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[109 Senate Hearings]
[From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access]
[DOCID: f:28239.wais]
S. Hrg. 109-932
RHODE ISLAND HOMELAND SECURITY PRIORITIES: PREPARATION FOR THE 2006
HURRICANE SEASON
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HEARING
before the
COMMITTEE ON
HOMELAND SECURITY AND GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS
UNITED STATES SENATE
ONE HUNDRED NINTH CONGRESS
SECOND SESSION
__________
FIELD HEARING IN PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND
__________
APRIL 20, 2006
__________
Printed for the use of the
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
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COMMITTEE ON HOMELAND SECURITY AND GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS
SUSAN M. COLLINS, Maine, Chairman
TED STEVENS, Alaska JOSEPH I. LIEBERMAN, Connecticut
GEORGE V. VOINOVICH, Ohio CARL LEVIN, Michigan
NORM COLEMAN, Minnesota DANIEL K. AKAKA, Hawaii
TOM COBURN, Oklahoma THOMAS R. CARPER, Delaware
LINCOLN D. CHAFEE, Rhode Island MARK DAYTON, Minnesota
ROBERT F. BENNETT, Utah FRANK LAUTENBERG, New Jersey
PETE V. DOMENICI, New Mexico MARK PRYOR, Arkansas
JOHN W. WARNER, Virginia
Michael D. Bopp, Staff Director and Chief Counsel
Jonathan T. Nass, Counsel
Larry F. Vigil, Professional Staff Member
Joyce A. Rechtschaffen, Minority Staff Director and Counsel
Donny R. Williams, Minority Professional Staf Member
Trina Driessnack Tyrer, Chief Clerk
C O N T E N T S
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Opening statements:
Page
Senator Collins.............................................. 1
Senator Chafee............................................... 3
WITNESSES
Thursday, April 20, 2006
Hon. Donald L. Carcieri, Governor, State of Rhode Island......... 4
Hon. David N. Cicilline, Mayor, City of Providence, Rhode Island. 12
Robert J. Warren, Executive Director, Rhode Island Emergency
Management Agency.............................................. 14
Kenneth L. Horak, Acting Regional Director, Region 1, Federal
Emergency Management Agency, U.S. Department of Homeland
Security....................................................... 16
Major General Robert Thomas Bray, Adjutant General, Rhode Island
National Guard................................................. 19
John E. Chartier, Fire Chief and Emergency Management Director,
City of Warwick, Rhode Island.................................. 21
Alphabetical List of Witnesses
Bray, Major General Robert Thomas:
Testimony.................................................... 19
Prepared statement with attachments.......................... 53
Carcieri, Hon. Donald L.:
Testimony.................................................... 4
Prepared statement........................................... 31
Chartier, John E.:
Testimony.................................................... 21
Prepared statement........................................... 63
Cicilline, Hon. David N.:
Testimony.................................................... 12
Prepared statement........................................... 38
Horak, Kenneth L.:
Testimony.................................................... 16
Prepared statement........................................... 44
Warren, Robert J.:
Testimony.................................................... 14
Prepared statement........................................... 40
APPENDIX
Photos of Hurricane Carol submitted by Senator Chafee............ 68
Evacuation maps referenced by Donald Carcieri.................... 69
RHODE ISLAND HOMELAND SECURITY
PRIORITIES: PREPARATION FOR THE
2006 HURRICANE SEASON
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THURSDAY, APRIL 20, 2006
U.S. Senate,
Committee on Homeland Security
and Governmental Affairs,
Providence, Rhode Island
The Committee met, pursuant to notice, at 10:30 a.m., at
the Rhode Island Foundation, the Rhode Island Room, 40 Exchange
Street, Providence, Rhode Island, Hon. Susan M. Collins,
Chairman of the Committee, presiding.
Present: Senators Collins and Chafee.
OPENING STATEMENT OF CHAIRMAN COLLINS
Chairman Collins. The Committee will come to order. Good
morning. Today, the Committee on Homeland Security and
Governmental Affairs will conduct a hearing on the homeland
security priorities of the State of Rhode Island with special
emphasis on preparedness for the upcoming 2006 hurricane
season.
Let me begin this morning by thanking my friend and
colleague, Senator Lincoln Chafee, for his leadership in
developing this important hearing, for inviting me to come here
today, and for his many important contributions to the
Committee's work in so many different areas.
Rhode Island faces considerable homeland security
challenges. In addition to being a major transportation hub
with an increasingly busy international cargo port and being a
center of industry, research, education, and recreation, Rhode
Island has the second highest population density in the Nation.
A disaster here, whether natural or manmade, could have
especially dire consequences. By examining in detail the
homeland security challenges of one State, we hope to gain a
better understanding of the challenges faced by other States.
Rhode Island is a microcosm of the homeland security issues
that must be addressed, particularly in other coastal States.
The Governor was making the point to me that Rhode Island,
while small, has more than 400 miles of coast land. Senator
Chafee made the point to me that even though Rhode Island is
very small geographically, it has a very concentrated
population. That means there are special challenges in dealing
with the homeland security implications. Rhode Island is
particularly vulnerable to hurricanes. Of its 39
municipalities, 21 have coastal shorelines and two-thirds of
the State's population lives in those 21 communities. Because
of its small size, the entire State is considered to be
coastal. Therefore, our focus on hurricane preparation is
especially important this morning and timely, considering that
hurricane season starts on June 1.
Our Committee, as many of you may know, has been conducting
and is about to conclude our investigation into the
preparedness for and response to Hurricane Katrina. This is the
most extensive investigation the Committee has ever conducted.
It has spanned nearly 8 months with 21 hearings to date and
testimony from more than 80 witnesses. In addition, Committee
staff have conducted more than 300 formal interviews and
examined some 820,000 pages of documents. Our final report will
be released soon, probably within the next 2 weeks. It will
include our findings on a deeply flawed response that resulted
in needless suffering and loss of life. It will also shine a
spotlight on the failure of the partnership of emergency
management agencies across all levels of government. It will
include our recommendations on how best to rebuild and
strengthen this partnership so that the failures of Katrina are
never repeated. The fact that the 2006 hurricane season is
barely a month away adds special urgency to our work.
This region is by no means immune from hurricanes.
Hurricane Bob in 1991 was small in size but highly concentrated
in power. It struck Block Island and then the Rhode Island
coast at high tide, causing heavy damage in Newport. It is an
example seen time and time again during Katrina of how a storm
can impede disaster response. Winds in excess of 100 miles per
hour caused severe damage to police and fire stations in
Bristol, Barrington, and Narragansett. As with Katrina,
Hurricane Bob arrived with ample warning, but public officials
had a difficult time convincing residents to evacuate.
Hurricane Bob cost an estimated $900 million in property
damage, caused 17 deaths, and left more than 2 million people
without power.
Hurricane Carol in 1954 was the second most destructive
hurricane to hit the Northeast in the 20st Century, and Rhode
Island bore its brunt. From Westerly to Newport, more than
5,000 buildings were destroyed and 66 lives were lost. At the
time, Carol was the most expensive hurricane ever to hit the
United States.
And, of course, the most powerful storm ever to hit the
Northeast was the legendary hurricane of 1938. The so-called
Long Island Express slammed into Narragansett Bay with wind
gusts exceeding 180 miles per hour. It produced some of the
most extensive and damaging river flooding ever seen and caused
more than 600 deaths. I stayed at the Biltmore Hotel last night
and saw in the lobby the pictures and also the plaque showing
how high the water rose. I don't know whether that was part of
the plan to make sure that I really understood what hurricanes
could do to your State, Senator Chafee, but it was very
effective indeed.
Clearly, New England is by no means immune from hurricanes
and the scientists tell us that more devastating hurricanes are
likely to be on the way this season. The 2005 hurricane season
was brutal with a record-setting 27 storms, including 15
hurricanes. This year could even be worse. Forecasters say that
the Atlantic is in a period of increased hurricane activity
that could last another decade or longer. And water
temperatures are high, and that is not a good sign. We must
learn the lessons of Katrina, and we must assist States like
Rhode Island in meeting the challenges.
Our witnesses today are here to help us do just that. I
thank you all for coming and for your participation, and I'm
sure your insights, knowledge, and experience will help better
prepare Rhode Island for whatever disasters come your way and
help our entire Nation, as well.
It's now my great pleasure to call on Rhode Island's own
Senator, Senator Lincoln Chafee, for his opening statement.
Senator Chafee.
OPENING STATEMENT OF SENATOR CHAFEE
Senator Chafee. Thank you very much, Senator Collins, and
welcome to Rhode Island for this important hearing of the
Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, of
which you are Chairman.
Hurricane Katrina, as you said, showed us all in a very
vivid fashion that protecting our Nation comes in many
different forms. Over the past 6 months, Senator Collins has
led our Committee through an extensive series of hearings on
the Federal, State, and local response to Hurricane Katrina. We
have found numerous serious problems in coordination between
key government agencies. We're working to correct these
problems to ensure they do not happen again.
As Senator Collins said, Rhode Island is no stranger to
hurricanes. Of course, in 1938 we had a Category 3 with winds,
as Senator Collins said, of 180 miles an hour and a 16-foot
tidal surge, which flooded Providence with 14 feet of water,
and also we lost 200 lives here in Rhode Island.
In 1954, Hurricane Carol hit with a 13-foot storm surge
that affected many area islands, tidal coastal communities.
Downtown Providence, again, water reached 13 feet above normal.
And, as Senator Collins said, we lost 66 lives here in Rhode
Island in Hurricane Carol.
And more recently, we've also had Hurricane Gloria in 1985
and Hurricane Bob in 1991.
Today we are very fortunate to have key Federal and State
officials with us to discuss our preparations for the 2006
hurricane season here in Rhode Island. We are pleased to have
Governor Carcieri here to discuss our State's preparations and
discuss what resources have been dedicated to hurricane
preparation and what additional resources may be necessary. We
are also fortunate to have Mayor Cicilline with us to discuss
disaster preparation in the capital city. Also, we have Ken
Horak who leads FEMA's work in Region 1 to discuss the Federal
role in disaster preparation. And on the second panel, we will
hear from gentlemen who are ensuring that Rhode Island is
prepared for all potential disasters; the Executive Director of
Rhode Island's Emergency Management Agency, Robert Warren, and
the Adjutant General of the Rhode Island National Guard, Major
General Robert Bray. And finally, as the former Mayor of the
City of Warwick, we are pleased to have John Chartier here to
discuss hurricane preparations from his perspective as head of
Emergency Management for the City of Warwick. I know that Jack
has just returned from the National Hurricane Conference, and
we are eager to learn what he learned there.
Thank you, Chairman Collins, for coming to Rhode Island to
allow us to discuss this important issue to assure we are fully
prepared for the 2006 season. I look forward to hearing
everybody's testimony.
Chairman Collins. Thank you, Senator. I can think of no
better person to lead off this hearing today than the Governor
of Rhode Island. Senator Chafee is always reminding us in the
Senate that Rhode Island has as its formal name the longest of
any State. And I'm trying to remember whether it's the State of
Rhode Island and Providence Plantations? Pretty good. And it's
a great pleasure to have the Governor as our lead witness
today.
Governor, we welcome you and please proceed.
TESTIMONY OF THE HON. DONALD L. CARCIERI,\1\ GOVERNOR, STATE OF
RHODE ISLAND
Governor Carcieri. Thank you very much, Senator Collins,
and welcome to the Ocean State. It is the Ocean State as you
will keep hearing today. And thank you, Senator Chafee, for
being here. The Senator and I had the pleasure on Tuesday of
blowing up a bridge, and that will be memorable.
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\1\ The prepared statement of Governor Carcieri appears in the
Appendix on page 31.
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I am pleased to have the opportunity to testify before you
today. In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, we all know how
important it is for our State and all States to be fully
prepared, not if, but when a hurricane strikes our State. Since
1851, Rhode Island has experienced nine direct hits. We've
learned firsthand what can happen to our capital city when a
hurricane strikes.
As you indicated, during the hurricane of 1938, the storm
hit Rhode Island at high tide, flooding the Providence business
district. Residents drowned, cars were submerged in seven feet
of water, and buildings were damaged by the fury of the storm.
Sixteen years later, our capital city was flooded once
again by the tidal waves from Hurricane Carol. Just like the
hurricane of 1938, Carol arrived near high tide. I did not
experience 1938, but I was 12 years old in 1954, and I remember
it extraordinarily well. We lived near the water. My dad had a
couple of boats. He shellfished summers. So I lived through and
saw the devastation of Hurricane Carol. We went through it and
saw it personally in the aftermath of that. So for me, this is
a personal experience that I don't want to see duplicated.
Southern Rhode Island, as you pointed out, had wind gusts of
115 to 135 miles per hour, and T.F. Green Airport sustained 90
miles per hour winds. Hurricane Carol took a great toll on
southern Rhode Island. From Westerly to Newport, some 5,000
buildings were destroyed. In Westerly, it's estimated there
were tides up to 13 feet above mean high water, and 600,000
Rhode Islanders lost power. The storm affected our capital city
with water rising within a foot of the record line that you saw
on the plaque commemorating the 1938 hurricane. So Hurricane
Carol was a tough one, a stronger one, and had a huge impact on
our State.
Particularly after the hurricanes in Florida 2 years ago,
as I took office here, I directed the Rhode Island Emergency
Management Agency to begin updating Rhode Island's hurricane
plans. The lessons that we've learned through Hurricane Katrina
have reinvigorated that process. Under the leadership of our
new EMA Director, Bob Warren, and our new Adjutant General,
General Bob Bray, we have been working hard and making major
progress to make our plan the strongest and most effective in
the Nation. In fact, the team from the U.S. Department of
Homeland Security recently visited our State and praised those
efforts. As I say, we are making major progress.
We are currently working with a consultant and have been
for a few months now to assist us in developing a comprehensive
hurricane evacuation plan. As was clear from Katrina and its
impacts, it was an issue of evacuation, getting residents out
of harm's way that would be affected by the storm surge. We
paid a lot of attention to that. I allocated almost $20,000 out
of my own contingency for purposes to make this plan and get it
completed by June 1. It will give us a blueprint. I think you
are going to see in subsequent testimony, we have got it up on
the web site, and you will be quite impressed to see the actual
evacuation plan and all the overlays in terms of Category 3 and
4 floodplains that we have outlined across the State. It will,
as I said, give us a blueprint to follow, highlight the steps
we need to take before, during, and after a hurricane. And our
plan will address issues such as evacuation and resource
management while the storm is still along the southeast coast
line.
As part of our efforts to better prepare for a hurricane, I
have asked all municipalities for a report documenting that
local emergency plans are as comprehensive as possible,
especially for people with disabilities. Last fall, I attended
a hurricane preparedness meeting with Bob Warren and our
State's Emergency Management Agency officials and local
municipalities to ensure that all cities and towns have
effective evacuation routes, as well as hurricane preparedness
plans. We have already identified escape routes for the 21
coastal communities that might be inundated by flooding during
a storm and have posted that information on the EMA web site.
We have also worked with the Red Cross to solve the
shortage in evacuation shelters. In fact, we have about 15 now
of a targeted 30 that we believe we will need to have
available. All of the data in terms of percentages of people in
the affected area who will require shelter, we are following
that, and we're working very closely with the Red Cross. They
actually have primary responsibility for identifying those
shelters, and that is ongoing.
To make sure that our hurricane plan will ensure public
safety to the utmost degree, the EMA has been developing a
donations management plan, and we're working on partnering with
the Salvation Army, the Red Cross, as I mentioned, and the
Rhode Island Community Food Bank to receive those items.
The Rhode Island EMA has been working with the Department
of Environmental Management to address the State's debris
management plan. If a Category 3 hurricane would hit our State,
it could generate as much waste as the State would normally
produce in 3 years. We must have the capability to clear
critical infrastructure and dispose of debris. Additionally,
EMA has worked with FEMA to create a plan to distribute food,
water, and ice to our citizens.
Since I took office, I have made it a priority to enhance
Rhode Island's preparedness for hurricanes and emergencies of
any kind. I have allocated $50,000 each year since I have been
in office for ongoing support of the hurricane barrier. Our
hurricane barrier, which was constructed after Hurricane Carol
and after the capital city flooded twice, was tested in July
before the Army Corps of Engineers, they oversee that, and it
passed inspection.
Since fiscal year 2003, Rhode Island has received $41.5
million in homeland security grants. That is enabling us to
move forward with a host of projects, including urban search
and rescue, hazard teams, and casualty trailers to name just a
few.
Currently, our State has requested nearly $60 million in
homeland security grants. As you know, we are only guaranteed
$7 million. We are very concerned about the new process. In
order to continue the progress we are making in better
preparing our State for a hurricane or a disaster, we must
receive the funding that we need to protect the people of Rhode
Island. As you pointed out, Senator Collins, we are a highly
concentrated, densely populated State. We may be small in
population, but we are all living closely together. I urge you
to address this pressing issue so that we can build upon the
momentum we have gained.
For example, we are making progress in facilitating
communication among first responders. A major issue that has
been identified around the country we saw in the case of our
Station nightclub fire that Senator Chafee is well aware of.
The ability of first responders to communicate with one another
was significantly hampered.
We have enhanced the interoperability in Washington County,
which is one of our southern communities' counties, and work is
underway to bring this standardized communications system for
first responders in Newport, North Providence, Providence, and
South County. However, in order to complete this statewide
system, our EMA is seeking $32 million in homeland security
grants.
We also have Nextel radio systems in our hospitals and in
every community in our State to enable first responders to
communicate with emergency rooms. That got highlighted in the
most recent review by homeland security personnel in terms of
really being state-of-the-art, and we're well ahead of the
curve there.
Last year, we dedicated a high tech $1.4 million mobile
Command Center, which will enable us to set up a post anywhere
in our State and allow Federal, State, and local agencies to
communicate effectively during an emergency.
Two years ago, Burrillville, one of our northern smaller
communities, and several surrounding communities pooled their
resources from homeland security grants to also purchase a
mobile command post. And due to the generosity of a local
resident, the City of Newport has a mobile command post.
Additionally, Rhode Island E911 has implemented a pilot
program that utilizes state-of-the-art technology which ables
dispatchers to view a location from many different angles. This
gives first responders all of the pertinent information before
they get to a scene.
To have more cohesive emergency operations, I have
recommended a $20 million bond to locate the Emergency
Operations Center, E911, IT, and EMA at a single complex within
the Pastore complex. The General Assembly has heard testimony
on this issue and is considering the request. We also will be
seeking $6 million from the Federal Government to make this a
state-of-the-art facility.
I should say that, and I know you sponsored legislation
that I am very supportive of, one of the things FEMA needs to
look at is the ability of States to be proactive, particularly
in terms of hurricane preparedness, and one of the issues I see
is sort of what we call State active duty. In other words,
getting our people in the emergency operations centers up and
running well ahead, days ahead of the actual projected
landfall. Right now, I think it is a reticence because it is
State money; if it never comes, then it is an expenditure out
of the State funds. From a Federal perspective, if our goal is
to make all the shoreline communities more prepared, I think
that would be an excellent thing if we could somehow, I know
that requires a modification of the Stafford Act or whatever,
build funding from the Federal standpoint to stand those
emergency operation centers up in anticipation of and ahead of
the projected landfall.
And it looks like I'm out of time.
Chairman Collins. Take as much time as you need, Governor.
Governor Carcieri. Well, just a couple of last thoughts
here.
Last week, my staff and I met with Senator Chafee, I think
I mentioned it to you, Senator Collins, to discuss emergency
response plans for the Port of Providence in the event a series
of catastrophic events occurred. There is a group that does
modeling and simulations in terms of cascading events in ports.
And when we saw what happened with Hurricane Katrina, and what
followed, by the flood, we need some money. We are seeking $1
million that will enable us to be better prepared for the type
of chain reaction that we may experience in the port here. If
we had an event, at the LNG tank, for example, that then
cascaded into subsequent events at other places, we are also
the home for the distribution of petroleum to the northeast. So
it wouldn't just be a Rhode Island impact. In fact, it would be
a knock-out impact in the region if we were to have cascading
events here at the port.
One final point I would make is over the last 2 years, as
far as I am concerned, we have made major progress. Our plan
was substantially inadequate 2 years ago. We have made major
progress. My goal is by June 1 at the beginning of the
hurricane season to have that plan completed, all elements in
place have been exercised, and I am confident that we are going
to get to that point.
From the standpoint of working with FEMA, working with the
Federal Government, working with the communities, the advantage
we have as a small State is we can get together, and I think
there's a very cohesive attitude about attacking this problem,
and I am very confident that we are in good shape. We will be
in much better shape by June 1. And you will hear from the
General and Bob Warren a lot of details, but I think there are
some things at the Federal level that you could do and that you
have indicated in your legislation that I would be, as I said,
very supportive of.
The notion that it is all based on population I just don't
think applies in our State. Coastline communities often are not
highly populated in that sense, but if we are talking about
hurricanes, we need assistance, particularly in the area of
being proactive. Because when I look at our response system,
very often it is reactive, after the event, now you have
mobilized all of the resources, and I think that may be true of
a terrorist attack or something like that. But in hurricane
preparedness, I think being proactive could be a key in terms
of making sure that everybody is better prepared and ready to
go.
So I will stop there because I know you have a bunch of
questions. Thank you very much for the opportunity to appear
before the two of you. And thank you again, Senator Collins,
for coming.
Chairman Collins. Thank you very much, Governor. Your
testimony was excellent, and I want to congratulate you on
focusing on so many of the issues that our investigation into
Hurricane Katrina has taught us are the key issues and make
literally the difference between life and death in a disaster.
I was particularly interested to learn of the work you are
doing on evacuations, and you have kindly provided us with the
maps showing the routes and the plans that you have because
that is really critical. What we learned in looking at
Louisiana in particular is, although there were some evacuation
plans, there was a delay in implementing them and in calling
for a mandatory evacuation, but also there was a lack of
familiarity with the plans. So I think the work that you are
doing in advance of the involvement of the communities is
completely the right way to go, and I commend you for that.
One part that we found was a weakness with Louisiana's
plans is that their evacuation plans did not include a means to
evacuate those who could not evacuate themselves, those without
the means of transportation, those with special needs, those in
nursing homes or hospitals. Is that an area that you are
working on; and if so, if you could comment on that?
Governor Carcieri. Yes. I think you are absolutely correct,
Senator. I think all of us were a little appalled when we saw
the people in nursing homes that were unable to evacuate
themselves were left behind and not properly considered and
they did not seem to have the mechanism to move them out. I
think we all learned from that. As part of our plan, we are
doing it. We have done an assessment, and we are waiting now
for the completion to come up with all of the cities' and
towns' residents that they are aware of, nursing homes, day
care facilities, those kind of things where we know that those
facilities exist; how many of them are there, where are they,
and does the municipality have a plan for taking care of those
and evacuating those personnel.
And that's a key element of all of this because, as you
pointed out, as I indicated to you, we are a small State with
400 miles of coastline, and there are, in fact, homes and
facilities with people that would need assistance in that
floodplain area. So that is clearly a piece of the whole plan
that will be well identified. And, hopefully, if any
municipality is going to need any assistance with those
evacuations, we are prepared to provide that assistance, as
well. So it will vary from town to town, some might have one
facility with a few people, but we have also tried to ask them
to go out a little further because often you have seniors that
are in a home and are not prepared to evacuate themselves. In
some cases, you rely on a community's knowledge of their
neighborhoods and so forth.
So we are trying to reach out and get as much of that
information as we can and make sure that, God forbid if we get
hit, we know who we have to go in and help move out.
Chairman Collins. The second issue that you mentioned that
we found was a critical deficiency in the response to Hurricane
Katrina was the inability of first responders to communicate
with one another. We learned in the attacks on our country on
September 11 that lives were lost because police officers could
not communicate with firefighters and firefighters could not
communicate with emergency medical personnel. The same thing
happened in Hurricane Katrina. And, in fact, our investigation
revealed that just within the New Orleans area, there were
multiple systems that were incompatible, and this, as you know,
is referred to as the interoperability issue.
It sounds like you have made that a real priority but need
some Federal funding to assist you in reaching the goal. Could
you give the Committee a sense of how far along you are as a
State in achieving the interoperability and how much, I think
you said it was $32 million, that you have applied for.
Governor Carcieri. Yes.
Chairman Collins. Whether you could continue to make the
progress that you need to complete this or is Federal funding
really essential?
Governor Carcieri. I would say Federal funding is essential
because it is the acquisition of the equipment that we need to
do that as you pointed out.
I indicated one of our counties, Washington County, which
is in the southern part of the State, a lot of coastline, we
did a couple of years ago receive funding to make all those
communities interoperable. We have a plan to bring it
statewide. That is the $32 million that I referred to. I think
it would be very difficult for us to do that without Federal
assistance.
The other thing, I think a key piece of that in terms is
the mobile command unit I talked about. That is a very
effective tool where you've got situations where you don't have
interoperability, where you've got different frequencies. We
saw that, I saw that. We had a bad fire in Pawtucket, one of
our own cities up here, and Massachusetts used theirs, and it
was very effective, and they had people talking to one another.
Now, that was all electronics. We have some of that capability,
as I indicated, but I think to do this effectively, we need
that Federal assistance.
And I agree with you completely, everything--my own
personal experience, when we had that Station nightclub fire,
was very consolidated, concise in that one building, which we
had responders coming from multiple cities and towns nearby. We
had rescue personnel, we had ambulances, and we had people
using personal cell phones trying to communicate, and that is a
theme I have heard in talking with fellow governors. The whole
notion of responders being able to communicate on the same
frequency is critical, I think, to the response.
So I would say that without Federal assistance there, I
think it is going to be very difficult for a State like ours.
Chairman Collins. Thank you. Senator Chafee.
Senator Chafee. Thank you, again, Senator Collins. And,
Governor, welcome, of course.
Senator Collins, when the Governor was running for office
in 2002, he had a primary and then an election. So he was going
7 days a week pretty much all summer, all fall. Then when he
got elected, he had to put together a government and hire his
people. So he finally got a vacation in February. As soon as he
got to Florida, he got a call that there was a most tragic fire
back here in Rhode Island. So he got the first plane back and
dealt with, as we just discussed a little bit here, the tragedy
that was unfolding.
And, Governor, you talked a little bit what you have
learned from that, but maybe just expand a little bit on,
interoperability is certainly one issue, but how the first
responders, what we learned from the Station fire and what
improvements still need to be made. I know we had a very good
response at that tragedy, but there's always room for
improvement. Where in particular can we focus?
Governor Carcieri. I think that you are right, Senator. We
learned from those things. And one of the lessons early on was
the whole communications, the responders being unable to
coordinate. For instance, you had people still coming to the
scene when the fire essentially was out. And we did not need
fire support. What we needed was rescue support. We had
communication problems, I think, with the hospitals because, as
you recall, all of the--initially, many of the rescues were
going to Kent County Hospital, one of our smaller regional
hospitals, Senator Collins, and they had stood up all of that
capacity; and the communication as to the flow, once all of the
response was done and we had everybody accounted for, there was
a real breakdown in communication in terms of letting them
stand down now. We had accounted for everybody coming from the
scene. So the whole communication, whether it is the first
responders, the responders for the hospitals that are treating,
is key.
Let me also say that from my perspective, my experience
with the Federal response was outstanding in that we needed the
DMORT team that came in here, Senator, and they were here in
less than 24 hours with their mobile unit.
The whole team was here. We could not have done the job in
the Medical Examiner's Office in terms of identifying those
victims of that terrible tragedy and returning them to their
families and the time frame in which we did it, which was 5
days essentially. We were going round the clock. And that would
not have been possible without the expertise, without the
resources of the Federal DEMORT team.
So my limited experience there in terms of the Federal
response was outstanding. They were there. They came. They had
all the resources. They were consummate professionals. I spent
virtually every day going down to the medical examiner's
offices to see how we were progressing, what issues there might
be that needed to be dealt with, and they were outstanding from
that perspective. So a very defined and specific requirement we
had, but they made it available, as I said, very expeditiously
and with great professionalism.
Senator Chafee. That's all I have, Senator.
Chairman Collins. Thank you. Governor, thanks so much for
being with us today for leading off this hearing. We look
forward to working with you. I do want to say again that I am
impressed with the work that you are doing to get ahead of the
curve and to make sure that Rhode Island is as prepared as
possible, whether it's for a natural disaster or an attack or
any other catastrophe. And I very much appreciate your
leadership, and we look forward to being your partners on the
Federal level.
So thank you so much for coming this morning.
Governor Carcieri. Thank you very much, Senator. I
appreciate your support, both senators. The bill that you've
got in, I think, recognizes the needs that are very different;
you cannot just have one size fits everybody in this game. I
want to assure you that from my perspective, you've got a great
team here working very hard to do all the pieces in a very
complex issue. Hurricane preparedness is very different than
terrorist homeland security issues. We have both, and I think
that we have tried to do, I think, the best job we can. I am
very positive about the team we have built here, and so I am
very confident we will be prepared. Thank you.
Chairman Collins. Thank you. I would now like to call forth
our second panel of witnesses. This panel consists of five
local, State, and Federal officials.
The first witness we are going to hear from on this panel
is the Mayor of Providence, David Cicilline. He is a graduate
of Brown University and Georgetown University Law Center. He is
a former public defender, criminal defense and civil rights
lawyer. He is also a former State Representative.
He will be followed by Robert Warren, the Executive
Director of the Rhode Island Emergency Management Agency. Mr.
Warren is a career firefighter, last serving as Chief of the
Cranston Fire Department and the Director of the Cranston
Emergency Management Agency before joining State government in
2005.
Mr. Horak is the Acting Regional Director of Region 1 of
FEMA. That is New England. I would note that in response to the
hurricane in the Gulf region last year, I noticed that FEMA
immediately turned to New England for help. And I think that
shows that when you are in trouble, you always know New
Englanders have the ability to handle most anything. Mr. Horak
joined the agency in 1983 as a disaster assistance employee and
has held a variety of subsequent positions throughout the
agency. His national disaster duty assignments have included
Hurricane Andrew, the North Ridge earthquake, and 1993 Midwest
floods.
Major General Robert Bray was appointed as the Adjutant
General of the Rhode Island National Guard in February of this
year. General Bray has more than 35 years of military and
emergency management experience. I would also note that it is
very unusual for an adjutant general in my experience to have
first responder experience, and I understand that you were a
former fire division chief in South Dakota of all places, but
we are pleased to have you here.
Chief John Chartier is a 30-year veteran of the City of
Warwick Fire Department. He presently serves as Chief of the
department and as its Emergency Management Director.
I am very pleased to welcome you all here today. I think we
have exactly the people that we need to assist us in getting a
good understanding of the interaction among all the levels of
government that are involved when a disaster strikes.
Mr. Mayor, we'll start with you.
TESTIMONY OF THE HON. DAVID N. CICILLINE,\1\ MAYOR, CITY OF
PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND
Mayor Cicilline. Thank you very much, Madam Chairman,
Senator Chafee. Welcome to Providence, Madam Chairman, and
thank you for the opportunity to offer my testimony to this
distinguished Committee.
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\1\ The prepared statement of Mayor Cicilline appears in the
Appendix on page 38.
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On behalf of our city, I thank you for the Committee's
efforts to protect our city, State, and Nation from the threats
of terrorism and natural disasters. As our focus today
underscores, recent events have taught us that we do not have
the luxury of preparing for terrorist attacks at the expense of
being ready for natural disasters. Both threats are imminent
and share equal priority. In fact, with a terrorist incident in
our region, it's a matter of if it will happen. With a natural
disaster like a major hurricane, it's only a matter of when it
will happen.
In Providence, we know exactly what a devastating hurricane
can do to our city. If you walk straight out of this building,
I think as you have, about 100 yards to the Amica Building at
10 Weybosset Street, you can reach up 8 feet to a brass plaque
that shows how high the water rose during the hurricane in
1938, unlike the Governor, long before I was born. And several
inches under that is another plaque showing the waterline from
Hurricane Carol in 1954. The hurricane of 1938 cost about $300
million in pre-World War II dollars. Needless to say, if that
kind of flooding were to happen in Providence again, the costs
would be enormous.
Two hundred eighty acres that make up the economic engine
of the State of Rhode Island and the southern New England
region would be drowned.
Hundreds of businesses, thousands of jobs, hundreds of
residential condominiums and apartments, the region's
transportation hub, the seat of city government, our Federal
and State courthouses, State offices, the region's major
newspaper, dozens of facilities from four universities, our
city's power, sewer and water systems, all of these would be
crippled.
Fortunately, something now stands in the way of a major
hurricane, and that kind of devastation in Providence, and that
is our hurricane barrier. As you know, southern New England has
a wealth of precious assets; but when you consider what it
protects, our hurricane barrier may be one of the most
valuable. I am pleased to report that with a tremendous amount
of support from Senator Chafee, we have invested a great deal
in recent years to bolster the hurricane barrier. Over the last
several years, over $2 million has been invested to upgrade
this facility. Most of that has been made possible through
Federal funds, but our local Providence taxpayers have also
shared most of the burden, and the facility is maintained by
our very own city Department of Public Works.
We are confident the hurricane barrier can withstand up to
a Category 4 storm surge, which would be 18 feet above median
water levels, but there is still more we need to do in order to
fully bring it up to date according to the experts who have
done examinations. The major upgrade required is to the
electrical system, but a variety of smaller fixes should be
made as well.
When the hurricane barrier was first constructed, it was
envisioned as a local protection project, but its vital
function has clearly outgrown this definition. While we are
confident in our hurricane barrier, it is only responsible that
we are prepared for a breach or for some other kind of
unforeseen natural disaster.
There are several other areas which our emergency response
plans need the kind of fortification that can only be provided
at the Federal level. Some of the FEMA maps that we rely on to
estimate coastal flooding hazards are over 20 years old, and
new development has altered watersheds and floodplains.
We strongly support your honorable colleague Senator Reed's
National Flood Mapping Act that would require an update of
these maps. It would also require FEMA maps also be based on
the best, most up-to-date data.
We need funding to support the re-engineering of roadways
used as evacuation routes that better support high volume
traffic and create extra large breakdown lanes to aid traffic
flow.
While we have a plan for emergency shelters in the City of
Providence, the cost of maintaining them over a number of days
or weeks is prohibitive for a municipality. We need support to
cover costs such as the purchase of generators, construction of
bathrooms and showers, and larger cooking facilities.
Training is another important need. A plan is only as good
as its ability to be executed as we have seen time and time
again and has also been pointed out by our Lieutenant Governor.
The time and expertise required of good training is a necessary
investment, but it is also expensive. As with all good
investments, I believe in the long run it would be cheaper to
do these things than to not do them.
Finally, I would be remiss if I did not take the
opportunity to emphasize how effective the Rhode Island Federal
delegation has been in making sure our region is as prepared as
possible. We recently received important support for our
Emergency Operations Center, our interoperable communications
capabilities are being upgraded as we speak. And I particularly
want to thank you again, Senator Chafee, for your focused
attention for our hurricane barrier. Our region is safer thanks
to the hard work of you and your staff.
Madam Chairman, Senator Chafee, I am extremely grateful to
have the opportunity to submit this testimony to this honorable
Committee. Thank you.
Chairman Collins. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Mr. Warren.
TESTIMONY OF ROBERT J. WARREN,\1\ EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, RHODE
ISLAND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY
Mr. Warren. Good morning, Madam Chairman. Good morning,
Senator Chafee. Thank you for this invitation to speak before
you this morning.
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\1\ The prepared statement of Mr. Warren appears in the Appendix on
page 40.
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The Governor has addressed and General Bray will also
address many of the initiatives that have been and are ongoing
within the State. As the Executive Director of the Rhode Island
Emergency Management Agency, I am in contact with local and
Federal partners that the State interacts with on a daily
basis. As such, my remarks today will address not only the
issues that affect Rhode Island, but also those that I feel are
important to maintain the unique relationship we enjoy with
those partners.
Being the Ocean State, all Rhode Islanders recognize the
value of Narragansett Bay. This resource is one of my biggest
concerns. The population that now lives or earns a living from
the bay has increased tremendously in recent years. Yet our
latest inundation studies of the bay were done in 1993. While
we are working now to modernize these matters with grants from
FEMA and other agencies, Congress must give the Army Corps of
Engineers and the other agencies which perform these studies
the appropriate level of funding to maintain the effectiveness
of these programs. Responders and, more importantly, our
municipal planners cannot accurately predict or prevent damage
without current and up-to-date data. Funding for these programs
will help prevent future disasters. Congress must make every
effort to maintain these programs even though the benefit may
seem to be years in the future.
The past 6 months have been the most active that I can
remember in my public safety emergency management career. The
lessons learned from Hurricane Katrina have caused us to
reexamine our assumptions and our priorities. Plans and
programs in place today would not be successful without our
Federal and local partners. The amount of planning and program
requirements flowing down from the Federal level is placing a
strain on our planning capabilities. As important as planning
for hurricanes is, none of us can forget that other dangers
still exist; terrorism, pandemic flu, and our own local hazards
from industry and such cannot be ignored.
My agency is now getting planning, exercise, and training
guidelines and deadlines for program development from many
Federal agencies, including Homeland Security, FEMA, National
Guard, Center for Disease Control, and the NRC, with what seems
like little coordination or recognition of our resources. Most
of my staff is working on several plans simultaneously with
conflicting deadlines and schedules. Only two communities in
the State have full time emergency management staff. Most are
either part time or do the work as collateral duty such as
Chief Chartier.
I ask that you take this back to Washington on behalf of
RIEMA and that of our partners who are making every effort to
meet the demands that I place on them to assist us in
coordinating a plan for these disasters. This issue was also
raised at the FEMA Regions 1 and 2 conference last week in
Albany by the State directors of the New England emergency
management agencies. A recent example would be the DHS regional
hurricane drill, which was planned for the same time as our
regional conference with Canada is set up. Now, this did
eventually get changed on behalf of Cristine McCooms from
Massachusetts and Director Horak from Region 1, but, again, a
lot of e-mails, a lot of time spent just trying to make sure we
can all meet at the time the Federal partners want to meet. So
that's one of my issues.
My last remarks do not mean to imply that we do not have a
high level of cooperation with our Federal partners. FEMA
Region 1 has been more than helpful during my tenure at RIEMA.
FEMA had a representative located in our State EOC during the
entire week we were planning to receive evacuees from New
Orleans and during the flooding that we experienced in October.
We are using FEMA staff to help rewrite our resource management
plan, and our three military emergency preparedness liaison
officers have been active in the EOC during that plan and
before the flooding. So I feel we get a high level of
cooperation between Boston and Rhode Island.
I truly believe that should Rhode Island face an event the
magnitude of Hurricane Katrina, our relationship and
communications with the various Federal agencies will be an
asset, not a hindrance.
Another issue that I feel needs to be addressed is the use
of homeland security funds for multiple disciplines. DHS
guidelines in the past have told us what the funds can be used
for in any given year. I think this evaluation needs to be
expanded to include areas such as natural hazards or other
hazards. For example, one request I continually receive from
local government is to use DHS funds for generators for public
shelters. This has not been allowed in the past. Local
directors feel that this is the most basic way to protect their
citizens. These types of expenses need to be allowed by grant
guidelines. The response to Katrina was the largest involving
mutual aid in our history, and we need to examine the ways to
make this response more efficient and easier for the responding
States and local communities. The Emergency Management Aid
Compact was used with great success in the last two hurricane
seasons. EMAC is a State, not a Federal asset. But in all
practicality, the system is funded through the Stafford Act so
it goes into effect quickly during these events. I feel that
Congress should take interest in this valuable aid system. The
best way at this point would be to make it easier and quicker
for the payment to the responding communities. It is not my
intent to lead you to believe the system in place does not work
or that it is totally a Federal issue. It just seems that the
paperwork between communities and States and then the Federal
Government leaves the local response communities or States
using their own funds for a longer period of time. As we look
at more national mutual aid in the future, I feel this area
needs to be examined further and have more innovation.
One specific request that I do have for you today is some
direct funding for Rhode Island in building our Emergency
Management Center. The Governor has placed before the
legislature a request for $20 million to rehab a State owned
facility that I will share with E911, DoIT, and RIEMA. If the
Federal Government could contribute another $6 million
specifically earmarked for EOC, that would be a great help to
my staff. What we have planned now, while it may be adequate,
is not what I think we will need in the future. And I think
that if the Federal Government continues to hope or insist that
the locals coordinate with the Federal Government, especially
in a regional event, some assistance in giving us the proper
tools would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you for allowing me to appear before you today.
Chairman Collins. Thank you, Mr. Warren. Mr. Horak.
TESTIMONY OF KENNETH L. HORAK,\1\ ACTING REGIONAL DIRECTOR,
REGION 1, FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY, U.S. DEPARTMENT
OF HOMELAND SECURITY
Mr. Horak. Good morning, Madam Chairman, Senator Chafee.
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\1\ The prepared statement of Mr. Horak appears in the Appendix on
page 44.
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My name is Kenneth Horak. As stated, I am the Acting
Regional Director of FEMA Region 1. I will discuss today FEMA's
role and activities in emergency planning in Rhode Island and
the specific activities associated with preparing for the 2006
hurricane season.
As was noted, hurricanes are no stranger to Rhode Island
including the hurricane of 1938, Hurricane Carol, which I do
remember as well as the Governor, I was roughly his age at the
time, but Hurricane Bob is the most recent example of the
vulnerability of Rhode Island to hurricanes, and I was involved
in the Hurricane Bob response.
The historic 2005 hurricane season challenged FEMA as never
before. While Hurricane Katrina resulted in a record response
from all levels of government, the lessons learned from FEMA's
response have proved invaluable for the improvement of future
major disaster responses.
The State of Rhode Island responded in many ways, too, and
we are particularly grateful to the State for providing housing
and essential State and community services to over 200 evacuees
from the devastated Gulf region under a Presidential Emergency
Declaration. I want to particularly thank Governor Carcieri for
his leadership in playing a significant role in what was truly
a national response to Hurricane Katrina.
Given the geographic relationship of our six New England
States, FEMA Region 1 sponsors a regional approach to disaster
plans and response. In that context, FEMA Region 1 conducted
Operation Yankee, a regional preparedness exercise hosted by
Rhode Island at the Naval War College in 2003. This 2-day event
attracted over 200 participants representing emergency
management, law enforcement, health, medical, volunteer, and
emergency services from throughout the region.
We work closely with the Northeast States Emergency
Consortium (NESEC), a not for profit, all hazard mitigation,
emergency management mitigation organization consisting of the
Emergency Management Directors from the FEMA Regions 1 and 2.
NESEC is the only multi-hazard group consortium of its kind in
the country. We chair the quarterly Regional Interagency
Steering Committee (RISC) meetings, attended by Federal
Emergency Support Function agencies and State emergency
management representatives. The most recent meeting in March
focused on lessons learned from Hurricane Katrina. Our
operations staff meet regularly with the State operations
officers to coordinate specific plans related to a wide range
of topics, such as energy, communications, and transportation.
A FEMA Region 1 technical specialist is currently in Rhode
Island working to assist the State with their commodity
distribution plan, at the request of the RIEMA director.
We conduct monthly conference calls with the State
Emergency Management Directors and staff. With our State
Emergency Management Directors, we participate in two annual
International Emergency Management Group (IEMG) meetings with
Canada to review Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for cross
border emergency access. We are currently participating in
national and regional meetings and exercises in advance of the
hurricane season. Current examples include the FEMA/Army Corps
of Engineers Senior Leadership Seminar; Emergency Response Team
National (ERIN) workshops; the Joint Region 1 and 2
Catastrophic Planning Conference, as Director Warren alluded
to, with the State Emergency Management Directors from both of
the regions; meetings with Rhode Island Voluntary Organizations
Active in Disasters (VOAD); and we will participate with our
States in a regional tabletop exercise along the east and Gulf
Coast States planned by the Office of Grants and Training in
the DHS Preparedness Directorate.
We work with NOAA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration, particularly the National Service Weather
Office in Taunton to coordinate hurricane preparedness.
We anticipate the imminent designation by Secretary
Chertoff of a Principal Federal Official and a Federal
Coordinating Officer for our region for this upcoming hurricane
season. Once those individuals are named, we will hold a
meeting with our partners in the New England States to review
the 2006 Hurricane Season Concept of Operations, ensuring
coordination, unity of command in adherence hearings with the
principals of the Incident Command System.
We are planning to present a briefing on our operational
readiness for the staff of congressional delegation district
offices. We expect soon that the Defense Coordinating Officer,
Colonel Francis Kosich, and support staff will be stationed at
FEMA Region 1 to expediate the position of Department of
Defense support team. Colonel Ostead has already met with
regional staff and will play a significant role in the upcoming
tabletop exercise.
The Region 1 IT staff coordinates with the New England
States on issues of communications interoperability with
emphasis on coordinating the supportive capability of any
operations situation, including types of equipment frequency
management.
We will follow existing protocols in responding to a
hurricane or any other incident requiring Federal assistance.
Those protocols include the activation of our Regional Response
Coordination Center located with our Mobile Emergency Response
Support detachment in Maynard, Massachusetts, deployment of the
State Liaison Officer to the State EOC, and, in the case of an
approaching hurricane, that State Liaison Officer will begin
pre-landfall coordination with State officials in relaying
information.
We will also deploy our Regional Hurricane Team liaison
member to the National Hurricane Center for on scene
situational awareness. I should note that the State Liaison
Officer for FEMA in the State of Rhode Island is a Rhode Island
resident and served in that capacity for over 21 years. He
knows the State very well.
We are currently increasing our workforce for disaster
readiness. Our staff is currently providing new disaster
generalist training for approximately 360 recently hired
Disaster Assistance Employees for New England, New York, and
New Jersey. Through FEMA's online independent study program,
Rhode Islanders have taken over 3,000 emergency management
courses this last year. In addition, two members of RIEMA's
staff have completed the Hurricane Readiness Training Workshop.
On the national level, FEMA has created two incident
response support teams to support the Federal response. When
first needed, these rapidly deployable teams will provide on
site support to State, local, and tribal governments on
technical assistance, situational awareness, communications,
and assistance in requesting and employing life sustaining
Federal assets.
In a network of logistic centers around the country, FEMA
has obtained and stored commodities, Meals Ready to Eat (MREs),
ice, water, generators, cots, blankets, and mats. Last month,
FEMA made arrangements to procure and deliver needed items more
quickly in the future. We are working on Total Asset Visibility
to track commodities at all times.
We are strengthing our emergency medical response. One of
the Nation's first 10 Disaster Medical Assistance Teams (DMATs)
is Rhode Island (DMAT 1). This team has responded to many
incidents, including the Asian flu, influenza outbreak in the
southeast in 2004, the Station nightclub fire in West Warwick
in 2003, the World Trade Center attacks in 2001, and the Egypt
Air crash in 1999.
FEMA is improving customer service and expediting help to
disaster victims by doubling registration capacity to 200,000
persons per day. We will also deploy mobile registration intake
centers, recognizing that many disaster victims may be stranded
in shelters with no communications to register for disaster
assistance. We are expanding our home inspection and
verification processes to improve the speed and suitability of
temporary housing operations.
Finally, as Federal, State, local, and tribal governments
become better prepared in anticipation of this hurricane
season, it is vitally important that individuals and families
also be prepared. New England has not had a significant
hurricane in many years, potentially resulting in the lack of
individual preparedness. The States generally hold public
awareness campaigns at the start of the hurricane season. FEMA
Region 1 public affairs staff will support the States' efforts
to promote citizen preparedness through the U.S. Department of
Homeland Security Ready plan.
Of course, preparation for improved emergency management
must be a consistent process. FEMA will continue to make other
significant enhancements beyond this hurricane season to help
further strengthen the Nation's preparedness and ability to
respond and recover from disasters, whatever the cost. We will
look forward to continuing our partnership with the State of
Rhode Island, local governments as well as the private sector,
community organizations, and individuals in identifying their
roles and responsibilities. Together we will strengthen our
ability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, and
recover from catastrophic events.
Thank you very much.
Chairman Collins. Thank you. General Bray.
TESTIMONY OF MAJOR GENERAL ROBERT THOMAS BRAY,\1\ ADJUTANT
GENERAL, RHODE ISLAND NATIONAL GUARD
General Bray. Good morning, Senator Collins and Senator
Chafee. Thank you for this opportunity to testify this morning.
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\1\ The prepared statement of General Bray with attachments appears
in the Appendix on page 53.
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In addition to our Federal responsibilities, the business
of the Rhode Island National Guard Emergency Management Agency
is the safety and the security of the citizens of Rhode Island.
It's a dynamic process that we are engaged in, and I'd like to
highlight just a few of our accomplishments in that process.
We are currently working with the vendors to write a
hurricane response plan which will begin to become an annex to
the State's emergency operations plan. The plan will use a
phase time line format. Actions will commence many hours before
a storm is predicted to make landfall, will continue during a
storm, and will conclude after the mitigation and restoration
process. This format will give the Governor and myself ample
time to make decisions well before the storm is predicted to
make landfall. Our plan will address issues such as evacuation
and resource management while the storm is still along the
southeastern coastline. We feel that these proactive steps will
reduce the exposure of our residents and guests to the effects
of this storm and allow for a shorter recovery time.
As part of the research for this plan, contact was made
with each of the 39 municipalities in the State to determine
their potential, particularly during this type of event. We
have also asked them to research and identify any special
population groups residing in their community and inform the
Rhode Island Emergency Management Agency of any requirements
for evacuation above local resources.
As part of this planning process, we're working to
strengthen the State's emergency support function in supportive
plans which will ensure that the overall hurricane plan for
Rhode Island will be sufficient in ensuring public safety.
The first associated plan which is in development is a
donations management plan. We have hired a contractor using
Federal funds to ensure we handle this critical function. Our
plan is to use nongovernment organizations, such as the
Salvation Army, the Red Cross, and the Rhode Island Food Bank,
to receive these items. Rhode Island Emergency Management
Agency has been meeting with these organizations over the past
month to formalize how this will be accomplished. This part of
our plan is also going to use volunteer organizations active in
disasters to also help with this function and manage any
spontaneous volunteers that may offer to help.
The last part of this area is activation of a citizen
program. This Federal program has been inactive in Rhode
Island. Through the past winter, we developed a template in
conjunction with the local chapter of the Red Cross to
formalize and use this group of citizens to help guide us with
the public concerns regarding homeland security. In this
regard, our domestic preparedness committee has also created a
special population subcommittee, consisting of people who
represent these groups. These citizens give us a better insight
into the actual issues and concerns specific to citizen space.
In conjunction with the Department of Environmental
Management, the Rhode Island Emergency Management Agency has
worked to rewrite the State's debris management plan. This is a
daunting task. Projections for a Category 3 hurricane indicate
a storm of that magnitude could generate as much waste as the
State normally generates in 3 years. The State's ability to
clear critical infrastructure and debris and dispose of this
waste will be critical and will require a full management team
with the cooperation of several State agencies.
We have also partnered with FEMA to generate the first ever
resource management plan for Rhode Island. Using FEMA and the
Rhode Island Emergency Management Agency staff, we have written
a plan to distribute food, water, and ice to our population.
Rhode Island intends to use FEMA's single point ordering system
so that there is seamless ordering. And thanks to Ken Horak,
the acting director of FEMA Region 1, for his foresight in
working with us in this effort.
The lessons of Hurricane Katrina show the value of good
intracommunications during an emergency. Rhode Island Emergency
Management Agency runs a working group consisting of local,
State, and private groups to complete this process for Rhode
Island. We are spending large sums of money to ensure that
Rhode Island has a statewide interoperable radio system. The
Federal Government must continue to assist us in this endeavor.
The cost of these systems is simply too much for the local
communities to bear. We are also working with the local ham
radio clubs and the amateur radio emergency services to
establish ham communications between the State's Emergency
Operations Center, local communities, and Red Cross shelters.
This backup arrangement will give us tertiary systems. Rhode
Island Emergency Management has already purchased new antennas
and emergency power generators to address this concern.
In an endeavor to enhance our management and mitigation
capabilities, the State has purchased Web EOC, an electronic
management program which will increase the capabilities of our
State Emergency Operations Center. The Emergency Management
Agency has also purchased a computer for each local emergency
manager. We have licensed them to operate on this system. After
the training session scheduled in May, these computers will be
issued to the local communities. This purchase is part of a
well thought out plan to increase the flow of information using
the same format and terminology between agencies. As stated
earlier, we will adopt a single point ordering system. A local
director, using Web EOC, will be capable of ordering relief
supplies such as food, water, and ice from FEMA through the
State Emergency Operations Center. This system will eliminate
miscommunication, which in the past has hampered State disaster
management.
Finally, the Rhode Island National Guard has been postured
in a State of readiness since the attacks of September 11,
2001. In 24 hours, 7 days a week, the Joint Operation Center is
maintained at the Command Readiness Center in Cranston. The
Joint Operation Center monitors State, national, military,
civilian communication pertaining to homeland security,
national disaster conditions, and military operations. The
Joint Operation Center is able to communicate interagency,
multi-jurisdiction, and multi-agency. The Joint Operation
Center is able to contact the chain of command of the Rhode
Island State area command 24/7.
In addition, I would highlight the comments of the Governor
pertaining to the Stafford Act and our ability to preempt a
disaster event. It is critical that we are able to be proactive
in this regard, so I again ask for your support in that
particular area.
Once again, I would like to thank you for this opportunity
to address this august assembly. Rhode Island continues to
improve its capabilities to ensure public safety in the event
of any manmade or national disaster. Preparedness is a task
that we never relax on. Thank you.
Chairman Collins. Thank you, General. Chief Chartier.
TESTIMONY OF JOHN E. CHARTIER,\1\ FIRE CHIEF AND EMERGENCY
MANAGEMENT DIRECTOR, CITY OF WARWICK, RHODE ISLAND
Chief Chartier. Good morning, Senators. First of all, I
would like to thank you for your work in support of all first
responders involved in both homeland security and emergency
management and for allowing me the opportunity to meet with you
this morning. I would like to address a few issues that I
believe have relevance; in particular, the first responders
here in Rhody.
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\1\ The prepared statement of Chief Chartier appears in the
Appendix on page 63.
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As we approach the 2006 hurricane season, we do so with a
renewed sense of commitment and urgency. I just returned from
the National Hurricane Conference in Orlando, during which I
had the opportunity to gain valued information on hurricane
response and preparedness. The lessons learned from our
colleagues in Florida and the Gulf States must be learned and
changes made in order that we can all respond in a coordinated
manner to effectively serve our citizens. We at the local level
understand that local and county governments must take the lead
in emergency response. Local government must be prepared to
work through our State agencies with FEMA in coordinating the
Federal Government's role in order that this approach is
conducted in a team fashion. In order for this to happen, all
parties must understand the chain of command for all responders
in response to natural disasters.
During my training at the National Hurricane Conference, it
became quite apparent that from region to region around the
country, this chain of command is not consistent. While most
agencies have adopted the National Incident Management System
to conduct operations during emergency management and disaster
response, the chain of command varies greatly by region. I feel
that national protocols need to be developed and adopted and
trained on in order that all regions conduct operations in a
similar manner. By doing so, it will allow a greater
understanding between operating agencies as to where they fit
into the process, particularly when Federal agencies and assets
are deployed in support of local operations.
With regard to communications, and this has been mentioned
by many of my colleagues prior, particularly the Governor, it
is my understanding that FEMA's National Response Coordination
Center is upgrading its equipment and installing software to
improve the interface, coordination, and the exchange of
information with the Department of Homeland Security Operations
Center. These improvements in information centers will improve
coordination, rapid exchange of information, and access to
field reports to locals before, during, and after a disaster,
and this is sorely needed. However, while these changes are
taking place at the Federal level, those of us at the local
level are still struggling with a dire need for interoperable
communications. Interoperable communications capabilities must
be developed at the local level in order that emergency
response officials can effectively communicate during a
disaster. This type of communications system is extremely
costly and for any local municipality to develop it on its own
is almost beyond our means. I would strongly ask you to support
the Governor's initiative to support funding for an
interoperable radio communication system here in Rhode Island.
As demonstrated during the recent Hurricane Katrina events,
effective communication is vital. It is completely essential to
a successful operation in this type of a situation.
With regard to Emergency Operations Centers, they are
essential for the effective response of any community to a
disaster in its ability to staff, operate, and maintain an
adequate Emergency Operations Center. I would ask Congress to
support funding designed to allow every region to develop a
center that meets the needs of the area. In Warwick, my
hometown, we are presently working on improvements in this
area, but more Federal support is needed if we are to truly
build an asset that meets the needs of the region.
These centers need to be established in a manner that is
consistent with the chain of command I mentioned earlier.
I believe that FEMA in conjunction with our State
counterparts should review present centers to ensure that they
meet regional needs. While attending last week's conference, it
became quite apparent to me that the southern States have
developed these centers to a much greater level of capability
than we have in the northeast. I'm sure much of the progress
that they have made down there has unfortunately been driven by
the frequency of hurricanes in recent years, but we must adopt
and maintain similar facilities in all areas of the country if
we are to be truly prepared.
With regard to shelter and supply at the local level, we
have been working hard in developing adequate shelters for our
community. This effort has been successful with the cooperation
of the Red Cross and our local CERT teams. However, a concern
to us is the ability to replenish and restock essential
disaster commodities, such as food, water, and ice during a
hurricane aftermath. It is extremely important that Congress
support FEMA's efforts to maintain a ready supply of
commodities and assets and develop surge capacity that would
take us beyond the local needs and capacity to handle that.
With regard to FEMA and Homeland Security, those of us at
the local level have seen the focus for available funding for
emergency management and response shift to terrorism and
weapons of mass destruction since September 11. For example,
during the last couple of years, we have seen tremendous DHS
support in terms of our hazardous materials and decontamination
teams while other areas have received considerably less
funding. While attention to issues involving terrorism is
vitally important and necessary, it must be noted that we
should be giving equal funding support to issues involving
hurricane and natural disaster preparedness and response as
well.
During the course of last week's conference, there was
considerable discussion regarding the inclusion of FEMA under
the Department of Homeland Security. I believe that Congress
should give this issue careful consideration and ensure that if
FEMA continues to remain part of DHS, that it does not become
lost within that organization; that its ability to maintain
focus and complete its mission in response to disasters
efficiently is assured.
One last thing with regard to reimbursement. The response
to Hurricane Katrina involved mutual aid from all parts of the
country. We here in Rhode Island did our part as well and sent
numerous folks and teams to that area. The Emergency Management
Aid Compact allowed for efficient deployment of local and State
assets with great success. Although these deployments were
successful in completion of the mission, many of them were
nightmares for locals like myself who funded these responses
after assurances from State and Federal agencies that
reimbursement would be forthcoming only to wait several months
for compensation. When you are trying to balance a local
budget, that makes things difficult. If Congress could simply
streamline the process for reimbursement, it would allow
greater support of missions in the future.
In conclusion, the role of local government in hurricane
response and preparedness must be clearly defined and
integrated into any State or Federal response. I believe that
in Rhode Island, we are moving greatly in that direction.
Particularly during the last 4 years, those of us at the local
level have seen a tremendous commitment of our State government
to support the locals not only in terrorism, weapons of mass
destruction, but emergency management as well.
I would like to thank you for the opportunity to appear
here this morning, and I would be happy to answer any questions
you have.
Chairman Collins. Thank you so much, Chief, and thank you
for sharing with us the results of the hurricane conference
that you just attended.
Mr. Mayor, I want to start my questions with you. During
the investigation of Hurricane Katrina, I was struck by, first
of all, how critical the levees were and that the levees'
failure greatly exacerbated the disaster; but, second, that
there was confusion among local, State, and Federal officials
as to who was responsible for maintaining the levees and
responding to the breach when the levees began to fail. We
actually had a hearing on the levees in which we had before us
representatives of the New Orleans Levee Board, representatives
of the State of Louisiana's Department of Transportation, and
representatives of the Army Corps of Engineers. And when I
asked each of the witnesses who was responsible, each pointed
to the other.
Now, here in Providence, I have learned that you have a
critical hurricane barrier, the Fox Point barrier across the
Providence River, and that project, which was completed, I
believe, in the mid 1960s, is critical to protecting Providence
from extensive flooding.
In your judgment, is it clear who is responsible for
routine maintenance of the barrier and who would be responsible
if the barrier were to fail during a hurricane?
Mayor Cicilline. Yes. The hurricane barrier is maintained
by the City of Providence. It is clear to me who's responsible
for its maintenance. The Senator has been especially helpful in
attracting Federal resources to do major capital upgrades. And
one of the real issues is who should be responsible for
maintaining it. The burden has been principally borne by the
taxpayers, the local property taxpayers in the City of
Providence, which is really an unfair distribution of that
responsibility. That is a barrier that provides protection for
the downtown region, which is really the economic, educational,
political center of the State and has enormous economic
development that has enormous consequences for the State, not
just the city, and the region.
So the maintenance is provided by the City of Providence
and the daily maintenance is done by city employees. The Army
Corps of Engineers does regular inspection of the hurricane
barrier and its pumps and its electrical systems. We have been
very fortunate because we work with our Federal delegation,
particularly Senator Chafee, to attract Federal resources to do
some of that work. We need additional resources, but I think a
larger question really is who is the right agency to ultimately
have responsibility for that. In the sort of times in which we
live, with the current configuration of Rhode Island and what
that barrier protects, I think it is clear that the real
responsibility ought to be the Federal Government, Army Corps
of Engineers, who have both the capacity and the expertise and
who play a critical role already, but have the resources of the
Federal Government to both maintain and also to respond to a
breach. If, in fact, there were a breach that required
additional systems, we have a very strong partnership with our
State emergency management officials, and we would, I'm
certain, avail ourselves of that, as well as Federal
assistance.
But I think today it does provide an opportunity to think
about a larger and a more proactive response to that question
to say, really, does it make sense to have local taxpayers of
one city support the maintenance and the integrity of that very
important barrier which protects our whole region.
Chairman Collins. I think that is an excellent point. It is
a heavy burden for the taxpayers of one city to bear, given the
importance of the barrier to the entire State and, as you point
out, really, the region. But it is good to know that you don't
have the confusion over basic responsibility that we saw in New
Orleans because that was a major problem.
Mr. Warren, I was very pleased to hear Mr. Horak say that
the Department of Homeland Security is moving to designating in
advance a principal Federal official and a defense coordinating
officer who will work together.
But I want to ask you, because I heard you say that you
have been, I think, in your position for 10 years, whether
there have been large scale exercises involving State, local,
and Federal officials to actually train for a major hurricane
or other natural disaster?
Mr. Warren. Yes, there have been. In the past, we have done
hurricane drills. Actually, 3 years ago, didn't we? The
hurricane tracts you have before you came up the coast, and it
was a 2-day exercise that went all through the States. We
started a few days ahead of time listening to what was going on
in South Carolina and such and those things. So we have done
those.
Obviously, in the last couple of years, we have done a lot
of training, most of it terrorist based. We have done a lot on
the airport with our Federal partners. But, again, that does
benefit us in a natural disaster. So I think the lines of
communications are tested in those, also.
Chairman Collins. I think training and exercises are just
critical.
I would ask Mr. Horak, do those exercises also involve key
players from the nonprofit sector, such as the Red Cross, and
for profit entities, such as power companies, for example?
Mr. Horak. In the past, the for profits have not been
involved, but the trend is in the right direction; TOPOFF III
involved the private sector organizations. We have historically
had the Red Cross as part of our emergency support functions as
being first in the Federal Response Plan, and now in the
National Response Plan. But, yes, there is a trend to involve
the private sector more and more.
Chairman Collins. Good. Mr. Horak, you heard the Chief
explain how difficult it is for a community to not receive
prompt reimbursement when they answer the call for help under
the Emergency Management Compact. Can you shed any light on why
it takes so long to get reimbursement when first responders
answer the call and go and help as occurred with Hurricane
Katrina? That's a real disincentive for smaller communities to
participate if it's going to wreak havoc on their budgets.
Mr. Horak. Yes. And I personally recognize that, and I've
seen that situation firsthand, but that is something that our
headquarter's folks realize they have to improve on. We have to
improve the financial management processes within FEMA. I think
that is recognized by Director Paulison. That is a major
priority for us.
Chairman Collins. Senator Chafee.
Senator Chafee. Thank you, Senator Collins.
Chief Chartier, we were talking to the Governor about the
lessons from Hurricane Katrina of evacuating disabled nursing
home patients, and the Governor was saying a lot of that
responsibility has to go to the local level, and you, yourself,
said the local level is going to have responsibility for much
of the disaster.
In your experience in Warwick, do you have a good database
of who is disabled in low lying areas and what nursing homes,
just out of curiosity, in your home community? Are you prepared
to know who might need help?
Chief Chartier. Yes, Senator. As part of our local
emergency operations plan, we have identified all of our, what
we have considered to be, vulnerable facilities, nursing homes,
hospitals, and the like, particularly housing for the elderly.
We have a couple that are built in low lying areas along the
Pawtuxet River. In addition to that, we use our human resource
folks in the City of Warwick to help maintain a database of
folks that might be disabled or just simply not have the means
to evacuate in a timely fashion, and we hope that by
maintaining those lists and being aware of what structures we
need to take care of on a priority basis that we can take care
of that.
Senator Chafee. So you can say with some confidence you
pretty much know who is wheelchair bound in various houses
throughout the city?
Chief Chartier. Yes. We try to keep that information as
current as possible. One of the downsides of any database is it
is only as good as its recent update. And as people move, if
they don't forward us their new information, then we have old
data, but we do make a concerted effort to keep that as up to
date as possible.
Senator Chafee. I have a question for the whole panel, I
don't know who has the best answer, but the whole question of
interoperability. Is it more a question of cost or developing
technology? What is the big barrier to this concept and need
for interoperability?
Mayor Cicilline. It is clearly cost. We have the
technology, and we actually are very far ahead in the City of
Providence from many other communities as a result of Federal
assistance. We are about 90 percent completed in
interoperability, but that is unusual.
The U.S. Conference of Mayors actually recently did an
analysis, and it is a huge problem across the country. It is
really because local communities don't have the resources that
they need to do this successfully to complete this process.
There's wonderful technology, great systems, but these cost.
Senator Chafee. Anybody else want to respond?
General Bray. If I might add to that, as we have stated,
our 800 Megahertz communications system is a critical link to
interoperability, but communications is just one dynamic of
that command and control process, which will be assisted by the
Web EOC software, and communications is another major part of
that.
Redundant systems are essential, and we have done a lot in
the State of Rhode Island to assure that we have redundant
systems and capabilities such as, for example, our military
communications systems that are a part of our organizations
and, as well, capabilities of the 281st communications
squadron, which is one of two assets in the entire United
States that can replicate the backbone of both voice and
digital communications.
So we are well postured at this time, but the critical
issue is the final funding pieces to complete the 800 megahertz
system.
Senator Chafee. And I think it was Mr. Horak who mentioned
in preparation for a hurricane, one of the needs is tarps. And
as we flew into New Orleans even months after the hurricane, it
seemed like every roof had a blue tarp over it. So certainly
small things such as that are important. Once the storm has
passed and those shingles have blown off, protecting what has
survived is very important. A good supply of tarps makes a big
difference.
Chief Chartier mentioned chain of command, and is there
anything specific we can do on the Committee to push these
national standards that you are advocating for?
Chief Chartier. I think many of the standards are already
there. I think what needs to be done is more training exercises
that involve the locals right up through the FEMA level.
One of the things that I heard from my colleagues sitting
around at night after the conference was over and talking about
lessons that they had learned was when the Federal Government
comes in and interacts, many times folks at the local level are
not completely clear where the Federal Government fits into the
process, and those chains of command and the layers of
responsibility have to be clearly identified and everyone has
to understand that before the incident happens. Because it gets
back to what Senator Collins was talking about, who is in
charge of the levee, who's responsibility it is. Those layers
of responsibility and clear lines of communication need to be
laid out in advance and everyone needs to understand them so
that the chain of command will, in fact, function.
Senator Chafee. Mayor, is there anything we can do in the
transfer of responsibility to the Army Corps of the barrier?
Mayor Cicilline. Yes. That would require congressional
action, essentially, and you were good enough to come, and I
thank you for that. I do think it's a question of fairness,
both in terms of having a small part of a local community bear
the costs associated and knowing that there is a Federal agency
that has both the experience and expertise and, I think, even
the willingness to undertake this responsibility. That would
require congressional action, and it would be certainly
welcomed by all the residents of Rhode Island to know both the
resources will be available of the Army Corps of Engineers as
well as the professional expertise; to not only maintain it,
but to deal with the ongoing regular operation, I think, would
be a huge benefit to all Rhode Islanders and the entire region.
Senator Chafee. Did I hear you say they are willing?
Mayor Cicilline. Yes. I think the last time the Army Corps
of Engineers were here and they floated the idea, and they said
it is up to Congress. We will take anything they tell us to
take. So I think they are willing to do it if you direct them
to do it.
Chairman Collins. Thank you. General Bray, I want to follow
up on the interoperability question. You mentioned in your
testimony that Senator Chafee has been such an advocate for
additional funding in this area. We have been working to have a
good formula to the homeland security grant program so that
States and local governments can have predictability and
sustainability so that they can undertake a multi-year project
knowing that the funding is going to be there because that is a
major problem, as well. A lot of times, these projects are
going to take several years to complete.
What would you think if we carved out a certain percentage
of the homeland security grant money or perhaps created a new
program that was specifically for interoperable equipment?
The reason I ask this question is this comes up over and
over again, as the Mayor has mentioned, and we just don't seem
to be making fast enough progress. The same problems during
Hurricane Katrina happened and 4\1/2\ years before with
September 11. What about our, I hate to use the word in this
environment, ``earmarking,'' but earmarked specific funding
that would be a competitive grant program, perhaps, just for
interoperable equipment? What would you think of that?
General Bray. Thank you for asking the question, and let me
express my appreciation for your support in this area.
You are exactly right. I think a cradle to grave mentality
needs to be adopted, particularly for these type of absolutely
essential programs. To start a project such as this that is so
critical to our overall capabilities, to mitigate an incident
like this, not to mention just day-to-day handling of
emergencies within a State, I think, is absolutely essential
that we are able to see the end state to fruition in a
reasonable amount of time.
Our capabilities in the State through this communication
system will be absolutely solidified. We are in position to
build the backbone that will support this. What is essential is
to ensure that the local responders have the resources then to
tie into that system. So any methodology that would help us get
there and, as you say, with some predictable, some assurance
that we will see that end state is absolutely essential.
Chairman Collins. Chief, from your perspective, is the lack
of predictability of funding and the fact that the formula is
changed every single year a problem when you are trying to
embark upon a major project like interoperability?
Chief Chartier. Yes, for several reasons. One, for a local
community to start down the road, from my community alone, we
would be looking at a $3.5 to $4 million project, and we are a
city of about 100,000. To embark down that road not being
completely sure that the funding would maintain all the way
through the project to having a complete system at the end is
just not a road that most locals are willing to go down
because, for one reason, if you've only got half of your city
on the system, then you've, in effect, created a worse
nightmare because where at least before you could talk to your
own folks, maybe not outside, if you start installing assets to
infrastructure that only covers half of your city while you are
hoping that the rest of the funding shows up next year, you
have just muddied the waters further.
So, as the General was saying, if you have cradle to grave
where we know that if they start it this year, it's going to be
a 5-year project; this is the timeline, these are the
increments in which the funding is going to be available, that
would be much simpler.
Chairman Collins. Thank you. Senator Chafee.
Senator Chafee. I think I have gotten all the answers. We
will keep working. Senator Collins is urging exercise and
practice, and that is important, also.
And, Mayor Cicilline, we were in one of your fine dining
establishments last night, Senator Collins and I, and ran into
a waiter who was a fellow northern Mainer.
Mayor Cicilline. We arranged that.
Chairman Collins. Well done.
Senator Chafee. And I know Senator Collins is on her way to
Arkansas to chair another hearing.
Chairman Collins. Let me just ask one final question for
you, Mr. Horak. It is my understanding that a FEMA survey that
was conducted in May 2000 found that 77 percent of homeowners
in the northeast had not prepared a disaster supply kit, had
not prepared a hurricane evacuation plan, really had no idea of
what they should do if disaster strikes. Now, I think that
citizen awareness has been boosted enormously by Hurricane
Katrina, but is FEMA undertaking any effort with its State and
local partners with the people who are right beside you to
educate the public on evacuation routes, on what a supply kit
should include, on what they should do during the first 24
hours when they are very likely to be on their own?
Mr. Horak. As I said in my opening remarks, that is one of
our priorities. It is a personal view of mine that the local
citizens and families are not as prepared as they should be. I
alluded to campaigns tied to the hurricane season, public
awareness campaigns. We will be doing one of those with our
States. We are also working with the National Weather Service
in Taunton who will also be putting on a campaign. That should
be a sustained program; not just hurricanes, but all hazards.
There are two sources of readiness information, there's a
FEMA web site with a lot of information, www.fema.gov, but also
www.ready.gov, which the DHS sponsors, lots of valuable
information there as well. We will continue to publicize that.
But I emphasize, it is important for States and local
governments to be involved in that coordinated sustained
campaign.
Chairman Collins. Any other members of the panel want to
comment on that issue, on any efforts you have underway to try
to educate the citizens? Mr. Mayor.
Mayor Cicilline. We have done a lot in the area, Senator.
We have done a fair amount of training of volunteers in
connection with shelter volunteers in the shelter system. We
have shared information about evacuation routes with residents
in the city. We also did a campaign called Ready Providence in
which we distributed emergency kits and lots of information on
evacuation routes and natural disasters to residents of
Providence. Our director of Homeland Security and Emergency
Preparedness has really emphasized the importance of educating
the residents of Providence on how to respond to a natural
disaster, what we need to have, and has actually provided some
materials.
Chairman Collins. That's great. Anyone else?
Mr. Warren. We have established a committee that is working
to especially educate the people on the web site to make sure
they understand, and then also, if people can't get to it, to
make sure we get those materials to them.
Chairman Collins. That's good. Thank you all. I think that
citizen awareness that we ended on is often neglected. So I am
very pleased to hear that you are proactive in that area.
Every year, the ranking Democrat on my Committee, Senator
Lieberman and I--I think it is September that is National
Preparedness Month--always do a press event, and no one ever
pays any attention. And, as a result, I think that most
families are not prepared. But as I said, I think we have an
opportunity that has been provided to us by last year's
catastrophe to catch the attention of the public, to educate
our citizens, and to make sure that they understand that they
are part of the solution; that individual citizen and family
preparedness is also necessary to supplement what sounds like
terrific efforts that this entire State has embarked upon.
So I want to thank you all for your hard work, your
dedication, and, most of all, for your service by coming here
today. It's been very helpful. It has given us insights on what
a small but vulnerable State has undertaken. You have a true
champion in Senator Chafee. He's been a real leader on this
issue and has a special understanding of the challenges faced
by coastal areas. So I look forward to continuing to work with
Senator Chafee and all of you. Thank you for your
participation.
The hearing record will remain open for 15 days for the
submission of any additional materials. This hearing is now
adjourned.
[Whereupon, at 12:16 p.m., the Committee was adjourned.]
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