I appreciate the support this committee has given FEMA. It is an important Agency, as you all recognize. We look forward to working closely with you in the future. Thanks for your support. Thanks for having me here today. Senator Jeffords. Thank you. Our next panel and last panel--four wonderful individuals-- Mr. Woodbury P. Fogg, P.E., on behalf of the National Emergency Management Association, Washington, DC.; Mr. Ed Wilson, chief, City of Portland Fire Department, Portland, OR; Mr. Mike O'Neil, chief, South Burlington Fire Department, Burlington, VT; and Mr. Kenneth E. Zirkle, president, University of Findlay, Findlay, OH. Please proceed. Yes, start with Mr. Fogg. STATEMENT OF WOODBURY P. FOGG, NATIONAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION Mr. Fogg. Thank you. Chairman Jeffords, Ranking Member Smith and members of the committee, thank you for the opportunity to appear before you today to offer comments on the First Responder Program. The National Emergency Management Association, NEMA, supports Federal efforts to increase the emergency management capacity- building at the State, territorial and local level for personnel, planning, training, equipment, coordination and exercising. A significant Federal commitment must be made to give State, territorial and local governments the tools to ensure adequate preparedness. While States have significantly increased their commitment to emergency management over the last decade, those States are struggling with budgetary issues and the increased investments necessary to meet these new demands. In my testimony today, I am going to make five key points about the proposed First Responder Program. No. 1, all efforts need to be coordinated through the States to ensure harmonization with the State emergency operations plan and the Federal response plan, to ensure equitable distribution of resources, and to coordinate those resources for intra-State and inter-State mutual aid. The Stafford Act successfully uses States and Governors as the managers of Federal disaster relief funds for local governments which are overtaxed and need assistance. There is no question that most of that $3.5 billion proposed First Responder Grants Funds needs to go to police, firefighters, emergency medical and public health workers, and other front- line local responders. We can effectively ensure this by working through the States to build on the statewide plans that FEMA, the Department of Justice and other Agencies have already required. State emergency management has a proven track record of passing most of the funds they get through to the local level. That is something they have done for years and done well. No. 2, State emergency managers need to have a commitment for sustained Federal resources and the flexibility to ensure the hiring and training of sufficient professional personnel to manage the expanding antiterrorism programs. We are concerned that an influx of new and separate funding programs from the Federal Government could actually detract from our all-hazards approach. Building a statewide emergency management capability is key to ensuring preparedness across the board. I like to say this is not just about terrorism. This is about preparedness-- preparedness in general for all hazards. Emergency management performance grant--otherwise known as EMPG--is the only flexible, consistent source of Federal funding for State and local capacity building. As the existing funding stream, EMPG could be used quite quickly to hire State and local staff to manage critical programs and build the incremental emergency management capacity and prepare for the first responder grants and the coordination that will be required to execute these programs. EMPG is already in place and it is effective. It could move money very quickly to the ones most in need, and it allows tailoring on a State-by-State basis and a locality basis, and allows the taking of a statewide approach. Emergency management is overstressed and working to capacity to address this new environment, and we need relief now. In that vein, we are requesting an additional $200 million in funding for EMPG in the April supplemental appropriations package to serve as a down payment or an initial, a kick-start, for addressing emergency management needs. In 2000, well before September 11, a NEMA survey of the States revealed a $123 million shortfall in Federal funding of State and local emergency management programs, and Congress needs to address this shortfall. No. 3, standards must be developed to ensure interoperability of equipment, communications and training across State, regional and local jurisdictions. NEMA was a leader in the creation of the Emergency Management Accreditation Program, or EMAP. This voluntary standards and accreditation program for State and local emergency management is based on the National Fire Protection Association's standards and on FEMA's capability assessment of readiness, or CAR. NEMA suggests that these standards, which are already being implemented through EMAP, be incorporated in the development of any minimum standards for training, exercise and equipment. This is something we have already in place. It is beginning to work. I hope we can begin to use this program for domestic preparedness. No. 4, mutual aid, both intra-State and inter-State, is a key component to capacity building, and a proven system we need to take advantage of for all domestic preparedness planning is the Emergency Management Assistance Compact, or EMAC. EMAC is an inter-State mutual aid agreement that allows States to assist one another in responding to all kinds of natural and man-made disasters. There are 46 States and 2 territories that are already members of EMAC, and the other States and territories are considering joining. As an example, in response to September 11, several States provided support to New York through EMAC. It is a system that works. We use it for nearly all major disasters now. No. 5, State and local government must be fully, directly and continuously involved and consulted in development of the national domestic preparedness strategy. NEMA espouses a national strategy, not just a Federal one. We look forward to working with the Office of Homeland Security toward the development and implementation of that strategy. In conclusion, close coordination of programs and Agencies in building this capacity to deal with truly catastrophic events is the key to success in assuring our Nation's preparedness against terrorism. One of the best demonstrations of the value of better Federal, State, private and local coordination was the TOPOFF exercise in 2000. We hope that the First Responder Program will aid in national coordination and preparedness. I have submitted written testimony, with copies of NEMA's 10 principles on a domestic national preparedness strategy, and a white paper that was done earlier this year. I request that that be entered into the record. Senator Jeffords. It will be. Mr. Fogg. Thank you. Thank you for your commitment to ensuring our Nation is as ready as we can be. Are there any questions that I can answer? Senator Jeffords. Thank you. We will have questions later. Our next witness is Mr. Ed Wilson, chief of the city of Portland Fire Department, from Portland, OR. Please proceed. STATEMENT OF EDWARD WILSON, CHIEF, CITY OF PORTLAND FIRE DEPARTMENT, PORTLAND, OR Chief Wilson. Mr. Chairman, Senator Wyden, members of the committee, I am Ed Wilson, fire chief of the city of Portland, OR. I want to thank you for the opportunity to address the committee today. Two weeks after the September 11 attacks on our Nation, City of Portland Mayor, Vera Katz directed me to join with our partners in public safety in our region to determine our state of preparedness for a terrorist attack and to conduct a needs assessment. On behalf of all the emergency responders in major cities across the United States who undoubtedly undertook similar processes, I am here to testify about our findings and briefly outline what we would do with additional funding to increase our readiness. Like many large cities, we are on the right track with regard to planning for a mass casualty incident and have been for many years. Most large cities have functional plans in place and well-trained responders on all levels. Since September 11, however, we have focused on a few key areas to improve our plans in case the unthinkable happens--that being a terrorist attack in our home town. As large cities in the United States, we have numerous factors that put our citizens at risk. Our most obvious issue, as we learned from the World Trade Center attacks, and earlier from the bombing of the Federal building in Oklahoma City, is that sheer number of people who populate large cities. Higher concentrations of people mean more potential loss of life. Metropolitan areas are also more vulnerable to hazardous material incidents because of the industrial activity that is an important part of our economy. In addition, we have larger and more complex infrastructures. Of course, many of America's most visible landmarks, such as the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, are located in big cities. All of these increase the vulnerability of metropolitan areas. That is why metropolitan areas such as Portland are in need of increased resources to keep our homeland safe. Our needs assessment showed four primary areas where we need to improve--first, equipment and training. We recommend increasing the supply of protective equipment and training for all emergency responders. Decontamination at the hospitals would add yet another layer of protection as well. In addition, incident command system training at the executive level will enhance any major city's ability to provide leadership during a terrorist or any disaster. Second, communications. We found room to improve the redundancy and interoperability of our communications systems. While local agencies have mechanisms in place to communicate with each other, these plans may quickly splinter when State and Federal Agencies arrive on the scene. This lack of interoperability was starkly evident during the response to terrorist attack at the Pentagon on September 11. Third, building security. Portland, like many other cities in our country, is free, very open. To protect our citizens, we are considering enhancing our building security. Forth, for recovery. To improve continuity of government after a terrorist incident, we will develop a comprehensive recovery plan. First steps include a business risk assessment and a mainframe recovery study. Some ask, will the First Responder Initiative help major cities across this country address these types of issues? The answer is absolutely. But there is another strength in the proposed initiative. It would support programs that develop or buildupon existing mutual aid agreements. For example, in the Portland metropolitan area, a regional group of emergency managers involving five counties and two States has worked since 1993 to coordinate regional response to natural hazards. We are now developing a regional request for antiterrorism dollars. Finally, I would note that according to the U.S. Conference of Mayors, initial estimates show that local communities have spent more than $525 million since September 11, for added security, and they anticipate that these cities will spend about $2.2 billion in 2002 to manage a burden unforeseen before September 11. The need for Federal assistance is clear to these major cities. Noting that a simple and quick method for dispersing Federal assistance is a stated objective of the First Responder Initiative, I would like to recommend systems similar to the Community Block Grant Program. This would serve as an excellent model for dispersing these funds. It would allow Federal funding to go directly to cities with populations greater than 50,000, and the rest would go to the States for distributions to jurisdictions with a population less than 50,000, and actually for the First Responder Initiative, an increased population above 50,000 for those direct grants may be appropriate. This model already exists and has been used successfully and extensively. It would be easy to duplicate and would avoid delays in getting funding to the local communities who need it now. It would also be important that Federal funding to local communities allow as much flexibility as possible. As you know, different communities will identify different needs, levels of vulnerability and solutions to these difficult problems. We are glad to see funding flexibility included as one of the stated objectives in the President's initiative. So Mr. Chairman and members of the committee, thank you again for the opportunity to provide this information about how major cities in the United States would benefit from implementation of the First Responder Initiative. This benefit would be immediate and long term, making us safer from terrorist attacks and also enhancing our everyday response capabilities. At this time, I would be happy to answer any questions you may have. Senator Jeffords. Thank you for an excellent statement, and we will be back with questions. Our third witness is Mr. Mike O'Neil, chief of the South Burlington Fire Department in Burlington, VT. STATEMENT OF MICHAEL O'NEIL, CHIEF, SOUTH BURLINGTON FIRE DEPARTMENT, BURLINGTON, VT Chief O'Neil. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, fellow Senators. Let me begin by extending greetings from the Vermont Fire Service. We appreciate the important discussions and deliberations that you are involved in. I would like to address the committee on a few issues that have been the subject of much debate in our small State, that we like to think reflects the ongoing national discussion. The focus is that the ability of our Nation's fire service to be properly equipped to respond to the myriad of events that only a few short years ago would have been as viewed as scenarios from a movie script. There never has been a doubt that the American Fire Service would be called upon to respond to any situation. We do it every day. We do not choose what types of incidents that we respond to and which ones we won't. I believe as a fire chief, I owe it to the firefighters who respond to these calls for help from our citizens to be as prepared and protected as is possible. As I sit here before you today, I know that I cannot do that because our communities cannot afford to provide that protection. The need is real. We cannot continue to send our firefighters out without the proper protection. We would not send our servicemen and--women to foreign soil ill-prepared to perform. Why should our front-line home security forces be any different? When the White House proposed--through the Office of Homeland Defense giving $3.5 billion in Federal aid to State and local responders, America's front-line soldiers, firefighters, police officers and emergency medical technicians--to prepare for terrorist actions, the fire service believed that it was going to be able to solve a longstanding barrier to effectiveness, the lack of adequate funding. We view the First Responder Initiative as extremely important in getting money directly to departments large and small for basic needs such as equipment and training, and supplying specialized equipment and training to larger urban departments with the greater possibility of terror acts exists. In his remarks to the National Emergency Managers Association, Governor Ridge voiced his strong support for first responders in the President's proposed budget. He feels very strongly that the equipment, training and exercise resources are needed by the Nation's first line of defense. Governor Ridge reiterated the Administration's position that funding should go directly to the States, and not to the local government. We would question that. Past history, at least in our small State, has shown that very little of those resources have found their way to the local level once the State has finished utilizing the grants to better equip the State responses. We have been told for the last 3 years that any State resources will not be available to us for up to several hours after an incident, and that we as first responders will be on our own for that timeframe. We did not have to have that fact pointed out to us. We already knew it from past experience. My point is, now that when State resources arrive several hours later, they have better, more up-to-date equipment than we as the first responders have, and we still are holding the line initially. The cities of Burlington and South Burlington have met with State officials with a number of projects including much-needed communications systems upgrades that focused on interoperability and regional responses. The projects have not been acted on because vital funding has gone to other State agencies. What funding has been left over is so small that it has not been sufficient to be effective. We resort to makeshift solutions in the field, while important funding is utilized in other areas. Recent events have demonstrated once and for all the role of America's fire service responding to and mitigating disasters, terrorist or otherwise. We are truly America's first line of defense against all risk hazards, including hazardous materials, terrorist events, emergency search and rescue, fire suppression and emergency medical services. We need your help. Last year, Congress provided $100 million in funding for the Assistance to Firefighters Program for fiscal year 2001. After announcing the grant program, FEMA received nearly 30,000 applications for assistance, totaling about $2.9 billion. Because of the added responsibilities of the fire service, its role in response to disasters and the potential for that role to be expanded, funding at much higher levels is required. Local jurisdictions simply do not have the resources to independently fund the improvements to respond to the new challenges. In his State of the Union address, President Bush made a commitment to a sustained strategy for increased homeland security. The President has made clear that he considers a critical component of that strategy to be increased Federal funding for America's fire and emergency service. In order to ensure the full benefit of this increased funding are realized by the American people, we urge you and Congress to enact the First Responders Initiative providing funding to the fire and emergency services. By using these programs, Congress can ensure that appropriate funds quickly reach America's fire service, the only people in the United States who are locally trained, equipped and sworn to respond within minutes to all incidents, natural or man-made, which threaten America's homeland. Mr. Chairman, the American Fire Service has been strongly supportive of FEMA. The reason for this is simple. They have earned the support of the fire and emergency service based on a proven track record of providing invaluable training, equipment and resources to America's local first responder community, both on-scene at disaster sites and during ongoing planning and training that all responder organizations must constantly pursue. They clearly recognize that America's local fire departments are the first line of disaster response in this country. For this reason, we encourage Congress to utilize this Agency as you look toward significantly enhancing and improving America's readiness capabilities. Thank you on behalf of the American Fire Service. Senator Jeffords. Thank you, again, for an excellent statement. I am obviously familiar with much of what you talked about. Mr. Zirkle, please proceed. STATEMENT OF KENNETH E. ZIRKLE, PRESIDENT, UNIVERSITY OF FINDLAY, FINDLAY, OH Mr. Zirkle. Mr. Chairman and members of the committee, my name is Ken Zirkle and I am president of the University of Findlay in Findlay, OH. Thank you for inviting me here today. I have testimony which I would like to submit for the record if I may do so. Senator Jeffords. That will be admitted. Mr. Zirkle. I am prepared to read a short statement. Our university currently serves 4,000 students at the graduate and undergraduate levels. We offer more than 60 academic majors. The city of Findlay, home of several major industries, is located in northwestern Ohio, 45 miles south of Toledo. One of Findlay's major industries is a national leader in hazardous materials clean-up. Because of its presence, we became aware of the increased need for environmental clean-up professionals and developed one of the first programs in the Nation for disaster response training. In 1986, we established our National Center of Excellence for Environmental Management. In so doing, we made the decision to offer practical education and training on environmental and disaster preparedness in two specific program areas. One program grants undergraduate and graduate degrees in environmental safety and health training. To date, we have more than 1,000 graduates. Our current enrollment includes on-line students in 19 States. Most of our students are employed even before they graduate, by corporations such as Honda, Marathon, Owens-Illinois, General Electric, the Ohio EPA, and the IT Group, which recently decontaminated the Senate Hart Building. Our second focus is consulting services in response training. We have hands-on training centers in Findlay that offer scenarios including rail car, tank truck, and chemical spills, plus confined space entry and rescue, as well as additional practical training simulations. Furthermore, we specialize in custom-designed response training programs. Approximately 80 percent of the training we do is provided at our customers' locations. People do not have to come to us. Rather, we go to them. In the past 16 years, we have trained more than 50,000 first responder and industry professionals from across the United States, designing programs for such companies as Ford, Roadway, and CSX Transportation. We have also conducted training in Canada and Mexico and have translated materials into Spanish. More specific to the topic we are discussing here today, in June 1999, we added a third focus, the University of Findlay Center for Terrorism Preparedness. The Nunn-Lugar 120 cities program was already under way. We realized, however, there were underserved populations, especially our smaller communities, which desperately needed first responder training. Certainly, our foresight has served us well. Working in concert with Dale Shipley, director of the Ohio Emergency Management Agency, Ohio's Governor Taft and his staff, the Medical College of Ohio, the Ohio Department of Health, and the Fire Marshall's office, we have prepared firefighters and police officers, emergency, medical, hospital, and school personnel, city and county officials, as well as public health workers. We enable communities to develop fully integrated preparation, response, and recovery programs. We have conducted terrorism preparedness training for first responders nationwide--on campus, onsite, and on-line. Further, for the last 3 years under grants from the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio, we have provided eight different first responder programs to more than 2,000 volunteer firefighters in 70 Ohio cities. We have trained them on weekends and evenings--the only viable time to work with volunteers. Well before September 11, the University of Findlay was training first responders. How have we changed since September 11? Here are a few examples. No. 1, the Ohio Emergency Medical Service Agency has asked us to spearhead a grant that will offer EMS providers training in domestic preparedness issues such as emergency response, terrorism preparedness, and bioterrorist response. No. 2, the Ohio Emergency Management Agency has asked us to develop and deliver a train-the-trainer curriculum for Ohio's first responders to the threat of terrorism. No. 3, our staff has developed a CD-ROM to prepare school employees in the event of terrorist attacks and other acts of violence. No. 4, in September, we were designated 1 of only 14 CDC Centers for Bioterrorism Preparedness. Points I would like to leave you with--Secretary Rumsfeld has mentioned that our mindset today is completely different from a year ago. Like it or not, terrorism is and will be a part of all of our lives. Given that terrorism is a fact in our lives, we must do everything possible to prevent it, yet prepare for it. In closing, as institutions of higher learning, we have a moral and ethical obligation to play a role, in a broader sense, of guaranteeing that we become a Nation of first responders. From community colleges to professional schools, we all know that terrorism response courses must be incorporated to educate all students preparing for any profession. The models exist. It is not necessary to start from square one. Complete eradication of terrorism is not likely, but complete response training is absolutely mandatory. Thank you. Senator Jeffords. Thank you. Let me start with you, Mr. Zirkle. It is impressive what you are doing and how effective you have been. How many similar institutions are there in this country like yours? None, I assume, but that is good. Mr. Zirkle. You are right. Good answer. [Laughter.] Senator Jeffords. Is that basically the case? Mr. Zirkle. That is basically the case, yes. We became involved, like I said, several years ago in emergency response training. That experience just sort of lent itself to the problem that we are facing today. When we started this 3 years ago, dealing with the terrorism, we had no idea that there was going to be such an event as September 11. But since it has happened, I guess it points out the need for this to an even greater degree. Senator Jeffords. Thank you. That is discouraging, at the same time, very encouraging what you do, that we do not have more available institutions--junior colleges or anything? Mr. Zirkle. I suspect that what you will see is more people moving into that direction. We think the model that we have developed and perfected over the last number of years is one that can be used in many other institutions, and we are exploring that very fact right now. As a matter of fact, we are working with a community college in Ohio to look at setting up a cooperative situation with them. We see that as sort of a pilot project. We think it is something that can be distributed across the entire country. Senator Jeffords. Of course, as you know, a lot of the universities are using the Internet and expanding their capacities in that regard. It is another thing that certainly somebody ought to look at. Mr. Zirkle. We are involved. We have students taking this program right now in 19 different States using Internet at this very moment. But one thing we have found out. We have the hands-on training scenarios at the University. We have a site off-campus. We have railroad cars and tank cars. We can really focus on almost any type of situation there. We have found that the people who go through that, with the hands-on experience, are those who remember it for the longest. It has the greatest impact. We think there are several steps that can be taken until we can get to that point for everyone, but I think ultimately you are going to have to have that type of scenario approach as well. Senator Jeffords. That is very helpful. Mr. O'Neil, can you please discuss any mutual aid agreements currently in place with the city of Burlington and other localities in Vermont? Can you discuss Vermont's State role in these operations? Chief O'Neil. Yes, there are multiple mutual aid agreements throughout the State, and specifically in the Chittenden County area. Perhaps one of the best examples I can give you is the city of Burlington received mutual aid from the communities surrounding it, such as South Burlington, Shelburne, Winooski, Mallets Bay, and Colchester-Center Fire Department. So that system works out adequately, but there again the interoperability question comes in where the radio systems are not compatible to each other, and that is something that the communities are working on and have worked on for the last couple of years. Senator Jeffords. What are they doing? Is the State helping them or coordinating it or what? Chief O'Neil. We have approached the State on a number of occasions to deal with that issue, and apparently the funding has not been available to move forward on that. We have suggested a few different scenarios to them, but as I said, the adequate funding is not in place at this point. Senator Jeffords. Well, thank you. I was able to get a little help to your department from the Federal grant. How effective has that been? How helpful? Chief O'Neil. That has been very effective throughout the State. In fact, in talking with State Senator Illuzzi a few weeks ago about that very issue, is that it is a great start and it is very well appreciated and very much needed. I think that if that continues to be ongoing along with this program and the Fire Act program, I think that the State will be able to bring its response level up to a need that is adequate. Senator Jeffords. I heard from my benefactor in that, the Appropriations Committee, however they said don't come back next year. So I just wanted to warn you. [Laughter.] Chief O'Neil. We appreciate the effort, that is for sure. Senator Jeffords. Yes. OK. Mr. Wilson, we have heard discussion of mutual aid agreements, and I know you are heavily involved with firefighters across the State of Oregon, many of whom are of course volunteers. Is your State currently utilizing mutual aid agreements? If you can, sir, would you discuss your experiences with them? Chief Wilson. Yes, Mr. Chairman. In the Portland metropolitan region and then across the State, we have very mature mutual aid agreements. The city of Portland on its borders has the city of Vancouver, which is in the State of Washington; the city of Gresham; Clackamas County Rural Fire Protection District; and Tualatin Valley Rural Fire Protection Districts. Not only do we have mature mutual aid agreements that have worked time and eternity, they are actually built into the automatic dispatch so the closest unit is dispatched no matter what community is paying their salary. This is all done free of charge on a reciprocal basis. Statewide, under the State Conflagration Act, certain types of fires, primarily in the wild land and urban interface, the State helps coordinate mutual aid assistance, and in fact, in some cases, compensates those departments that are responding from a great distance from their home to the fire. Senator Jeffords. Mr. Fogg, I am interested in the role that the State will play in preparing first responders. Given your past experience as a State emergency manager, can you please discuss what you see as the role of the States in preparing first responders? Also, can you discuss how States can ensure that local governments receive adequate funding under this initiative? Mr. Fogg. I guess I would start by answering the last one first. I think there is a very consistent track record with the States through the whole disaster preparedness and response system that State emergency management has been fair about distributing resources and seeing that resources get to the local level, and not taking a lot off the top, so to speak. In terms of how the role that emergency management plays in making sure that local first responders have what they need not only in equipment, but in training and in their mutual aid relationships and everything else, I will go back to that. This is not just about terrorism. It is about preparedness for all hazards. Emergency management looks and has a history of looking at the whole system--how do we put all the resources together to best complement and supplement each other? Instead of a community-by-community approach, they look at a region within a State; look at a statewide approach; even look at an inter-State approach toward getting those local first responders, those incident commanders--and we all know that the local incident commander is in charge--see that they get what they need, when they need it, and that they get what they asked for. There is a track record there. We have been doing this I think quite successfully for years. As an example, a lot of the training that comes through the Fire Academy has been managed or coordinated through the State Offices of Emergency Management. That training has been developed jointly between emergency management, fire and in some cases law enforcement folks to make sure that the local first responders are getting the training they need, and that they train together. That is a key issue here. It is one of the things emergency management brings to the table. It does not have a vested interest and it tries to make sure that everybody gets what they need and that they work together--work together, train together, and build a plan and a response capability together. Senator Jeffords. Thank you, and thank you all for that very helpful testimony. We always reserve the right to bludgeon you with questions for the mail. I would say do not stand by your mailbox, but anyway, we may have some more questions for you. You are the front-line people and the Nation depends upon you. I am confident as we finish your testimony today that certainly we have got a good system, but it obviously can improve and we all know that. Our job now is to get out there and improve it. Thank you very much for your testimony. [Whereupon at 4:13 p.m., the committee was adjourned, to reconvene at the call of the chair.] [Additional statements submitted for the record follow:] Statement of Hon. Christopher S. Bond, U.S. Senator from the State of Missouri Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for calling this important hearing on FEMA's First Responder Initiative. This hearings is critical to developing the budget priorities for FEMA, especially the new priorities that are central to the public safety concerns of the Nation as we seek to minimize the risk of terrorism and its consequences. The cowardly terrorist attacks on September 11th on the Pentagon, the World Trade Center and in Pennsylvania is one of the saddest days in the history of our Nation. However, I can personally attest that the spirit of the American people has never been stronger or more caring. Last month, I visited Ground Zero, I talked with survivors as well as many of the heroic men and women who continue to rebuild from our losses in the aftermath of this terrible tragedy. I have never been more touched or more proud of our Nation's ability to stand tall, and to stand unbowed. Nevertheless, we must do more to ensure that States and localities have the needed resources, training and equipment to respond to threats and acts of terrorism and the consequences of such acts. In response, the President is proposing to fund FEMA at an unprecedented $3.5 billion for fiscal year 2003 as a further down payment to ensure that the Nation will not be caught unaware again by a cowardly act of terrorism and is fully capable of responding to both the threat and consequence of any act of terrorism. These FEMA funds are targeted to States and localities and are intended to create a safety net of First Responders with firefighters, law enforcement officers and emergency medical personnel at its heart. Despite the response to September 11th, the current capacity of our communities and our First Responders vary widely across the United States, with even the best prepared States and localities lacking crucial resources and expertise. Many areas have little or no ability to cope or respond to a terrorist attack, especially ones that use weapons of mass destruction including biological or chemical toxin. I have met with volunteer fire departments around Missouri in the last few weeks and Missouri's USAR has great appreciation for interest. Real dedication. The recommended commitment of funding in the President's Budget is only the first step. There needs to be a comprehensive approach that identifies and meets State and local First Responder needs, both rural and urban, pursuant to Federal leadership, benchmarks and guidelines. As a result, the roles of the Office of Homeland Security and FEMA need to be articulated clearly, especially if the Administration expect the Congress to move the responsibility for law enforcement officers as First Responders from the Department of Justice to FEMA. We also need to address the fears of local fire departments, especially rural departments, that some fire departments will be shortchanged if FIRE Act Grant funds are merged into these First Responder funds and block granted to States. The FIRE Act Grants program works very well and I am not inclined support the removal of a program that is a hallmark of success. Finally, I will be introducing a bill that would establish clear authority with a funding authorization of $150 million for fiscal year 2003 for a National Urban Search and Rescue Response System. The Nation currently is served by 28 Urban Search and Rescue Task Forces which proved to be a key resource in our Nation's ability to quickly respond to the tragedy of September 11th. These task forces currently are underfunded and underequipped, but, nonetheless, are committed to be the front-line soldiers for our local governments in responding to the worst consequences of terrorism at the local level. I believe we have an obligation to realize fully the capacity of these 28 search and rescue task forces to meet First Responder events. I hope you will support this legislation. While I understand that the Administration believes it currently has adequate legislative authority to meet all First Responder support requirements through FEMA, the truth is that the urban search and rescue teams have been underfunded while continuing to perform at the highest levels because they believe in what they do and understand the importance of their mission. It is time to ensure their ability to meet their mission as First Responders. Thank you. __________ Statement of Hon. Joseph M. Allbaugh, Director, Federal Emergency Management Agency introduction Good afternoon Chairman Jeffords, Ranking Member Smith and members of the Committee. I am Joe Allbaugh, Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Thank you for the opportunity to brief you today on FEMA's First Responder Initiative. I am honored to appear before a committee that has provided so much leadership in the areas of mitigation and disaster response and recovery. FEMA is the Federal Agency responsible for coordinating our Nation's efforts to mitigate against, prepare for, respond to and recover from all hazards. Our success depends on our ability to organize and lead a community of local, State, and Federal agencies, volunteer organizations, private sector entities and the first responder community. We know whom to bring to the table when a disaster strikes in order to ensure the most effective management of the response and recovery effort. We provide management expertise and financial resources to help State and local governments when they are overwhelmed by disasters. The Federal Response Plan (FRP) forms the heart of our management framework and lays out the process by which interagency groups work together to respond as a cohesive team to all types of disasters. This team is made up of 26 Federal departments and agencies, and the American Red Cross, and is organized into 12 emergency support functions based on the authorities and expertise of the members and the needs of our counterparts at the State and local level. Since 1992, in all manner of horrific natural disasters like the Northridge Earthquake and Hurricane Floyd and also in response to the Oklahoma City bombing and the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the FRP has proven to be an effective and efficient framework for managing all phases of disasters and emergencies. The FRP is successful because it builds upon existing professional disciplines, expertise, delivery systems, and relationships among the participating agencies. FEMA has strong ties to emergency management organizations--fire service, law enforcement and emergency medical communities--and we routinely plan, train, exercise, and operate together to remain prepared to respond and recover from all hazards. We learn from every disaster experience and incorporate these lessons wherever possible into our planning and processes to improve the next disaster response. For example, an assessment of the Oklahoma City bombing led to the creation of the FEMA Urban Search & Rescue teams as well as the processes for monitoring the long-term health of 1st responders. The World Trade Center and Pentagon disaster responses are no different. We have learned from both. We recognize that better personal protective equipment is needed for our first responders. More training and exercises, better communications and improved interoperability of the equipment, and enhanced medical response capabilities and mutual aid agreements are also needed. I am committed to ensuring that those needs are met. meeting the challenge ahead--office of national preparedness Although the challenge of meeting these needs may represent an expansion of our duties, in many respects, FEMA's role in responding to terrorist attacks was identified well before September 11th. On May 8, 2001, the President tasked me with creating the Office of National Preparedness (ONP) within FEMA to ``coordinate all Federal programs dealing with weapons of mass destruction consequence management within the Departments of Defense, Health and Human Services, Justice, and Energy, the Environmental Protection Agency, and other Federal agencies.'' Additionally, the ONP was directed to ``work closely with State and local governments to ensure their planning, training, and equipment needs are met.'' onp: mission and activities in support of the office of homeland security Following the September 11 attacks, the President appointed Governor Ridge to head the newly established Office of Homeland Security (OHS) with the charge to ``develop and coordinate the implementation of a comprehensive national strategy to secure the United States from terrorist threats or attacks.'' In carrying out this activity, the OHS was tasked to ``coordinate the executive branch's efforts to detect, prepare for, prevent, protect against, respond to, and recover from terrorist attacks within the United States.'' Since that time, FEMA has been working closely with Governor Ridge and the OHS, and other agencies to identify and develop the most effective ways to quickly build and enhance the overall domestic capability to respond to terrorist attacks. In consultation with OHS, FEMA will provide critical support for homeland security initiatives, particularly in the area of local and State capability building. FEMA will also have a significant role supporting the development of the national strategy, participating in interagency forums and working groups, including the Homeland Security Council and Policy Coordinating Committees, and contributing to the interagency budget strategy and formulation process. The Office of National Preparedness' (ONP) mission is to provide leadership in the coordination and facilitation of all Federal efforts to assist State and local first responders (including fire, medical and law enforcement) and emergency management organizations with planning, training, equipment and exercises necessary to build and sustain capability to respond to any emergency or disaster, including a terrorist incident involving a weapon of mass destruction and other natural or manmade hazards. FEMA has made the following changes to support this expanded mission to support the Office of Homeland Security: <bullet> Realigned preparedness activities from the Readiness, Response and Recovery Directorate to ONP; <bullet> Realigned all training activities into the U.S. Fire Administration to allow greater coordination between training for emergency managers and training for firefighters; <bullet> Moved the authority for credentialing, training and deploying Urban Search and Rescue teams from the Readiness, Response and Recovery Directorate to the U.S. Fire Administration. onp organization The ONP is organized in FEMA Headquarters under a Director (reporting directly to the FEMA Director) and supported by a Management Services Unit and four Divisions to carry out key its functions to coordinate and implement Federal programs and activities aimed at building and sustaining the national preparedness capability. The divisions and their functional responsibilities include the following: <bullet> Administration Division.--Provide financial and support services, and management of the grant assistance activities for local and State capability building efforts. <bullet> Program Coordination Division.--Ensure development of a coordinated national capability involving Federal, State, and local governments, to include citizen participation in the overall efforts to effectively deal with the consequences of terrorist acts and other incidents within the United States. <bullet> Technological Services Division.--Improve the capabilities of communities to manage technological hazard emergencies--whether accidental or intentional--and leverage this capability to enhance the capability for dealing with terrorist attacks. <bullet> Assessment and Exercise Division.--Provide guidance, exercises, and assessments and evaluate progress in meeting National goals for development of a domestic consequence management capability. We continue to work with all 55 States and territories and federally recognized Indian Tribes and Alaskan Native Villages to implement our current and other grant programs to assist State, Tribal and local government to enhance their capabilities to respond to all types of hazards and emergencies including chemical incidents, incidents involving radiological substances and natural disasters. first responder initiative In his FY 2003 Budget proposal, the President has requested that FEMA receive $3.5 billion to administer a major component of the Homeland Security efforts--the First Responder Initiative. Grants based on this initiative will give the first responder community-- firefighters, police officers, and emergency medical personnel-- critically needed funds to purchase equipment, train their personnel and prepare for a Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)/terrorist incident. The Office of National Preparedness (ONP) within FEMA will be responsible for administering these First Responder grants. Some of the goals established by ONP for the First Responder Initiative are as follows: Provide States and localities with the proper balance of guidance and flexibility so that the funds are used in the local areas where they are needed most; <bullet> Establish a consolidated, simple, and quick method for disbursing Federal assistance to States and localities; <bullet> Foster mutual aid across the Nation so that the entire local, State, Federal and volunteer network can operate together seamlessly; <bullet> Create an evaluation process to make sure that all programs are producing results and to direct the allocation of future resources, and; <bullet> Involve all Americans in programs to make their homes, communities, States and Nation safer and stronger. In achieving these objectives, FEMA will implement a procedure designed to speed the flow of resources to the States and localities. Federal funds will then be used to support State and local governments in four key areas: <bullet> Planning.--Providing support to State and local governments in developing comprehensive plans to prepare for and respond to a terrorist incident. <bullet> Equipment.--Allowing State and local agencies to purchase a wide range of equipment needed to respond effectively to a terrorist attack, including better, more interoperable communications equipment. <bullet> Training.--Provide training to first responders to respond to terrorist incidents and operate in contaminated environments. <bullet> Exercises.--Develop a coordinated, regular exercise program to improve response capabilities, practice mutual aid, and assess operational improvements and deficiencies. The First Responder Initiative builds upon existing capabilities at the Federal, State, and local level by providing needed resources to improve our response capabilities and strengthen our preparedness as a Nation. the role of the u.s. fire administration Our Nation's firefighters will continue to bear an increasing portion of the burden for Homeland Defense, responding to a variety of emergent issues including terrorism. The U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) will provide the Office of National Preparedness with essential support through its unique focus on training programs within the Federal Government. These programs are included in the Agency's mission-related preparedness and mitigation strategies. In addition, the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program remains an important element in supporting the most pressing needs of at-risk communities and fire service providers in reducing the loss of life and property from fire, including loss of life and injury to firefighters. As a result of the last year's appropriations, this Grant Program received $150 million that must be obligated by September 30 of the current fiscal year. An additional $210 million was received in the Emergency Supplemental that is expendable until September 30, 2003. We expect most of the supplemental appropriation will be obligated in fiscal year 2002 with almost all of the remainder obligated in the first quarter of fiscal year 2003. FEMA is happy to report that our on- line application system is up and running as of this month. I would like to again thank the Subcommittee for all of the support they have given to the fire community over the last few years. transfer of the office for domestic preparedness to fema The President's budget request also seeks to consolidate our Nation's preparedness efforts under one Federal Agency; the President has requested that the Office for Domestic Preparedness (ODP) be transferred from the Department of Justice to FEMA. With this proposal the President has shown true leadership in his willingness to address a long-standing problem--the need for central coordination among the myriad of Federal programs dealing with terrorism preparedness. Some 40 Federal Departments and Agencies have been involved in the overall effort to build the national capability for preparedness and response to the consequences of terrorist incidents. Many of these activities have been primarily focused on the development or enhancement of Federal capabilities to deal with terrorist incidents, including plans, personnel and physical security upgrades, and specialized resources such as protection and detection technology and response teams. Other Federal programs and activities are focused on building the local and State first responder and emergency management capabilities, to include the provision of resources and funding to support planning, training, exercises and equipment acquisition. Various independent studies and commissions have recognized the problems inherent in this uncoordinated approach. Several recommendations by the Gilmore Commission, for example, stress the importance of giving States and first responders a single point of contact for Federal assistance for training, exercises and equipment. In its second report issued in December 2000, the commission found that the ``organization of the Federal Government's programs for combating terrorism is fragmented, uncoordinated, and politically unaccountable.'' The Commission's third report issued seven key recommendations regarding State and local response capabilities. These seven recommendations included: <bullet> Consolidating Federal grant program information and application procedures; <bullet> Designing and scheduling Federal preparedness programs to include first responder participation; and <bullet> Establishing an information clearinghouse in OHS on Federal programs, assets, and agencies. These findings and recommendations have been echoed in numerous other Commissions and reports, by the first responder community, and by State and local governments. In recent testimony before the Congress, Chief Ray Alfred spoke on behalf of the International Association of Fire Chiefs. He stated: ``Some of my colleagues in the fires service have . . . spoken of their concerns as to the lack of a coordinated Federal effort, both in terms of the preparedness and support programs . . . and the seemingly endless Federal response capabilities that appear duplicative and continue to grow.'' In the post-9-11 environment, we can ill afford to wage turf battles that in effect protect the inefficiencies of the status quo. We must instead focus on the merits of a proposal that seeks to address duplication, shore up gaps, eliminate confusion and reduce complication. As the attacks of September 11th have drawn much comparison to the attacks of December 7, 1941, there is a forward to a book about Pearl Harbor that has been brought to my attention that speaks of the worst-case scenario in a government's preparation and response: ``Surprise, when it happens to a government, is likely to be a complicated, diffuse, bureaucratic thing. It includes neglect of responsibility but also responsibility so poorly defined or so ambiguously delegated that action gets lost . . . ``. . . It includes the contingencies that occur to no one, but also those that everyone assumes somebody else is taking care of. It includes straightforward procrastination, but also decisions protracted by internal disagreement. It includes, in addition, the inability of individual human beings to rise to the occasion until they are sure it is the occasion--which is usually too late,'' (Thomas Schelling, forward to Roberta Wohlstetter's Pearl Harbor: Warning and Decision). The Office of National Preparedness looks forward to building on the grant-making experience accumulated by ODP. The centralization of terrorism preparedness efforts will enable ONP to enhance the core ODP activities such as exercise development, training, and equipment acquisition to better address the needs of homeland defense. citizen corps In order to help Americans strengthen their communities, President Bush tasked FEMA with overseeing Citizen Corps. This initiative is part of the overall effort of Freedom Corps, whose mission is to assist individuals and communities with implementing Homeland Security Programs in their areas. Since September 11, 2001, Americans are more aware than ever of the threat of terrorist acts on home soil. In the days following the attacks we saw immediate and selfless volunteering, generous monetary gifts, blood donations, and an outpouring of support and patriotism across America. Sustaining that spirit of volunteerism and unity is crucial to defending the homeland. Citizen Corp's broad network of volunteer efforts will harness the power of the American people by relying on their individual skills and interests to prepare local communities to effectively prevent and respond to the threats of terrorism, crime, or any kind of disaster. Citizen Corps will buildupon existing crime prevention, natural disaster preparedness, and public health response networks. Citizen Corps will initially consist of participants in the following five programs: the Volunteers in Police Service Program; an expanded Neighborhood Watch Program; the Medical Reserve Corps; Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT), and the Terrorism Information and Prevention System (TIPS). FEMA has the responsibility for approving additional programs to be affiliated with Citizen Corps in the future. Finally, Citizen Corps will bring together local government, law enforcement, educational institutions, the private sector, faith-based groups and volunteers into a cohesive community resource. The Federal role is to provide general information, to develop training standards and materials, and to identify volunteer programs and initiatives that support the goals of the Citizen Corps. moving forward In addition to the President's plan to provide greater assistance to First Responders, FEMA and ONP are currently implementing a number of other homeland security initiatives. We are working, for example, to foster intergovernmental mutual aid arrangements so that the entire local, State, Tribal, Federal and volunteer network can operate seamlessly together. ONP is in the process of establishing a national strategic exercise program that will ensure our first responders are as well trained and prepared as possible. It is also preparing a Report to Congress on Terrorism and Emergency Preparedness and Training that will include a complete accounting of these and all other Federal emergency and terrorism preparedness training programs and activities. In addition, we are continuing to use the Capability Assessment for Readiness (CAR) report as a means to locate gaps in preparedness, as well as unmet training needs. All of these activities will strengthen the nation's capability to respond to a terrorist incident. conclusion Operationally, FEMA is well prepared and equipped to respond to an act of terrorism. Following a manmade or natural disaster FEMA will ensure that the Federal Government and its partners provide needed support to disaster victims, first responders, and local governments. I look forward to working with each of you on this critical matter, as it will require a commitment from all of us to ensure its continued success. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I would be happy to answer any questions you have. ______ Responses by Hon. Joseph Allbaugh to Additional Questions from Senator Jeffords Question 1. In your testimony, you note that one mission of the Office of National Preparedness is to assist State and local communities with ``planning, training, equipment and exercises necessary to build and sustain capability to respond to any emergency or disaster, including a terrorist incident involving a weapon of mass destruction and other natural or manmade hazard.'' Given the fact that children will respond differently to such emergencies or disasters than adults and therefore will require specialized health care, what is ONP doing to ensure that various planning, training and exercise activities are adequately preparing communities to care for children? Similarly, what is ONP doing to ensure that all communities have the specialized equipment needed to care for children following a disaster or other emergency? Response. Because State and local governments are in the best position to determine the needs of their citizens, FEMA provides their representatives with funds and technical assistance to meet those needs, including the needs of their youngest citizens. Many of the issues that children will face in a terrorism event are similar to those they would experience in a natural disaster, i.e. fear of the unknown, what to do, etc. As a result, FEMA is well prepared with existing materials to assist children, and can easily adapt our existing information to address specific terrorism threats. Immediately following the September 11 attack FEMA put specific information on the website to address children's concerns, fears and questions. FEMA offers information on its website geared toward young people and their parents so they can understand and participate in their family's and community's preparedness for disasters and emergencies. FEMA has developed two sets of curriculum materials and lesson plans on emergency preparedness--one set geared toward grades K-8, the other for grades 9-12. FEMA has the ``FEMA for Kids'' and the ``USFA Kids Page'' websites, which provide children an interactive opportunity to learn about fire and disaster preparedness and safety. Also, FEMA provides a range of disaster public education materials for family preparedness, including the following brochures: Your Family Disaster Plan, Your Family Disaster Supplies Kit, and Helping Children Cope with Disaster. These publications and curriculum materials were developed jointly by FEMA and the American Red Cross, as part of FEMA's Community and Family Preparedness program. If Congress approves the proposed First Responder Initiative, FEMA will administer a program of grants to States, to be used by States and localities for identifying and addressing their needs in emergency preparedness, which should and must include the needs of children. Additionally, some communities have reached out to their young people through the Community Emergency Response Team concept. The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program helps train people to be better prepared to respond to emergency situations in their communities. CERT members give critical support to first responders in emergencies, provide immediate assistance to victims, organize spontaneous volunteers at a disaster site, and collect disaster intelligence to support first responder efforts. Allowing someone under 18 to participate is a local decision. Winter Springs High School in Florida, for example, offers the training to high school students. CERT is a great way to address the community service requirements for high school students and provides students with useful skills. CERT also fits nicely with training given to Boy and Girl Scouts and the Civil Air Patrol. Over 170 communities have listed their program on the CERT website under the Directory of CERT Programs by State. Over the next 2 years, the CERT program aims to double the number of participants, with over 400,000 individuals completing the 18-plus hours of training. Communities in 28 States have initiated CERT training and additional Train-the-Trainer sessions will be held over the next year to expand the program throughout the United States. Question 2. You indicate that FEMA's oversight of the Citizen Corps will include efforts to develop training standards and materials for the Citizen Corps network. Two key programs within this network that will be called upon to provide medical care after an disaster or other emergency are the Medical Reserve Corps and the Community Emergency Response Teams (CERTs). Given the likelihood that children will require care following a disaster or other emergency, what mechanisms are in place to ensure that the training standards and materials the Medical Reserve Corps and CERTs receive will adequately prepare them to treat and care for children? Response. The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) will assist communities with coordinating and training for Medical Reserve Corps volunteers. This oversight will help ensure that the training and materials Medical Reserve Corps volunteers receive adequately prepares them to treat and care for all members of the community, including children. Medical Reserve Corps volunteers will provide additional manpower to augment emergency medical response teams during an emergency and will also play a productive role in meeting non-emergency but pressing public health needs of the community throughout the year. CERT members, generally people who do not have the medical background required to be a part of the Medical Reserve Corps, are trained in very basic medical response skills. These skills are to treat immediate life-threatening injuries of both adults and children. Team members learn how to stop bleeding, treat for shock, open airways, triage victims, and provide on-going care until professional help arrives. Some CERT members take additional training such as advanced first aid, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and automatic external defibrillators, but this is not required. CERT members are told the best source of help following an emergency or disaster is professionally trained responders. Because immediate professional help may be overwhelmed due to the number of victims, or may be delayed due to communication or transportation failures, the most immediate source of help will be people in the area. People will try to help each other and CERT training prepares neighborhood and workplace teams for this role. Question 3. According to your testimony, one role FEMA will be undertaking with respect to the Citizen Corps is the development of general information to help local communities effectively prevent and respond to threats of terrorism, crime or other disasters. Knowing that effective response planning and preparedness efforts must specifically consider children's needs in times of disaster, what safeguards are in place to ensure that FEMA's information adequately addresses the unique health needs of infants, children, adolescents and young adults? Response. The safeguards that are in place to ensure that information developed by FEMA in cooperation with our partners addresses the unique health needs of infants, children, adolescents and young adults are based on two basic principles, tested and proven over time: (1) coordination among the range of authoritative sources of the expertise required to prepare for all of the ways in which each kind of disaster or crime can injure or kill children and youth, including their special vulnerabilities because of age and inexperience; and (2) the science, engineering and associated methods of analysis and evaluation that can assure the validity of data, information and the results that are made available to the relevant professions, families and caregivers as well as to the general public. The coordination is accomplished through administrative management arrangements among responsible agencies--the heart of interagency coordination. Second, quality control is drawn from the methods of scientific inquiry and analysis and the accumulated knowledge and expertise of those qualified to understand its application to the health and medical needs of infants, children, adolescents and young adults in emergencies and disasters--as well as the needs of mature adults, the elderly, those challenged by a range of permanent injuries and disabilities, and those whose social, geographic, economic, ethnic and linguistic circumstances limit their ability to get the help they need to prevent or deal with threats of death and injury. FEMA and its Federal Response Plan partners have an impressive array of emergency public information and disaster public education materials, including a number that are relevant to the young. FEMA for Kids, on the web at http://fema.gov/kids, is designed for children and for those responsible for their care and education. Most publications listed there are available both in print and on our websites in a form to be downloaded. Many of these are already identified and are being reviewed to determine needed modification to meet the needs of the War on Terrorism. They will also be upgraded in other ways, based on recent experience, research and lessons learned. Among those in FEMA's library of materials are the following that are pertinent to the young: <bullet> Helping Children Cope with Disaster (English & Spanish) <bullet> The Disaster Twins: The Adventures of Julia and Robbie (English & Spanish) <bullet> Jason and Robin's Awesome Hurricane Adventure (Comic book and video) <bullet> Adventures of the Disaster Dudes (video) <bullet> Disaster Preparedness Coloring Book (English & Spanish) <bullet> Your Family Disaster Plan (English & Spanish) (Includes information for helping children as their families form disaster plans.) <bullet> Your Family Disaster Supplies Kit (English & Spanish) <bullet> Are You Ready? A Guide to Citizen Preparedness <bullet> Family Earthquake Safety Home Hazard Hunt and Drill <bullet> Tremor Troop: Earth Quakes (K-3 Curriculum) and Seismic Sleuths (4-6 Curriculum) (These are used with a train-the-trainer course for teachers to take before introducing the curriculum package in their school systems.) <bullet> Multi-Hazard Program for Schools (Training course for school emergency planning team, adapted for school violence and includes possibility of terrorist event.) Curricula in process: <bullet> Risk Watch: Natural Hazards Curriculum K-8, National Fire Protection Association. <bullet> Natural Hazards. (Grades 8-12). Internet and interactive CD ROM under development with FEMA sponsorship at Purdue University Agricultural Center for 4-H and other youth programs. The specific safeguards include U.S. Public Health Service primacy and interagency clearance of information materials that are developed for or adapted to the health and medical consequences of terrorism. Participating Departments and Agencies follow the principles of coordination among lead and support agencies for each Emergency Support Function (ESF) under the Federal Response Plan (FRP) for disaster response and recovery, including operational guidance as well as public information for public health and medical care in preparedness and response to terrorism by government agencies at all levels. The U.S. Public Health Service, Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), has primary responsibility to provide assistance for public health and medical care needs (ESF 7), and is the lead Agency for approving health and medical information materials that will be available through FEMA. One area in particular, psychological counseling for disaster trauma authorized as a service under disaster relief provisions of the Stafford Act, already includes special expertise for counseling children through the National Disaster Medical System, and has been applied to incidents of school violence as well as Presidentially declared major disasters. The lead agencies and associated organizations that will be actively involved in the development of emergency public information and disaster public education materials are the Office of Emergency Preparedness, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; Food Safety and Inspection Service, and State Cooperative Education and Extension Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture; National Weather Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce; U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. Department of the Interior; the American Red Cross; the National Fire Protection Association; the International Association for Emergency Management; and the Institute for Business and Home Safety. An informal, interagency National Disaster Education Coalition (NDEC) at the staff level has served for several years to coordinate updating of disaster public education materials, to coordinate technical input from lead agencies and reach consensus on effective messages for the public that are technically correct and consistent, so they will not confuse the public by differences in language or emphasis. These include some protective measures to prevent injury and death. Second, the U.S. Fire Administration, along with FEMA, chairs and administers the Federal Interagency Committee on Emergency Medical Services (FICEMS), which serves as a forum to establish and facilitate effective communications and coordination between and among Federal departments and agencies involved in activities related to EMS. Other participating Departments and Agencies include U.S. Department of Health and Human Services/Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, U.S. Department of Defense, Veterans Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation/National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, U.S. Department of Interior/Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Indian Affairs and National Park Service, U.S. Department of State/Agency for International Development, U.S. Department of Justice/Office of Justice Programs and Federal Bureau of Investigation, and U.S. Department of Labor/Occupational Safety and Health Administration. FICEMS develops recommendations that will: <bullet> Strengthen the communication and coordination of Federal policies and programs; <bullet> Promote harmony and avoid duplication of efforts; <bullet> Promote uniformity of standards and policies consistent with existing Federal laws and regulations regarding EMS. FICEMS also maintains a liaison with national EMS trade and professional organizations to ensure effective two-way communications concerning EMS issues, committee policies and programs, and Federal activities related to EMS. FEMA was last involved in a major effort to develop appropriate standby public information concerning terrorism during Desert Shield and Desert Storm. FEMA worked with other members of the Special Working Group's Chemical, Biological and Radiological Research and Development Subgroup (CBRRDS), drawing on published U.S. military and NATO guidance for military personnel, and public information issued daily to the public on television and in the Jerusalem Post during Scud missile attacks and the Iraqi threat of chemical and biological agents. The information assembled at that time addressed incendiary and explosive events as well as chemical, biological and radiological weapons of mass destruction. Current understanding of threats and hazards from terrorism requires a more extensive analysis of the innovative ways in which terrorists might utilize the range of weapons they have employed or threatened to use, cyber- and agro-terrorism, as well as identifying potential means of terrorism not yet identified, health effects, and preventive and treatment information for the general public. As the interagency groups address the current need, they will also draw on sponsored research in Government scientific organizations and laboratories, Government-sponsored research and engineering programs in universities, the National Academy of Science/National Research Council, which have conducted disaster research for decades and have an illustrious history of bringing the cutting edge of science to national security problems, and established authorities in industrial sabotage and terrorism with potential for direct or intended indirect health and medical consequences. __________ Responses by Hon. Joseph Allbaugh to Additional Questions from Senator Smith Question 1. There has been some question as to whether FEMA is the right Agency to lead the First Responder programs, specifically as it relates to the relocation of the Office of Domestic Preparedness: There are few points that have been raised that I would like you to address: (1) FEMA is not a grant Agency (2) ODP programs are primarily law enforcement (3) They already have training facilities; and (4) Is FEMA the best option to act as the coordinating Agency Response. Consistent with its responsibility for consequence management, over the last several years FEMA has provided training as well as preparedness planning assistance, technical guidance, and exercise support to State emergency management organizations and first responders in the fire service, emergency medical, and law enforcement communities. Since 2000, FEMA has administered approximately $6.9 billion in grants on a multitude of programs. In addition, FEMA regularly reimburses law enforcement agencies through grants to the States for their response in all-hazard disasters, particularly for emergency protective measures. FEMA's mission regarding the First Responder Initiative will be to provide leadership in the coordination and facilitation of this program. FEMA will serve as the ``single point of contact'' for State and local governments. Consolidating and simplifying Federal grant program information and application procedures was recommended by a number of Commissions as well as State and local agencies. FEMA has an established history of working with State and local governments and the first responder community to prepare for, mitigate against, and respond to natural disasters. Our core mission is to provide leadership and support to reduce the loss of life and property and to protect our Nation's institutions from all types of hazards through a comprehensive, risk-based, all-hazards approach. As evidenced in the Federal Response Plan, FEMA coordinates all facets of emergency management without directly ``owning'' many of the specific programs and activities. This permits FEMA to remain unbiased, allowing us to coordinate programs in the most effective manner possible. FEMA has experience in providing grants for both day-to-day preparedness and disaster recovery efforts. FEMA has particular experience in working with law enforcement organizations for emergency management functions, and regularly reimburses law enforcement agencies through grants to the States for their response in all-hazard disasters, particularly for emergency protective measures. Through the National Emergency Training Center in Emmitsburg, FEMA offers a nationwide program of instruction for emergency management officials through its regional offices. Most of this training is conducted in partnership with State emergency management offices and the Metro Chiefs organization. Courses include Introduction to Emergency Management; Emergency Planning; Developing Volunteer Resources; Exercise Design; Community Emergency Response Training; Disaster Response and Recovery Operations; Emergency Operations Center (EOC) Management and Operations; Strategic Considerations for Command Officers, among others. In many respects, FEMA has already been helping to coordinate the training conducted by ODP. ODP training is based on National Fire Protection Association standards, and ODP staff has established regular and recurring meetings with the National Fire Academy to discuss and coordinate WMD training development. In essence, staff currently at ODP will be performing these same functions simply at FEMA where the coordination already exists. FEMA is well qualified to coordinate First Responder assistance programs by virtue of our mission, capabilities, and experience. FEMA's statutory mission is to help States and localities prepare for disasters--natural or man made--by carrying out exercises, providing grants, and offering training and technical assistance. FEMA derives this authority from its primary disaster relief and assistance statute, the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, as amended (42 U.S.C. 5121 et. seq.). Question 2. Could you provide us background on where things stand at the Office of National Preparedness: what are the priorities, resource needs and timeline for developing a long-term plan and becoming fully operational? What is the process for the development of the plan? Response. The Office of National Preparedness' (ONP) mission is to provide leadership in the coordination and facilitation of all Federal efforts to assist State and local first responders (including fire, medical and law enforcement) and emergency management organizations with planning, training, equipment and exercises necessary to build and sustain capability to respond to any emergency or disaster, including a terrorist incident involving a weapon of mass destruction and other natural or manmade hazards. FEMA has made the following changes to support this expanded mission: <bullet> Realigned preparedness activities from the Readiness, Response and Recovery Directorate to ONP; <bullet> Realigned all training activities into the U.S. Fire Administration to allow greater coordination between training for emergency managers and training for firefighters; <bullet> Moved the authority for credentialing, training and deploying Urban Search and Rescue teams from the Readiness, Response and Recovery Directorate to the U.S. Fire Administration. The ONP is organized in FEMA Headquarters under a Director (reporting directly to the FEMA Director) and supported by a Management Services Unit and four Divisions to carry out its functions to coordinate and implement Federal programs and activities aimed at building and sustaining the national preparedness capability. The divisions and their functional responsibilities include the following: <bullet> Administration Division--Provide financial and support services, and management of the grant assistance activities for local and State capability building efforts. <bullet> Program Coordination Division--Ensure development of a coordinated national capability involving Federal, State, and local governments, to include citizen participation in the overall efforts to effectively deal with the consequences of terrorist acts and other incidents within the United States. <bullet> Technological Services Division--Improve the capabilities of communities to manage technological hazard emergencies--whether accidental or intentional--and leverage this capability to enhance the capability for dealing with terrorist attacks. <bullet> Assessment and Exercise--Provide guidance, exercise, and assess and evaluate progress in meeting National goals for development of a domestic consequence management capability. We continue to work with all 50 States and territories to implement our current and other grant programs to assist State, Tribal and local government to enhance their capabilities to respond to all types of hazards and emergencies. ______ Responses by Hon. Joseph Allbaugh to Additional Questions from Senator Voinovich Question 1. When will FEMA coordinate the collection of information from Federal agencies like EPA and NIOSH and make a report to Congress and First Responder teams detailing the types and levels of exposure to toxins at the World Trade Center site? Response. This information is already being collected and analyzed by the New York City Department of Health and the New York State Department of Health and associated academic institutions, as part of a number of ongoing research and analysis activities being coordinated with the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS). Question 2. What medical surveillance systems does FEMA currently have in place that will track the occurrence of adverse health (specifically respiratory) reactions for First Responders at Ground Zero? Response. As we watched the images of fire and smoke on September 11 and the days that followed, FEMA immediately recognized problems with air quality and the potential risk to rescue worker health. FEMA moved quickly to assign a mission for air monitoring to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), through the Federal Response Plan. EPA monitoring results were reported during twice-daily interagency briefings. This information was conveyed to emergency teams in the field. FEMA coordinated efforts with local incident management officials and supporting Federal agencies, including EPA, to determine and specify levels of personal protective equipment needed for rescue workers. Appropriate levels of personnel protective equipment are largely based on the presence of harmful agents found during monitoring. A P-100 cartridge respirator was determined to provide an appropriate level of protection for those working at Ground Zero. FEMA procured, delivered and supplied this equipment onsite. On February 20, 2002, the Director requested the Urban Search and Rescue Task Force leaders to identify Task Force personnel deployed to the WTC, in an effort to identify those personnel who believed they may have a medical condition related to the event. They were instructed to contact FEMA's Workers' Compensation Center to record, file and if necessary, process health-related claims for all National Urban Search & Rescue workers who responded to Ground Zero and the Pentagon. When medical treatment is required, the Compensation Center works with the Department of Labor's Office of Workers Compensation Program to establish a case number and ensure needed medical attention. FEMA has surveyed all participating Task Forces to develop data on the members who worked these disasters, and to determine the amount of time they worked in the impacted areas. The Task Forces continue to submit information to FEMA for compilation and tracking. FEMA has also provided $9 million to the Public Health Service to conduct baseline testing of first responders. Blood samples were taken from 11,000 fire fighters and 4,000 New York State employees. Records on file will ensure future medical treatment coverage should that be needed. This system, as established, will allow the Agency to monitor the nature and extent of illnesses associated with US&R personnel involved in the September 11 response. FEMA is monitoring the US&R responder health issues and processing all workers compensation claims received from the Task Forces. Question 3. How will FEMA ensure that the funds allocated to this First Responder Initiative will not be used to augment the Firefighters Grant Program? Response. The two programs are fundamentally different in that the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program is designed to provide basic assistance directly to local fire departments and the First Responder Program is designed to provide assistance to the local governments through the State for specialized WMD training and equipment. The Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program is currently underway. FEMA will be distributing the entire $360 million fiscal year 2002 appropriation by the end of this calendar year. The Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program provides basic needs, including firefighting gear and equipment, personal protective clothing, firefighting vehicles, etc. The First Responder Program is far more specialized than the basic fire grant program. It is designed to provide WMD equipment and training. This is The First Responder Program will help to increase the level of preparedness for our first responders above and beyond their basic day-to-day responsibilities. While it is true that there is some overlap on certain protective equipment and training due to recent changes in the Fire Grant statute, this will be the exception rather than the rule. Question 4. What challenges exist that may prevent FEMA from fulfilling the mission of this Initiative? What plans are underway to adequately overcome these challenges? Response. As numerous studies have reminded us all, the Federal Government's efforts related to terrorism preparedness are vast and complex. Our major challenge is to work constantly on our relationships, without becoming too overwhelmed with day-to-day urgent actions, so that there is a cooperative and willing exchange of information. Without constant attention to these relationships, we will have difficulty exercising leadership on program implementation. We are working on cementing interagency coordination and cooperation at the level of program implementation. We have held monthly meetings with senior representatives of our partner agencies to make them aware of what we are doing, invite their comments, and solicit information from them on their own efforts. We have detailees from several agencies to ensure close day-to-day coordination, and are still seeking detailees from others. We are continually discovering efforts that can be related and made to work together. The issue of communications interoperability is an excellent example of this coordination. FEMA along with the Department of the Treasury and are the managing partners for the Wireless Public Safety Interoperable Communications Program, or Project SAFECOM for short. Project SAFECOM is an interagency initiative, and all Federal Government programs and resources currently devoted to public safety wireless communications interoperability are to be consolidated under this initiative. The objective is to eliminate duplication, improve business processes, and ensure the successful delivery of interoperable wireless communications solutions to customers at the Federal, State and local levels. Question 5. How will FEMA ensure that local emergency management infrastructures become capable of handling the significant effort proposed in the President's budget and have the capacity to respond to disasters caused by terrorists as well as natural disasters? Response. The Office of National Preparedness will be hosting a series of meetings to solicit ideas from key stakeholders, including law enforcement, fire service, the emergency medical community, and State and local emergency management directors, and congressional staff, and on how to develop the first responder grant process. We are soliciting information on State and local grant management processes and capabilities, as well as any potential State and local legislative, regulatory, or budget hurdles to effective implementation of the program. We also will meet with of some of our key interagency partners to solicit their lessons learned from similar program efforts. We will provide planning guidance and technical assistance to State and local governments on the basis of what we learn in this process. FEMA also has experience working with State and local governments on very large post-disaster grants, and we will apply relevant lessons from that process to the effort. Precisely by readying the administrative side of the emergency management and responder community to receive and expend the grants, we will be setting the stage to increase local capacity to respond to terrorism and other disasters. The President's First Responder Initiative would provide $3.5 billion in funding to support planning, exercises, training, and equipment--including interoperable communications. If communities are interested in receiving these funds, then the Federal Government can create an incentive for all facets of the State and local response community to converge over time into a nationwide response system. For example, under the First Responder Initiative, it is proposed that participating in a mutual aid agreement be a condition of eligibility. The Federal Government would thereby create an incentive for communities to work together Regionally to pool their resources and plan together: all would benefit. To underpin this requirement, we have to develop a common language for discussing capabilities. Therefore, we are working with the National Emergency Management Association on a resource typing initiative. Initially, this is to support interstate mutual aid under the Emergency Management Assistance Compact, of which almost every U.S. State and Territory is a member, but its acceptance by States should lead over time to widespread local acceptance. Resource typing amounts to providing standard definitions of certain capabilities; for example, the definition for a certain type of team would specify its staffing, the training and certification of its various personnel, what equipment it brings, and what its logistical or sustainment requirements are. This provides a common language for requesting or planning for mutual aid, and for surveying what capability exists in the country. It is a necessary foundation for effective interstate and intrastate mutual aid arrangements, and we are excited to be working in this area because it will promote true interoperability over time. Either the standard resource typing definitions will lead to development of specific standards on training and equipment specifications, or de facto standards will evolve naturally as more communities work together across jurisdictional boundaries. Question 6. What assistance and/or training has FEMA offered to First Responder teams to help them understand and process Federal medical claims forms and reimbursement paperwork? Response. On February 20, 2002, the Director requested the Urban Search and Rescue Task Force leaders to identify Task Force personnel who deployed to the WTC, in an effort to identify those personnel who believed they may have a medical condition related to the event. They were instructed to contact FEMA's Workers' Compensation Center to record, file and if necessary, process health-related claims for all National Urban Search & Rescue workers who responded to Ground Zero and the Pentagon. When medical treatment is required, the Compensation Center works with the Department of Labor's Office of Workers Compensation Program to establish a case number and ensure needed medical attention. Records on file will ensure future medical treatment coverage should that be needed. This system allows the Agency to monitor the nature and extent of illnesses associated with US&R personnel involved in the September 11 response. FEMA continues to advise, instruct and inform Urban Search and Rescue workers regarding this process through several communications sources including: briefings, memos, and a US&R Newsletter. A brochure describing the FEMA Workers Compensation Program was also produced and delivered to US&R Task Forces. FEMA will also provide $20 million in funding to establish a comprehensive health registry to track the long-term health effects of all people (including first responders) who were subject to exposure from potential toxins in the post-collapse environment surrounding the World Trade Center. It will be done through an interagency agreement with the Agency for Toxic Substance and Disease Registry (ATSDR) of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). This interagency agreement is expected to be approved no later than the end of June. ______ Responses by Hon. Joseph Allbaugh to Additional Questions from Senator Clinton Question 1. First Responder Initiative.--Director Allbaugh, you described the First Responder Initiative as having four areas: planning, equipment, training, and exercises. As I'm sure you know, one of the biggest expenses for local communities is for overtime for first responders because of the incredible increased demands being placed on them for the purposes of homeland security. (ONP) Under the President's Initiative, would local communities be able to use funds for overtime expenses attributable to homeland security? If not, why not? With respect to funding getting to local communities, how will the Administration ensure that much-needed funds get to local communities quickly? Will all local communities: counties, cities, towns, etc. be eligible to receive funding? Who will determine what communities receive funding and in what amounts? How will the funding level for each State or locality be determined? If risk is involved in determining the funding level, how is risk defined and how would risk be measured for funding purposes? Response. Local communities will not be able to use the First Responder Initiative grants for overtime expenses attributable to homeland security. Overtime pay is part of an employee's salary and benefits package and therefore not eligible for grant funding. However, the funding will have a matching requirement, and in-kind matches will be allowable. This match can be part of the costs local governments have incurred paying overtime to employees who are providing coverage for other employees participating in exercises or training. Because grants will be managed by the States, FEMA will ensure that much-needed funds get to local communities quickly. Each State will submit an application for Federal assistance. FEMA will make awards, and the Governors will determine the allocation of funds among their localities. It is the intent of the program that the assistance will reach the local level within 30 days after the State receives its award from FEMA. States will follow their own laws and procedures when awarding and administering subgrants of financial assistance to localities and Indian tribal governments. All local communities will be eligible to receive funding. In fiscal year 2002, grant funds will be distributed based on population. In fiscal year 2003, each State will receive a base allocation of $5 million. The remaining funds will be distributed to each State based on population. States will be allowed to keep up to 25 percent of the funds (some Governors may chose to use this share to address statewide interoperable communications issues and to retain and strengthen some emergency management capabilities at the State level), with at least 75 percent distributed to local jurisdictions. Question 2. Health Monitoring.--Director Allbaugh, in your testimony, you mentioned the creation of processes for monitoring the long-term health of first responders in response to the Oklahoma City bombing. As you know, this is an issue that many of my colleagues on this Committee and I have a significant interest in. Can you please tell us how these processes are being implemented in response to the September 11 attacks on the Pentagon and the World Trade Center? Response. FEMA will provide $20 million in funding to establish a comprehensive health registry to track the long-term health effects of all people (including first responders) who were subject to exposure from potential toxins in the post-collapse environment surrounding the World Trade Center. It will be done through an interagency agreement with the Agency for Toxic Substance and Disease Registry (ATSDR) of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). This interagency agreement is expected to be approved no later than the end of June. In addition, on February 20, 2002, the Director requested the Urban Search and Rescue Task Force leaders to identify Task Force personnel who deployed to the WTC, in an effort to identify those personnel who believed they may have a medical condition related to the event. They were instructed to contact FEMA's Workers' Compensation Center to record, file and if necessary, process health-related claims for all National Urban Search & Rescue workers who responded to Ground Zero and the Pentagon. When medical treatment is required, the Compensation Center works with the Department of Labor's Office of Workers Compensation Program to establish a case number and ensure needed medical attention. Records on file will ensure future medical treatment coverage should that be needed. This system allows the Agency to monitor the nature and extent of illnesses associated with US&R personnel involved in the September 11 response. FEMA continues to advise, instruct and inform Urban Search and Rescue workers regarding this process through several communications sources including: briefings, memos, and a US&R Newsletter. A brochure describing the FEMA Workers Compensation Program was also produced and delivered to US&R Task Forces. Question 3. Personal Protective Equipment.--Director Allbaugh, in your testimony, you discussed four key areas in which Federal funds will be used as part of this new First Responders Initiative to support State and local governments. One of these areas is the purchase of a wide range of equipment needed to respond effectively. As you know, in the case of the World Trade Center, as Dr. Kerry Kelly, Chief Medical Officer for the New York City Fire Department, testified at our field hearing in New York City last month, respirators were not available for all members working at the site, certainly not in the first few days. Dr. Kelly also testified that many firefighters also found it more difficult to operate while wearing respirators, which seems to indicate that there is a need to develop new and improved equipment. Would funds be made available through this new Initiative for the purchase of personal protective equipment (respirators, etc.), as well as for the development of new, more innovative equipment that meets the needs of first responders working in a situation such as that experienced at the World Trade Center? Response. The First Responder Initiative provides funding to allow State and local first responder agencies to purchase a wide range of equipment needed to respond effectively to a terrorist attack, including personal protective equipment, chemical and biological detection systems, and interoperable communications gear. It is important that States and local governments, as part of their emergency preparedness planning, take into account the need for readily available equipment. It is also important that FEMA, working with other Federal agencies, identify where additional equipment can be obtained and utilize FEMA's strong logistics program to quickly deliver the requested resources to the areas affected. There is a wide variety of respiratory protective gear currently available for first responders and many new innovations are coming online. While the First Responder Grant Program does not have specific funding for research and development of new protective equipment, FEMA is working with the National Institute for Standards and Technology, the CDC, as well as several technology transfer think tanks, to look at technology that has been developed by the military, NASA and academia that can be made available to the first responder community to increase their level of protection and comfort. Question 4. Emergency Preparedness at Nuclear Power Plants.-- Director Allbaugh, in your testimony, you mention providing assistance to State and local governments to enhance their capabilities to respond to all types of hazards and emergencies including incidents involving radiological substances. As you know, there is significant concern in New York regarding the Indian Point nuclear power plant in Westchester County, New York where I happen to live. Can you please explain what role FEMA is playing in ensuring emergency preparedness at Indian Point and all nuclear power plants in the country in the wake of 9-11, particularly in light of reports by President Bush and others in the Administration that nuclear power plants are in fact a possible terrorist target? How will the new initiative specifically help to increase security at and around our Nation's commercial power plants? Response. FEMA is the lead Federal Agency for planning and preparedness for all types of peacetime radiological emergencies. This includes planning and preparedness for accidents at commercial nuclear power plants. In accordance with a Presidential Directive and Federal mandates, FEMA issues policy and guidance to assist State and local governments in developing and implementing their radiological emergency response plans and procedures. Much of this guidance is developed with the assistance of the Federal Radiological Preparedness Coordinating Committee (FRPCC) and its member agencies. FEMA-REP-14, ``Radiological Emergency Preparedness Exercise Manual'' and FEMA-REP-15, ``Radiological Emergency Preparedness Exercise Evaluation Methodology,'' have served as the principal documents which FEMA uses in planning and preparing for, conducting, and evaluating all REP exercises. These documents have been valuable tools for assessing the adequacy and implementability of State and local governments' radiological emergency preparedness plans and procedures. FEMA-REP-14 assists State and local offsite response organizations in planning, preparing for, and evaluating REP exercises. Specifically, FEMA-REP-14 provides basic guidance relative to the interpretation and application of the planning standards and evaluation criteria. These planning standards and evaluation criteria have been restated in FEMA- REP-14 in the form of 33 REP objectives which are to be demonstrated by the offsite response organizations at the REP biennial exercises. Each objective addresses the offsite response organization's capability to carry out specific radiological emergency functions such as communications, mobilization of emergency response personnel, dose assessment, protective action decisionmaking and implementation, public alerting and notification, evacuee monitoring and decontamination, etc. Similarly, FEMA-REP-15 assists FEMA and other Federal agencies in the uniform and consistent documentation of the performance of the offsite response organizations during REP exercises. REP exercises are designed to test the capability of offsite response organizations to protect the public health and safety through the implementation of their emergency response plans and procedures under simulated accident conditions. FEMA-REP-15 contains a set of 33 multi-page evaluation forms, one for each of the 33 REP objectives, consisting of a series of short questions or prompts (points of review) for each REP objective to facilitate the exercise evaluator's systematic collection and documentation of essential data and information required by FEMA and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission for making findings on the adequacy of offsite radiological emergency planning and preparedness. In the introduction of the First Responder Initiative, President Bush proposed increased funding to strengthen, build, and sustain first responder capabilities. With the support of Federal agencies as well as the States, these first responders have the ability to determine the success with which America handles attacks involving weapons of mass destruction, including radiological attacks. Question 5. Funds for New York City.--With congressional approval of the resources announced last week by the President to be included in the Supplemental appropriations request expected in the next week or two, there will be nearly $9 billion flowing through FEMA for debris removal, emergency construction contracts and rebuilding stemming from the attacks of September 11th. As I know you would agree from your several trips to Lower Manhattan over the past 6 months, these resources are tremendously important for New York's recovery. But as important as the availability of the dollars is removing the barriers that may currently exist in the Stafford Act to effectively using the dollars. I think its fair to say that the Stafford Act never imagined the type of act or magnitude of destruction that was thrust upon us on the 11th of September. And, as a result, New York has incurred costs directly related to the attacks but that don't fall into any of the boxes of reimbursable activities, such as: Salary for city employees for the thousands of hours of straight time for those pulled off their regular duties to respond to the attacks. We now have tremendous backlogs for various administrative activities, sanitation services, and correctional activities, to name a few. For example, security guards from correctional facilities were pulled off their normal duties to help with security at airports, tunnels, and bridges. Not surprisingly, we now have backlogs. Response. FEMA regulations provide that the straight time salaries of an applicant's regular employees will not be reimbursed for their disaster response duty because these salaries were budgeted already. Overtime of these employees is reimbursable. The work that is now required to deal with the administrative backlog is not eligible disaster work. Salaries, including overtime, of employees used to backfill positions while primary employees were deployed to emergency activities are eligible for reimbursement. There are, however, some activities for which neither the primary employee's salary nor the backfill employee's salary is eligible. When the attacks occurred, security at airports and many other facilities was increased. While these expenses were caused by the event, they were not in direct response to the event and are therefore ineligible. While a great deal of additional funding may be provided to FEMA for expenses in New York, there have been no changes to the Stafford Act or specific exceptions directed by Congress at this time. Therefore, it is incumbent upon FEMA to administer the disaster assistance program in accordance with that law. Question 6. Full compensation for the computers, dump trucks and other purchases that was necessary in responding to the attacks. The city had to make purchases not only to replace damaged and destroyed equipment, but additional purchases to develop a communication infrastructure, to keep records, and to haul trash, to name a few. These are purchases that would never have been made were it not for the attacks. Response. Equipment and supplies that are purchased for the performance of eligible emergency response activities are generally eligible for reimbursement. Extensive purchases for such items have been approved in the WTC disaster. However, durable equipment (i.e., cost over $5,000 per unit) must have its salvage value at the end of the emergency period returned to FEMA. These recoveries are evaluated individually and in many cases there may be no salvage value to be returned. Question 7. As you've heard in previous hearings, there is also the issue of what constitutes a critical service (non-critical service providers must first seek assistance through SBA). Response. The current definition of critical services comes directly from the amendments to the Stafford Act made by the Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 (P.L. 106-390) or from congressional guidance. Absent any further guidance, FEMA is not planning any changes to the list of facilities that are not required to apply for an SBA loan before requesting assistance from FEMA. ______ Response by Hon. Joseph Allbaugh to Additional Question from Senator Warner Question. I applaud the President's initiative to provide critical resources to local police, fire and rescue personnel. We saw first-hand how critical local fire and police were in responding to the attack on the Pentagon as Arlington County was the first onsite and ultimately became the on-scene coordinator for all recovery efforts. Also, every major fire department in the metropolitan Washington area provided critical resources to the Pentagon facility. Many of us are very interested in the criteria that FEMA will use to allocate the First Responder grant funds. I believe we all know that many local fire and police departments are the only resources to protect critical Federal installations. The Virginia example is very telling. We know that Arlington County, and other local departments, are the only responders for major Federal installations from the Pentagon to the CIA. Elsewhere in Virginia, local fire and police are the first responders to major defense installations in the Hampton Roads area. Can you tell me to what degree will protecting critical Federal facilities factor into FEMA's criteria for this new First Responder Initiative? Response. The First Responder Initiative will provide assistance to State and local governments to enhance the homeland security response capabilities of America's first responders and improve our ability to prepare for and respond to an act of terrorism. This initiative will give the first responder community critically needed funds to purchase equipment, train and exercise their personnel, and plan; and provide States and localities with the flexibility they require to ensure that the funds are used in the local areas where they are needed most. Critical facilities would be a key consideration in the development of State and local plans, training and exercise programs as well as the provision of equipment. FEMA plans to deliver these funds through grants to States. These funds will be allocated to States, with each State receiving a base amount and additional funds supplied by means of a population-based formula. This funding will provide for the needs of all 50 States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the territories, and insular areas. The program will be run through, and coordinated by States. As a condition of receiving these grants, States will submit their own plans, receive plans from local jurisdictions, and allocate funding based on locally driven needs identified through plans and assessments. We believe the States are in the best position to determine first responder needs in relation to critical facilities that are located within their jurisdictions. __________ Statement of Woodbury P. Fogg, P.E. on Behalf of National Emergency Management Association Mr. Chairman, Ranking Member Smith and Members of the Committee: Thank you for the opportunity to appear before you today to offer comments on the proposed first responder program. My name is Woody Fogg and I am testifying on behalf of the National Emergency Management Association (NEMA). Most recently, I served as the Director of the Office of Emergency Management for the State of New Hampshire for the past 4 years. As a member of NEMA, I have served as the Co-Chair for NEMA's Terrorism Committee. NEMA's members include the directors of emergency management for all the States and territories, who are responsible to their Governors for disaster mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery. This includes responsibility for terrorism consequence management and preparedness. Long before September 11, 2001, NEMA had established itself as a leader in providing input to Congress and Federal agencies on issues of domestic preparedness. States have been in the forefront of preparing for and responding to all types of disasters, both natural and man- made. We take an all-hazards approach to disaster preparedness and have integrated our domestic preparedness efforts into the proven systems we already use for dealing with both man-made and natural disasters. We also recognize clearly the value of prevention and mitigation in minimizing the consequences of disasters and we incorporate those considerations in all our efforts. proposed first responder program In my testimony today, I'm going to make five key points about the proposed first responder program: (1) All efforts need to be coordinated through the States; (2) State and local governments need programs to be flexible enough for personnel to manage; (3) Standards must be developed to ensure interoperability of equipment, communications, and training; (4) Mutual aid--both intrastate and interstate--is a key component to capacity building; and (5) State and local government must be fully, directly and continuously involved and consulted in the development of the National Domestic Preparedness Strategy. NEMA supports Federal efforts to increase emergency management capacity building at the State, territory, and local level for personnel, planning, training, equipment, coordination, and exercising. A significant Federal commitment must be made to give State, territorial, and local governments the tools to ensure adequate preparedness. While States have significantly increased their commitment to emergency management over the last decade, States are struggling with budgetary issues and the increased investments necessary to meet new demands. state coordination All efforts to increase emergency management capacity building must be coordinated through the States to ensure harmonization with the State emergency operations plan, ensure equitable distribution of resources, and to synthesize resources for intra-state and inter-state mutual aid. Also, the Stafford Act, which governs the way disaster assistance is allocated, firmly and successfully uses States and Governors as the managers of Federal disaster relief funds for local governments which are over-taxed and need assistance when disasters occur. States understand the need to get funding to the first responders and have long coordinated statewide and regionally to ensure adequate State assistance to local governments for emergency preparedness and response. There is no question that most of the $3.5 billion proposed first responder grant funds need to get to police, fire fighters, emergency medical workers, and other front-line local responders--after all, disasters are local in nature. The health community must not be forgotten and must be integrated into all planning, training, and exercising under the State emergency operations plan. We can effectively ensure this by working through the States to build on the needs identified in the plans that FEMA, the Department of Justice, and other agencies have required statewide. Further, because this is a national emergency and States are in difficult fiscal situations, we must we wary of programs that would require significant matches. If a significant match is required, the application of this initiative will only go to those agencies and governments that can fiscally afford the match and not necessarily where the need is greatest. flexibility for personnel to manage the program State emergency managers need to have a commitment for sustained Federal resources and the flexibility to insure the hiring and training of sufficient professional personnel to manage the expanding antiterrorism programs. We are concerned that an influx of funding programs from the Federal Government could detract from our ``all hazards'' approach and we will have to turn our focus away from natural disaster preparedness and response and thereby actually reduce overall preparedness and efficiency. Building a statewide (local, State and interstate) emergency management capability is key to ensuring preparedness across the board. Flexibility to use some of the first responder grants for personnel both at the State and local level to manage the programs is critical to completing the preparedness mission. NEMA has long advocated an increase in the only flexible source of Federal emergency management funding, the Emergency Management Performance Grant (EMPG). EMPG is the only line item in the FEMA budget that has not received an increase in the last decade, yet it is the only consistent source of Federal funding for State and local capacity building. As an existing funding stream, EMPG could be used to hire State and local staff to manage critical programs and build the incremental emergency management capacity to prepare for the first responder grants and the coordination that will be required execute the program. State and local government emergency management is over-stressed and working to capacity to address the new environment. We need relief now, and in that vein we are requesting an additional $200 million in funding for EMPG in the April supplemental appropriations package. In 2000, a NEMA survey of the States revealed a $123 million shortfall in Federal funding of State and local emergency management programs. These funds will be a down payment for addressing the needs of emergency management. standards Standards must be developed to ensure interoperability of equipment, communications, and training across State, regional, and local jurisdictions. In terms of establishing voluntary minimum standards for the terrorism preparedness programs of State and local governments, NEMA offers itself as a resource in this area. Our organization, along with other stakeholder groups such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the International Association of Emergency Managers, National Governors' Association, National League of Cities, International Association of Fire Chiefs, and others, has developed and is implementing an Emergency Management Accreditation Program (EMAP). EMAP is a voluntary standards and accreditation program for State and local emergency management that is based on NFPA (National Fire Protection Association) 1600 Standard for Disaster/Emergency Management and Business Continuity Operations (an ANSI or American National Standards Institute approved standard) and FEMA's Capability Assessment of Readiness (CAR). Consequence management preparedness, response and recovery standards are being developed in conjunction with those for the traditional emergency management functions. NEMA suggests that these standards already being collaboratively developed through EMAP be considered in the development of minimum standards for training, exercises and equipment. Additionally, EMAP acceptance would provide the natural mechanism for Federal and State agencies to meet the requirements of the Government Performance Results Act (GPRA). EMAP has already completed a pilot phase in North Carolina and North Dakota and will begin receiving State program applications in April. Local pilots will begin this spring. mutual aid Mutual aid is a key to capacity building. A proven system we need to take advantage of for all domestic preparedness planning is the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC). EMAC is an interstate mutual aid agreement that allows States to assist one another in responding to all kinds of natural and man-made disasters. EMAC offers a quick and easy way for States to send personnel and equipment to help disaster relief efforts in other States. There are times when State and local resources are overwhelmed and Federal assistance is inadequate, inappropriate, too far away or unavailable. Out-of-state aid through EMAC helps fill such shortfalls. There are 46 States and two territories that are members of EMAC and other States and territories are considering joining. In response to 9-11, emergency managers from several States provided technical assistance and personnel support to New York through EMAC. A system like this enables experts and specialized equipment to be used across jurisdictions and regions based on the nature of a particular event. NEMA and FEMA are currently working together to standardize resource typing. By having commonly understood descriptions of resource packages, impacted jurisdictions will know just what they are going to get when they request each standard package. national domestic preparedness strategy NEMA has long requested for Congress to put in place an inclusive national framework for developing a National Domestic Preparedness Strategy and a single point of contact within the Federal Government that is accountable to Congress to coordinate the Federal efforts in implementation of that strategy. Please also note that we espouse a collaboratively developed national strategy, not just a Federal one. We now look forward to working with the Office of Homeland Security toward the development and implementation of that strategy. In addition to NEMA's ``Ten Principles for a National Domestic Preparedness Strategy'' adopted in 2000, we also developed a White Paper on Domestic Preparedness in the aftermath of 9-11 that is also supported by the Adjutants General Association of the United States, the Council of State Governments, International Association of Emergency Managers, and the National Guard Association of the United States. A copy of this White Paper is attached, along with NEMA's ``Ten Principles''. In any way possible, the Federal Government needs to coordinate efforts for domestic preparedness and avoid duplication of efforts and programs. We hope that State emergency managers and first responders from the State and local level will be invited to participate in development of the national preparedness strategy. conclusion Close coordination in the building of overall capacity to deal with truly catastrophic events is the key to success in assuring our Nation's preparedness against terrorism. One point that I would like to make is that one of the best demonstrations of the need for better Federal, State, private and local coordination on a regional basis was the TOPOFF exercise in 2000. TOPOFF was a congressionally mandated ``no-notice'' national exercise that was designed to assess the Nation's crisis and consequence management capabilities by exercising the plans, policies, procedures, systems and facilities through Federal, State and local responses to a challenging series of ``no- notice'', integrated, geographically dispersed terrorist threats and acts. Clearly, one of the biggest issues was the question of who was in charge of the scene. This held true in all of the venues--Portsmouth, Denver and Washington, DC. We need to ensure that those valuable Federal, State, local, and private relationships and trust are built and exercised before a disaster. TOPOFF was a valuable learning experience and we look forward to TOPOFF II, as well as a continuing series of regional and national exercises to continually refine and improve the system. Plans are nothing without exercises to assess and develop their effectiveness. There is a tested and proven ``All Hazards'' emergency preparedness and response system in place which integrates Federal. Federal, State, local, and private organizations. We need to buildupon and enhance that system, not create a new one. States must continue to serve as the bridge between the Federal Government and the first responders at the local level in order to most effectively coordinate the Nation's catastrophic response capabilities. Domestic preparedness funding programs must be structured to allow local and State emergency managers the flexibility to hire personnel needed to effectively carry out these programs. Equipment and training alone will not meet the goal. NEMA asks Congress' help in ensuring State and local emergency management is fully and effectively represented in the development of the national domestic preparedness strategy. Thank you for your commitment to ensuring our Nation is as ready as we can be. [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] 83688.001 [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] 83688.002 [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] 83688.003 [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] 83688.004 [GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] 83688.005 Statement of Edward Wilson, Fire Chief, City of Portland, OR Mr. Chairman and Members of the Committee, I'm Ed Wilson, fire chief for the city of Portland, OR. Thank you for the opportunity to address the Committee. Two weeks after the 9-11 attacks on our Nation, City of Portland Mayor, Vera Katz directed me to join with our partners in public safety in our region, to determine our state of preparedness for a terrorist attack, and conduct a needs assessment. On behalf of all emergency responders in major cities across the United States, who undoubtedly undertook similar processes, I am here to testify about our findings and briefly outline what we would do with additional funding to increase our readiness. Like many large cities, we are on the right track with regards to planning for a mass casualty incident, and have been for many years. Most large cities have functional plans in place, and well-trained responders on all levels. I can say from personal experience that, in Portland, we have also developed a phenomenal network of relationships to facilitate a coordinated effort when we will need it most. Many large cities take an all-hazard plan approach, which includes hazardous materials incidents, natural disasters such as earthquakes and hurricanes, and of course, terrorism and weapons of mass destruction. It doesn't really matter what causes the emergency; the response to help citizens is very much the same. Since 9-11, however, we have focused on a few key areas to improve our plans in case the unthinkable happens . . . a terrorist attack in our hometown. As large cities in the United States, we have numerous factors that put our citizens at risk. A most obvious issue, as we learned from the World Trade Center attacks, and earlier from the bombing of the Federal Building in Oklahoma City, is the sheer number of people who populate large cities. Higher concentrations of people means more potential loss of life. Metropolitan areas are also more vulnerable to hazardous materials incidents because of the industrial activity that is an important part of our economy. In addition, we have larger and more complex infrastructures, such as huge water systems, extensive communication networks, bridges, and tall buildings. And of course many of America's most visible landmarks, such as the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, are located in big cities. All of these increase the vulnerability of metropolitan areas. That's why metropolitan areas such as Portland are in need of increased resources to keep our homeland safe. As I mentioned, Portland Fire & Rescue worked with our regional partners in public safety to determine where we stand in terrorism preparedness. I'm sure our findings are very similar to what other major cities are experiencing. We found four areas where we can improve: 1. Equipment and Training.--We recommend increasing the supply of protective equipment for all emergency responders, including law enforcement personnel. Decontamination equipment at the hospitals would add another layer of protection as well. In addition, Incident Command System Training at the executive level will enhance any major city's ability to provide leadership during a terrorist or any disaster incident. 2. Communication.--We found room to improve the redundancy and the interoperability of our communication systems. While local agencies have mechanisms in place to communicate with each other, these plans may quickly splinter when State and Federal agencies arrive on the scene. This lack of interoperability was starkly evident during the response to the terrorist attack at the Pentagon on September 11th. Information dissemination is another significant communication issue that we need to address. Clear, timely, and accurate information needs to flow from the Federal Government to the States, counties, and local governments. Relevant information needs to be shared with first responders such as Fire and Emergency Medical Service and with others such as public works and emergency managers. 3. Building Security.--Portland, like many other cities in this free country of ours, is very open. To protect our citizens, we are considering enhancing security in our buildings, by adding systems that can be accelerated as needed. 4. Recovery.--To improve continuity of government after a terrorist incident, we will develop a comprehensive recovery plan. First steps include a business risk assessment and a mainframe recovery study. Will the First Responder Initiative help major cities across the country address these types of issues? Absolutely. But there's another strength in the proposed Initiative. It would support programs that develop or buildupon existing mutual aid agreements. For example, in the Portland metropolitan area, a regional group of emergency managers, involving five counties and two States, has worked since 1993 to coordinate regional response to natural hazards. We are now developing a regional request for antiterrorism dollars. We recently conducted a tabletop exercise to test our newly developed Metropolitan Medical Response System. It was a successful test drive of a federally funded plan, which will help emergency responders coordinate with local hospitals and public health in the event of a biological emergency. Ours is the first Metropolitan Medical Response Plan in the Nation to have all of the 18 hospitals in the region participate. One of our significant findings is that hospitals, as an extremely important resource in an actual mass casualty incident, would benefit from additional decontamination equipment. Finally, I would note that according to the U.S. Conference of Mayors, initial estimates show that local communities have spent more than $525 million since 9-11 for added security. Moreover, they anticipate that these cities will spend about $2.2 billion in 2002 to manage a burden unforeseen before 9-11. The need for Federal assistance is clear. Noting that a ``simple and quick method for dispersing Federal assistance'' is a stated objective of the First Responder Initiative, I would like to recommend a system similar to the Community Development Block Grant Program. This would serve as an excellent model for dispersing these funds. It would allow Federal funding to go directly to cities with a population greater than 50,000. The remaining funding would go directly to the States for distribution to jurisdictions with a population less than 50,000. This model already exists and has been used successfully and extensively. It would be easy to duplicate, and would avoid unnecessary delays in getting funding to local communities who need it now. It will also be important that Federal funding to local communities allow as much flexibility as possible. As you know, different communities will identify different needs, levels of vulnerability, and solutions to these difficult problems. As a result, each community will need as much latitude as possible to achieve those solutions. We are glad to see funding flexibility included as one of the stated objectives of the President's initiative. Mr. Chairman and Members of the Committee, thank you again for the opportunity to provide this information about how major cities in the United States would benefit from implementation of the First Responder Initiative. Its benefits would be immediate and long-term, making us safer from terrorist attacks and also enhancing our everyday response capabilities. In these tough economic times, we're all working together to maximize resources. At the same time, we have new issues to address in our changed world. It's my hope we can succeed at both to keep our country safe and livable. I will be happy to answer any questions that you may have. ______ Responses of Edward A. Wilson to Additional Questions from Senator Clinton Question 1. Lack of Redundancy.--Many large metropolitan areas around the country have ``consolidated'' their public safety (police, fire and medical) and public service (public works--roads, water and etc.) voice and data wireless systems on one ``single network'' to lower construction and operating costs. The city of Portland, Oregon designed and constructed a regional 800 MHz trunked radio and wireless data system to support city and county communications. Normally, the infrastructure and employees that maintain and support these complex systems are also co-located at 911 public safety answering points (PSAP). In the case of the city, all of our local government wireless, telephone and data communications are housed in one single ``target'' facility--all of our eggs are in one basket. The original funding for these communications systems did not support 100 percent redundancy and communications site diversification normally found in a military grade system design. Response. Fund and support redundant mission critical communication systems that will allow the city of Portland, and the numerous agencies that share the communications infrastructure, to continue to communicate in the event the Portland Communications Center is destroyed. Question 2a. Lack of Interoperability.--One of the benefits of a consolidated wireless network is the ability of the public safety and public service agencies that share a system to communicate directly with one another. Unfortunately due to the high cost of the Motorola proprietary mobiles and portables, not all public safety and public service agencies in the region have the necessary number of talkgroups on their two-way mobile and portable radios to facilitate interoperability communications. Response. Replace and upgrade mobile and portable radios to allow for expanded interoperability communications. Question 2b. The Portland metropolitan area public safety and public service responders use ``like'' Motorola 800 MHz voice and data networks, however, a majority of the responders outside of Portland and throughout the State of Oregon are still on VHF and UHF conventional radio systems. In the event of a major disaster, communications with the rest of the State, Southwest Washington and agencies from outside the area will be a serious problem. Response. Statewide military grade 143/700/800 MHz single interoperability radio network to support all local and State public safety/public service wireless communications. This network must have wide-area cellular class coverage to support portable low power communications devices required by public safety. The lack of interoperability between systems used by local, State and Federal police, firefighters and medical personnel makes it difficult to coordinate resources at the scene of large scale emergencies whether they be natural disasters or terrorist acts. A national plan for public safety communications is needed. Public safety should have networks that are robust (and include voice, data and dispatch), secure, interoperable, interconnected, accessible, affordable and spectrum efficient. __________ Statement of Michael E. O'Neil, Chief Engineer, South Burlington Fire Department Mr. Chairman, Let me begin by extending greetings from the Vermont fire service. We appreciate the important discussions and deliberations that you are involved in. I would like to address this committee on a few issues that have been the subject of much debate in our small State that we like to think reflects the ongoing national discussion. The focus is the ability of our Nations fire service to be properly equipped to respond to the myriad of events that only a few short years ago would be viewed as scenarios from a movie script. There never has been a doubt that the American Fire Service would be called on to respond to any situation. We do it every day. We do not choose what types of incidents that we will respond to and which ones we won't. I believe, as a Fire Chief, I owe it to the firefighters who respond to calls for help from our citizens, to be as prepared and protected as is possible. As I sit here before you today, I know that I cannot do that because our communities cannot afford to provide that protection. The need is real. We cannot continue to send our firefighters out without the proper protection. We would not send our servicemen and women to foreign soil ill prepared to perform, why should our front-line home security forces be any different. When the White House proposed through the Office of Homeland Defense, giving $3.5 billion in Federal aid to State and local first- responders, America's front-line soldiers--firefighters, police officers, emergency medical technicians to prepare for terrorist actions the fire service believed that it was going to be able to solve a long standing barrier to effectiveness . . . . lack of adequate funding. We view the First Responder Initiative as extremely important in getting money directly to departments large and small for basic needs such as equipment and training, and supplying specialized equipment and training to larger urban departments where the greater possibility of terrorist acts exists. In his remarks on Tuesday morning at the National Emergency Managers Association Conference, Governor Ridge voiced his strong support for first responders in the President's proposed budget. He feels very strongly that equipment, training, exercises, and resources are needed by the Nations first line of defense. However, Governor Ridge reiterated the Administration's position that funding should go to the States and not directly to local government. We respectfully disagree. Past history, at least in Vermont has been that when the State is finished utilizing grant funds to better equip State resources, very little has found it's way to the local level. We have been told for the last 3 years that any State resources won't be available for up to several hours after an incident and that we as first responders will be on our own for that timeframe. We did not have to have this fact pointed out to us, we already knew that from past experience. My point is that now when the State resources arrive several hours later they have better, more up to date equipment and we as the first responders have not received any equipment. The Cities of Burlington and South Burlington have met with State officials with a number of projects, including much needed communication system upgrades that focused on inter-operability and regional responses. The projects have not been acted on because vital funding has gone to other State agencies. What funding has been left over is so small that it has not been sufficient to be effective. We resort to makeshift solutions in the field while important funding is utilized in other areas. I can find no better illustration of this situation than this: The staff of the State medical examiners office are better protected than are the men and women who respond every day to protect Vermont citizens from whatever crisis unfolds. Recent events have demonstrated once and for all the role of America's fire service in responding to and mitigating disasters, terrorist or otherwise. We truly are America's first line of defense against all risk hazards, including hazardous materials, terrorist events, emergency search and rescue, fire suppression and emergency medical services. And now, we need your help. Last year, Congress provided $100 million in funding for the Assistance to Firefighters program for fiscal year 2001. However, after announcing the grant program, FEMA received nearly 30,000 applications for assistance totaling about $2.9 billion. Because of the added responsibilities of the fire service, its role in response to disasters, and the potential for that role to be expanded, funding at much higher levels is required. Local jurisdictions simply do not have the resources to independently fund the improvements to respond to new challenges. The number of grant applications for the Assistance to Firefighters program has demonstrated the need for fire service funding for equipment, training, fire prevention, and apparatus. Enactment of the First Responders Initiative, beginning in 2002, can help to ensure that fire departments are prepared for a higher scale and scope of incidents. First, the Initiative can provide funding for significantly higher levels of training in mass casualty events, tactical command and control, fire fighter safety, and managing chemical, biological and other potential events. Second, fire fighters and fire department leaders must be trained and equipped to provide comprehensive response and support to Federal disaster response teams. Responses to incidents will come first from the local and regional levels before Federal support is available and those responders must accomplish evacuation, containment, mitigation, and other immediate functions prior to the arrival of outside assistance. More importantly, the local responders must ensure that their actions are consistent with contemporary professional standards so as not to exacerbate the problem. Additional funding to support increased fire service staffing is necessary to ensure that enough fire fighters are available to protect U.S. citizen immediately after a significant incident occurs. Fire departments require Federal support to fund additional fire fighters. During terrorist events, the military and other Federal personnel are committed to other activities thereby requiring local areas to be much more dependent on local fire service. Relying more on local resources when outside resources are scarce means that communities have few options other than the local fire department. Unfortunately, many fire department operating budgets have been reduced during the last decade because fires have decreased. These reductions have been without regard to requirements to respond to other missions. An increase in staffing will allow the fire service to respond to an expanding list of responsibilities more safely and more effectively, including homeland security issues. Limited staffing reduces a fire department's ability to respond to a terrorist event where resources are needed quickly and in quantity. Early intervention in a terrorist event can influence the number of lives saved in the early moments after an attack. Response to attacks and arrival by the fire service will occur within three to 5 minutes after an incident takes place and remain until the incident is resolved. No other consequence management resource can respond this quickly. In his State of the Union address, President Bush made a commitment to a sustained strategy for increased homeland security. The President has made clear that he considers a critical component of this strategy to be increased Federal funding for America's fire and emergency service. In order to ensure that the full benefits of this increased funding are realized by the American people, we urge you and Congress to enact the First Responders Initiative to provide funding for the fire and emergency services. The mechanisms to get necessary resources to local responders are in place. Let's use them. By using this existing program, Congress can ensure that appropriated funds quickly reach America's fire service, only people in the United States who are situated locally and trained, equipped, and sworn to respond within minutes to all incidents, natural or man-made, which threaten the American homeland. In 1997, the Departments of Defense and Justice began training and equipping local firefighters and police to deal with incidents of terrorism involving weapons of mass destruction. Similar programs have since been authorized by Congress, bringing the Department of Health and Human Services, FEMA, and other Federal agencies into the effort. Without doubt we have made progress, but preparedness efforts need to be more clearly focused. Mr. Chairman, the American Fire Service has been strongly supportive of FEMA. The reason for this is simple. They have earned the support of the fire and emergency service based on a proven track record of providing invaluable training, equipment, and resources to America's local ``first responder'' community both on scene and disaster sites and during the ongoing planning and training that all responder organizations must constantly pursue. They clearly recognize that America's local fire departments are the first line of disaster response in this country. It is for this reason that we encourage Congress to utilize this Agency as you look to significantly enhance and improve America's readiness capabilities President Bush has budgeted an unprecedented amount of Federal support for America's ``first responders'' in the name of homeland security. We strongly urge Congress to utilize existing formats, specifically the Assistance to Firefighters grant program administered by FEMA, to ensure that these funds are quickly disbursed to the local responders who will use them efficiently and effectively to provide for the security of the American homeland. Thank you Senators on behalf of the American Fire Service. __________ Statement of Kenneth Zirkle, President, University of Findlay, Findlay, OH Mr. Chairman and members of the committee, my name is Ken Zirkle and I am President of the University of Findlay in Findlay, OH. Thank you for inviting me here to present my testimony today. I have testimony to submit for the record, if I may do so, and I am prepared to read a short statement. The University currently serves more than 4,000 students both at the graduate and undergraduate levels in 60 plus majors. The city of Findlay is located in northwestern Ohio on the 1-75 corridor, 45 miles south of Toledo. Shortly after the college was established in 1882, the city experienced a gas, and then an oil boom, thus entering the American industrial revolution with gusto. Industries flocked to Findlay, but by the turn of the century, the wells began to dry up, and some of those industries moved on to other boom towns, leaving behind, in some cases, waste, hazardous materials, and chemical spills to be dealt with by later generations. Findlay was representative of many communities throughout the United States which inherited, and yet continued to create, environmental, safety, and health-threatening situations before regulations in late twentieth century began to track accountability. Aware of the need for response training and clean-up, the University of Findlay developed one of the first programs in the Nation to prepare environmental clean-up professionals. In 1986, we established our National Center of Excellence for Environmental Management. We made a strategic, conscientious decision to offer hands- on, practical education, training, and information transfer services on environmental, safety, health, and disaster preparedness issues to public and private sector clients, both nationally and internally. We concentrated on two specific program areas: Environmental Safety and Health Academic Degrees and Environmental Safety and Health Training and Consulting Services. The first program grants undergraduate and graduate degrees in Environmental Safety and Health Training. To date we have more than 1000 graduates. Our current enrollment includes on-line students in 19 States. Most of our students are employed before they graduate by corporations such as Honda, Marathon, Owens Illinois, General Electric, the Ohio EPA, and the IT Group, which recently decontaminated the Senate Hart building. Our second focus is Environmental Safety and Health Training and Consulting Services. We have extensive hands-on training centers in Findlay that offer scenarios including rail car, tank truck, ditch/ stream spills, confined space entry and rescue, and additional practical based training scenarios. Furthermore, we specialize in custom designed training programs, offering them at the first responders' locations using their own available equipment for their response training. Approximately 80 percent of the training we do is conducted in this manner. People don't have to come to us--rather, we go to them. In the past 16 years we have trained more than 50,000 first responders and industry professionals from across the United States, designing programs for Ford, Roadway, and CSX Transportation. We have also conducted training in Canada and Mexico and have translated materials in Spanish. Recognizing and understanding that the ``real'' first responders are those who happen to be alongside incapacitated victims immediately at the site of the disaster before emergency personnel arrives, we know that a major thrust of preparedness must be toward the work force. Lives are saved in the first minutes by those onsite who have been trained to respond appropriately. It is, frankly, heinous, but fortunate, that almost 4 years ago, anticipating the inevitable, our staff felt compelled to include terrorism preparedness as our third major focus. In June 1999, we established the University of Findlay's Center for Terrorism Preparedness. At this time the ``Nunn-Lugar-Domenici 120 Cities'' program was underway, but we knew that there were many underserved populations, particularly the smaller communities, that desperately needed first responder training as well. Our objective, from the outset, was to offer an all hazards, integrated approach to terrorism response training and education programs. Our foresight has served us well. Working in concert with Dale Shipley, Director of the Ohio Emergency Management Agency, Ohio's Governor Taft and his staff, The Medical College of Ohio, the Ohio Department of Health, and the Fire Marshall's Office, to name a few, we have developed programs that prepare firefighters, police officers, emergency, medical, hospital, and school personnel, city/county officials, and public health workers to respond to terrorism incidents as well as nuclear, chemical, biological, explosive, and even natural disasters. We have trained first responders in communities across the United States on campus, onsite, and on line to develop fully integrated preparation, response, and recovery programs that can effectively and efficiently combat the terrorism threat to our society. Further, for the last 3 years, under grants from the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio, we have provided 8 different first responder courses to more than 2000 volunteer firefighters in 70 cities on weekends and evenings, the only viable time to work with volunteers. Well before September 11, the University of Findlay was preparing for terrorism and preparing responders. How have we changed since September 11? We knew we were on the right track; now we know that it's also a fast track! Our services and our expertise are constantly being sought out. Three examples: (1) the State of Ohio Emergency Medical Services Agency has asked us to spearhead a grant that will offer EMS providers, state-wide, training in domestic preparedness issues such as emergency response, terrorism preparedness, and bio-terrorist response; (2) the Ohio Emergency Management Agency has asked us to ``develop and deliver a Train-the-Trainer curriculum for Ohio's first responders to the threat of terrorism;'' (3) our staff has developed an interactive CD-ROM to prepare school employees in the event of terrorist attacks and other acts of violence. In October we were designated a Center for Public Health Preparedness for Bioterrorism and Emerging Health Threats by the Centers for Disease Control. Indeed, we are providing what we believe to be a vital cog in our nation's machine of terrorism preparedness, or to use Governor Ridge's term, ``consequence management.'' Points I'd like to leave you with: First, as Secretary Rumsfeld has often mentioned, our mindset today is completely different from a year ago. Like it or not, terrorism is a part of all of our lives. And it will be a part of our grandchildren's and great-grandchildren's lives at the very least. Whereas a year ago, the word terrorism and the concept of terrorism peppered conversations of a select few, today elementary school children across our Nation hear the word in discussions on a regular basis. Second, given that terrorism is a fact in our lives, we must do everything possible to prevent it, but yet to prepare for it. Complete eradication of terrorism is not likely, but complete response preparation is absolutely mandatory. Third, the Center for Terrorism Preparedness at the University of Findlay stands ready to expand and develop its programs. We know that quality response preparation goes beyond the manuals, the charts, the computers. We have created terrorism response models that must have significant impact on our Nation. It is not necessary to start from square one. We as a Nation must build on what we know and what we have. Ladies and gentlemen, based on what we have learned since September 11, we are all on the fast track now. Thank you. ______ National Center of Excellence for Environmental Management The University of Findlay is a private, liberal arts educational institution founded in 1882. Its campus has grown to over 170 acres occupied by approximately 4,500 students annually. The University is a national leader in the delivery of distance-learning programs, primarily through Web-based course offerings. The National Center of Excellence for Environmental Management (NCEEM) is a multifaceted education, training, and information-transfer program that focuses on environmental, safety and occupational health (ES&H) issues. NCEEM was established as a separate department within the University in 1986 with the initiation of the Bachelor in Hazardous Materials Management degree. NCEEM's mission is to develop and deliver effective and practical ES&H educational, training, and consulting programs globally through a combination of the following mechanisms: <bullet> Practical ``hands-on'' experiences <bullet> Internships and cooperatives <bullet> Various traditional delivery techniques <bullet> State-of-the-art, distance-learning techniques The University of Findlay is virtually the only institution that integrates ES&H management training with associate's, bachelor's, and master's degree programs and a nationally recognized Center for Terrorism Preparedness. nceem's three primary programs Academic Programs The Environmental, Safety and Occupational Health Bachelor of Science Degree Program <bullet> The ES&H bachelor of science degree program was established at the University of Findlay in 1986. <bullet> Over 100 students are currently enrolled in the ES&H bachelor's degree program. <bullet> The University of Findlay has graduated over 650 students with a degree in the ES&H fields since 1990. <bullet> Emphasis areas include science, industrial hygiene, compliance, and preengineering. <bullet> Internship and cooperative positions are available to enable students to gain practical on-the-job experience. <bullet> A bachelor's degree completion program that allows students from 2-year associate degree programs to complete an ES&H bachelor's degree is available at many locations throughout the United States and online via the Internet. The Environmental, Safety and Health Master of Science Degree Program <bullet> The ES&H master of science degree program was established at the University of Findlay in 1994. <bullet> Approximately 125 students are currently enrolled in the ES&H master's degree program. <bullet> The University of Findlay has graduated over 300 students with a master's degree in ES&H management since 1995. <bullet> The master's degree is offered at various locations throughout Ohio as well as online via the Internet. <bullet> The master's degree program is a blend of science, engineering, and business principles. Training and Consulting Services Environmental Resource Training Center (ERTC) <bullet> The ERTC was established in March 1989 and is now composed of two training facilities including: three modern classrooms; on- campus, indoor training facilities; and a 5-acre, outdoor, off-campus training facility on the east side of Findlay. <bullet> The primary focus of the ERTC is ``hands-on'' ES&H training for private industry, State and Federal regulators, firefighters, and university students. <bullet> The ERTC staffs 15 full-time and over 30 field-experienced contract trainers. <bullet> The major strengths of the ERTC include: flexibility, experience, depth of instructional staff, use of ``hands-on'' training scenarios, and the ability to manage multifaceted training programs conducted simultaneously at various locations across the United States. <bullet> The ERTC has trained over 50,000 people at the two training facilities in Findlay as well as at client locations coast to coast. Over 80 percent of the training conducted by the ERTC has been custom designed and conducted at client's facilities. The following are several examples: Major public-sector clients include: U.S. Department of Defense at nine major military bases and U.S. Department of Energy at seven sites in four States. Private-industry clients include: Ford Motor Company--40 plants in 9 States and 18 plants in Mexico, Roadway Express--47 terminals in 30 States, LTV Steel Company--2,100 employees in 9 States and hundreds of large and small firms across the Midwest. Environmental, Safety and Health Consulting Services <bullet> The ES&H Consulting Services group was established in 1997 and has provided consulting services to clients in Ohio, Indiana, and Michigan. <bullet> The ES&H Consulting Services has a special focus that addresses safety- and emergency-plan assessments for hospitals and universities. <bullet> The ES&H Consulting Services also specializes in onsite bioremediation and phytoremediation projects. Center for Terrorism Preparedness <bullet> The Center for Terrorism Preparedness for Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical Acts and Domestic Terrorism (CTP) was established in 1999 and focuses on providing training and consulting services to the following four underserved populations: Public health/medical community Corporate safety and security personnel City/county officials Law enforcement personnel On September 30, 2001, the CTP was named by the Center for Disease Control as a Public Health Center for Bioterrorism and Infectious Disease Preparedness. The CTP features its own Web site at www.ufctp.org. The CTP has over 20 full-time and contract trainers available. The strength of the program lies in the CTP's ability to custom design programs and offers them at clients' locations nationally and internationally. Open enrollment courses are also available in Findlay, Ohio. public health/medical community Will you, your employees, or your co-workers be able to function effectively in the aftermath of a disaster? Are your loved ones prepared to manage without you? The specter of terrorism has now raised its face upon the American horizon. During the decade of the 90's, we witnessed the physical and psychological trauma from such events as the bombings of the World Trade Center and the Alfred P. Murrah Building. Now, entering the twenty-first century, we are confronted with Weapons of Mass Destruction. To understand, prepare for, respond to, and recover from this kind of catastrophe, there must be a basic understanding of all types of disasters and their ramifications. Therefore, this Center is committed to providing educational opportunities and services directed toward the vulnerable State created by one's position, environment, or other circumstances. These courses have been designed for any person or agency personnel that would serve as an integral link to the affected community's infrastructure. We invite you to review the courses that have been developed, keeping in mind that they are the first of many courses that will be developed in the future. We welcome your suggestions, comments, and concerns, regarding these offerings and future offerings. We can better prepare you to respond to your community's needs, if we have feedback on what those needs are. A survey will be sent to each attendee before the course to enable the instructors to provide a more customized approach. corporate safety & security personnel History clearly indicates that catastrophic terrorism can occur in virtually any location, at any time. Never before have we faced the dynamic problems that we are facing today. These include incidents such as sarin releases in Matsumoto and Tokyo, Japan, the bombings at the World Trade Center and the Federal building in Oklahoma City and the American Embassy in Kenya and the tragic events of September 11, 2001. All of these events strongly suggest that local terrorism preparedness and response programs are needed. The Center for Terrorism Preparedness is a leader in corporate safety and security training and education. We have conducted both domestic and international terrorism preparedness and emergency management training for military, intelligence and industries throughout the United States. Training is diverse and includes traditional classroom training, drills for first responders, tabletop exercises, and distance learning opportunities, including on-line education and the use of emerging technologies. The Center for Terrorism Preparedness is prepared to help you develop and implement all aspects of response to the ``all-hazard'' incident, including terrorist incidents. In addition, we realize that asset protection is a valuable part of preparedness and staff from the Center for Terrorism Preparedness are recognized the world over for their understanding of all aspects of asset protection. The CTP also specializes in custom designing training programs, and offering them at client locations coast to coast. Approximately 80 percent of the work conducted through the Center is performed at our client's location. Planning for terrorism must go beyond training courses and drills. Terrorism readiness requires an in-depth, comprehensive approach to all of the details of terrorism, in addition to a broad, overall understanding of the issues. CTP staff members have experienced, first hand, all pieces of the puzzle and can present the wide range of knowledge needed for effective terrorism preparedness. Our staff can help you develop planning assumptions, establishing a baseline to begin your process. Further program development includes: threat analysis, analysis of targets and their vulnerabilities, analysis and development of your response capability and can help you institute an initiative to train, equip, and enhance your capabilities. city/county officials Vast resources are available for response to a wide variety of incidents. We learn daily of the public and private resources that are brought to bear during terrorist events. However, in the first minutes and hours of a terrorist incident, the first line of defense consists of local officials and resources. For the most part, local resources are well trained. But, lack of common training causes individuals from different jurisdictions to have difficulty when responding together in an incident. The CTP staff members bring years of incident management experience, from a broad range of disciplines. This allows us to focus on the development, implementation, and delivery of programs to help communities develop a consolidated incident action plan. Our staff understands what it takes to bring together all the key players in a community and help them work toward the goal of effective incident management and the subsequent protection of the public. The Center for Terrorism Preparedness is a leader in training and education. We have conducted terrorism preparedness and emergency management training for military, intelligence and civilian authorities throughout the United States. Training is diverse and includes traditional classroom training, drills for first responders, tabletop exercises, and distance learning opportunities, including on-line education and the use of emerging technologies. In addition, The CTP has recently been named as a ``Public Health Center for Bioterrorism Preparedness from the CDC. In its role the CTP's additional responsibilities include research and the development of technology to respond to the rapidly changing bioterrorism response environment. The CTP also specializes in custom designing training programs, and offering them at client locations coast to coast. Approximately 80 percent of the work conducted through the Center is performed at our client's location. One of the primary training programs currently offered by the CTP is a 16-hour countywide Terrorism Threat Assessment Workshop. All of the key players within the county are gathered at a convenient location for 2-days of intense, facilitated sessions, designed to get everyone on common ground and introduce the group to consolidated planning. Part of the cost of the training is picked up by grants to the Center for Terrorism Preparedness. We invite you to look at the schedule of available open enrollment training classes described below. As mentioned earlier, the CTP is fully capable of developing and implementing customized programs and conducting the training at your facility. law enforcement personnel No words can truly describe the tragedy that occurred on September 11, 2001. The images of the destruction of the World Trade Center are extremely powerful and will forever be etched in our memories. The tremendous emotions stirred in every American as a result this tragic incident cannot be denied as well. We have learned much from the tragic events of September 11. For example, we now know that we will not only see more acts of terrorism in the future, but we will see these acts grow more destructive and more difficult to combat as well. And we have also been reminded that no area of the country is safe. Terrorism can strike anywhere. The Center for Terrorism Preparedness (CTP) is addressing these concerns and fears by providing training to the law enforcement community that focuses on preventing acts of terrorism, as well as defending against such acts should prevention fail. The training offered is both practical and hands-on. In addition, the courses are taught by current and former law enforcement officers with many years of professional law enforcement experience in a variety of police disciplines. CTP's staff understands the problems facing today's law enforcement professional and his attempt to combat terrorism. To accomplish this task, the staff has developed a program that attempts to reduce our country's vulnerability to devastating acts of terrorism by providing a wide range of diverse training, which includes traditional classroom instruction as well as practical exercises. The CTP also specializes in custom designing training programs, and offering them at client locations coast to coast. Approximately 80 percent of the work conducted through the Center is performed at our client's location. Through it's training, CTP can provide the responding officer the skills necessary to identify and survive a terrorist incident as well as to identify and investigate the terrorist himself. The CTP staff can also provide the law enforcement community with the understanding to identify and deal with the unique emotional characteristics experienced by individuals involved in traumatic events and crisis. first responders ``The rules have changed'', and your response must adapt to this new type of warfare. Fire, police, EMS, and HazMat personnel have been and will continue to be the front line of defense for terrorist-types of incidents on our own soil. Continuing education is the most effective way to assure a safe response. The National Center for Excellence in Environmental Management (NCEEM) has long been established as an excellent trainer for first responders. Training in HazMat, incident command, and confined space promotes better responses to other incidents including the ``unique'' type, i.e. terrorism, clandestine drug labs, environmental crimes, etc. where cooperation between agencies is a must. Through grants from the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio, HazMat classes many times are offered free to Ohio First Responders. Currently, we are determining if the terrorism classes can be offered under this plan. The Center for Terrorism Preparedness (CTP) offers courses to first responders under the same general levels of training already established for hazardous materials incidents. The Terrorism Overview course is an excellent awareness level course for all first responders. Operations level personnel should receive the Emergency Response to Terrorism: Operations Level course and technicians will benefit from the Emergency Response to Terrorism: Technician Level course. Each course gives the participant an overview of current and past terrorist type acts, recognition clues for the various types of weaponry (biological, nuclear, chemical, incendiary, and explosive) and suggested response guidelines. The technician class also explores the use of military and civilian detection devices currently being offered for use in a WMD event. These courses are constantly updated to reflect the current but ever changing climate that we are facing each day. Whether you are training 5 or 500, the CTPs use of qualified instructors (either retired or still actively working as first responders) will assure a fresh and relevant education. In addition, The CTP has recently been named as a ``Public Health Center for Bioterrorism Preparedness'' from the CDC. In its role the CTP's additional responsibilities include research and the development of technology to respond to the rapidly changing bioterrorism response environment. The CTP also specializes in custom designing training programs, and offering them at client locations coast to coast. Approximately 80 percent of the work conducted through the Center is performed at our client's location. Terrorism in Schools: Be Prepared, Not Scared! The threat of terrorism is real and affects all of us. The University of Findlay's Center for Terrorism Preparedness has developed a CD-ROM to prepare school employees for terrorist attacks and other acts of violence. The purpose of this training CD is to ensure proper planning, prevention, and response in the event of a bomb threat or a chemical or biological incident. The goal is not to frighten, but to educate school personnel on standard techniques that will help to ensure the safety of staff and students. The CD-ROM is broken down into 10 sections based upon job category, such as teacher, custodian, administrator, and school nurse. Video scenarios are given for each job category, showing one or more scenes involving a suspicious incident or event. The result of an improper response is then discussed, and a checklist is given of the proper procedures and preparation for such incidents. This checklist can also be printed for a reference, and a resource section presents relevant links for additional material. teacher As a teacher, your primary role is the safety of your classroom and students. In the event of a disaster, you are the first responder. By recognizing the potential areas of concern illustrated in the following scenario, remaining alert to them at all times, and understanding the proper responses, you can ensure the safety of your students and yourself. oxley, dewine announce antiterrorism grant for the university of findlay Washington, December 20, 2001.--The University of Findlay will receive a $1.6 million Federal grant for terrorism preparedness training, U.S. Congressman Michael G. Oxley (R-Findlay) and U.S. Senator Mike DeWine announced today. ``The University of Findlay is poised to play a leading role in protecting the citizens of Ohio and the U.S. against terrorism,'' Oxley said. ``The University foresaw this threat when if formed The Center for Terrorism Preparedness. The tragic events of September 11th have demonstrated how important it is for us to be able to respond to catastrophes.'' ``As a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, I worked to ensure that the University of Findlay's antiterrorism program received careful attention during the appropriations process,'' said Senator DeWine. ``Clearly, Americans are now aware of the very real potential for terrorist attacks.'' The $1.6 million grant was part of the Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations conference report. The Senate approved the bill today, following House passage on Wednesday. Oxley expressed appreciation to Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Ralph Regula (R-Navarre) for his support. The University of Findlay plans to use the money to further develop its training programs and facilities. The Findlay program has the distinction of being one of only 14 units in the U.S. officially designated as bioterrorism response centers by the Centers for Disease Control. ``The University of Findlay is working with the Centers for Disease Control and partners in Ohio to fill a critical gap in education and training. As a former FBI agent, I know that the U.S. faces very real threats,'' Oxley stated. ``Ohio is fortunate to have a high-quality bioterrorism preparedness training program at the University of Findlay,'' said Senator DeWine. ``The University is in a prime position to help ensure the first responders to a bioterrorism attack are prepared.'' Oxley and DeWine have a long record of support for the University of Findlay's terrorism response and hazardous materials program. The grant will be administered by the Health Resources and Services Administration in the Department of Health and Human Services. uf/nwtc partnership established Findlay, Ohio, Jan. 18, 2002.--The University of Findlay's Center for Terrorism Preparedness and the National Wilderness Training Center, Inc., (NWTC) have announced a partnership to provide high quality special operations and tactical training to law enforcement, military and select corporate security communities as it relates to terrorism. The partnership will provide hands-on, practical-based education and training to develop a fully integrated preparation, response and recovery program to effectively combat the threat of terrorism. Courses offered by the Center for Terrorism Preparedness at UF give the officer an overview of current and past terrorist type acts, recognition clues for the various types of weaponry most likely to be encountered and suggested response guidelines. All courses are designed with the law enforcement officer in mind and are tailored specifically to enhance enforcement operations when preventing, responding to or countering a critical incident. <all>