Recommendations for improved US crisis and disaster preparedness made by the National Homeland Security Consortium
The Honorable Michael Chertoff Dear Secretary Chertoff: Members of the National Homeland Security Consortium would like to offer their assistance and support to you with regard to implementation of the new Preparedness Directorate within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). We would also like to share with you thoughts and ideas from the state and local public safety and response community regarding DHS internal processes for document review by stakeholders. The Consortium is comprised of key state and local organizations, elected and appointed officials, the private sector and others with roles and responsibilities for all hazards prevention, protection, preparedness, response and recovery activities, including homeland security. The mission of the National Homeland Security Consortium is to provide a forum of key national organizations through effective communication, collaboration, and coordination that positively promotes national policies, strategies, practices and guidelines to preserve the public health, safety and security of the nation. Members of the National Homeland Security Consortium are pleased that Mr. George Foresman, an individual with strong state and local experience, has been confirmed as the first Under Secretary for Preparedness. He is a known and respected professional with the ability to bring together local, state and federal partners in the pursuit of enhanced national preparedness. We hope that Under Secretary Foresman will have the appropriate authority and resources to coordinate all preparedness functions within DHS and across federal agencies. To help meet this challenge, the Consortium strongly recommends that DHS, through the Preparedness Directorate, utilize the Interagency Personnel Act to access experienced state and local personnel to assist with policy and program development and implementation, as well as relationship building with state and local governments. Furthermore, select members of the National Homeland Security Consortium respectfully submit a series of principles on national preparedness that we believe DHS should adopt through the Preparedness Directorate: * The approach must be all-hazards based, reflecting all threats and risks, natural, man-made and technological alike, including acts of terrorism; * State, territorial, local, tribal and private sector emergency preparedness and response professionals must be involved in the full lifecycle of any policy, strategy, and guidance development related to national preparedness efforts; * The national preparedness initiatives must be sustainable into the future; * Federal inter-agency preparedness activities must be coordinated at the federal level prior to dissemination and implementation; * The DHS Preparedness Directorate must synchronize all national preparedness policies, programs, and activities within DHS’s numerous offices and operational agencies; * A centralized point of entry linked directly to the DHS Secretary must be maintained for federal coordination with stakeholders on state, territorial, local and tribal governments as well as private sector issues; and * Permanent organizational linkages with the state, territorial, local, tribal governments and the private sector must be maintained for preparedness programs. Another issue we would like to bring to your attention is the enormous burden being placed on state, local and private sector stakeholders with regard to DHS wide document reviews and timelines. First, let us say that we greatly appreciate the opportunity to review and provide input on national strategies, plans and other policy documents. It is absolutely imperative that state and local officials charged with implementation of these plans and strategies are able to participate in the development process. The problem is the lack of internal coordination within DHS regarding document review and comment periods. State, local and private sector stakeholders are inundated with requests to review voluminous and complex documents in extremely short periods of time, while at the same time updating assessments and strategies, updating state and local emergency operations plans, updating evacuation plans, implementing NIMS, completing grant applications and meeting grant reporting obligations. This is in addition to the day-to-day business of public safety. We understand some of these requirements are initiated by Congress and the White House Homeland Security Council. However, we hope that you will make it known that tight deadlines hinder effective local, state, federal and private sector collaboration. To this end, select members of the National Homeland Security Consortium respectfully submit the following recommendations: * There should be more formalized standard operating procedures, through the Preparedness Directorate, for stakeholders to develop, review and comment on national plans, strategies and other key policy documents. * In order for DHS to formulate well thought out policy, there must be experienced and knowledgeable state, local and private sector representatives taking part in the process on the front end, and all appropriate disciplines must be included. Many times, our partners in public health, emergency medical services and agriculture are not consulted and they should be if we are to have a true national preparedness goal. * State, local and private sector officials need a reasonable and appropriate amount of time to review and comment on documents to allow for meaningful input by those charged with implementation. * Summaries for state, local and private sector officials should be developed by DHS and shared as part of the document review process with direction on particular sections of the document most pertinent for state, local and private sector input. * The process for seeking input by select individuals or organizations should be more transparent to all stakeholders. The public safety community and the disciplines that are represented in it have experienced individuals they want to offer up as subject matter experts and can represent the communities as a whole. * The National Homeland Security Consortium is eager to serve as a vetting mechanism and sounding board for DHS and the federal government. We offer subject matter experts in the areas of homeland security, emergency management, law enforcement, fire, public health, EMS, National Guard, public works, emergency communications, and agriculture. The Consortium also brings state and local elected and appointed officials and private industry to the table with public safety roles and responsibilities. We recommend that DHS utilize this one-stop-shop as a supplementary means to help ensure the fullest involvement of public safety partners in national plans and strategies development and vetting prior to implementation. Note that we do not believe this should interfere with direct relationships between DHS and organizational partners nor impede individual organizational partners from communicating its recommendations directly to DHS. Mr. Secretary, these recommendations are submitted in the spirit of partnership and are based on the desire of state and local public safety and response officials, the private sector, elected and appointed leaders to realize enhanced national preparedness for the multitude of hazards that face our states and communities. The National Homeland Security Consortium is a ready resource for you and your staff and we hope that you will call on us when we can be of assistance. Sincerely, Adjutants General Association of the United States Cc: DHS Deputy Secretary Michael P. Jackson
•Date: 18th Jan 2006• Region: US • Type: Article •Topic: Emergency planning |
