NACo’s Homeland Security Task Force has adopted a 16-point policy platform that sets the stage for federal and county cooperation in the fight against terrorism. The policy addresses critical issues for county governments in the areas of public health, local law enforcement and intelligence sharing, infrastructure security, and emergency planning and public safety. It calls for Congress to enact a new Anti-Terrorism Block Grant funded at a minimum of $3 billion. The block grant would support county and municipal law enforcement, public safety agencies and programs.

“This policy drives home the crucial role county governments maintain as first responders to incidents such as the Sept. 11 and anthrax attacks,” said NACo President Javier Gonzales.

The task force established by Gonzales, met in Washington, D.C., Oct. 26. The policy was adopted after a daylong meeting during which members of the administration and other officials intimately tied to emergency management, public health and disaster response briefed task force members.

Overall, the policy seeks better coordination between local, state and federal agencies, charged with protecting health and property, and is intended to guide the Administration and Congress as they make investments in local programs to improve homeland security.

It seeks to boost funding for public health initiatives such as securing an adequate supply of vaccines and antibiotics to counter a bio-terrorism attack. It asks for assistance in securing public infrastructure and reimbursement for securing airports and federal facilities. It also asks that local public officials be included as members of the local anti-terrorism task forces established by Attorney General John Ashcroft.

The interim policy recommendations will be presented for formal adoption by the NACo Board of Directors at is fall meeting later this month. In the meantime, the policy package has been presented to Tom Ridge, director, White House Office on Homeland Security.

Following are the security recommendations presented.

Policy Agenda to Secure the People of America’s Counties

• Public Health

  1. Fund the Public Health Threats and Emergencies Act
  Congress should provide adequate funding for the Public Health Threats and Emergencies Act. An appropriation of a minimum of $1.8 billion is needed to implement the law fully and effectively, with at least $835 million dedicated to building and maintaining local and state public health preparedness and infrastructure.
  
  2. Improve the Health Alert Network
  The Centers for Disease Control-Public Health Practice Program, the CDC office that best understands local dynamics, should continue to coordinate and communicate with county health departments, including a focus on improving the Health Alert Network and on assistance with technological upgrades for county health departments.
  
  3. Ensure an Adequate Supply of Vaccines and Antibiotics
  The federal government should ensure an adequate supply of appropriate antibiotics, vaccines and other relevant medications and medical supplies, to be made available to counties and other local communities in a timely manner as part of the stockpiled push packages administered by the CDC.
  
  4. Develop a National Policy to Prioritize Medical Treatment
  The federal government should develop a national policy to prioritize, in the case of a public health emergency, who gets treated first under what circumstances when demand for treatment exceeds supply.
  
  5. Train Health Personnel
  Public and private sector health personnel should receive adequate training to manage public health emergencies, in cooperation with federal, state and local governments. While specific training relative to bio-terrorism is needed, general competency building in public health is also needed to assure that the workforce is fully prepared.
  
  6. Ensure that Adequate Medical Surge Capacity Exists
  The federal government, in cooperation with state and local governments should ensure that the medical surge capacity needs associated with events of mass casualties can be met, particularly in communities that serve as regional medical centers.
  
  

• Local Law Enforcement and Intelligence

  7. Authorize a Local Anti-Terrorism Block Grant
  Congress should enact a new local anti-terrorism block grant at a minimum of $3 billion to comprehensively fund county and municipal law enforcement and public safety agencies and programs. Funding decisions under the block grant should be made countywide as an outgrowth of the existing “all hazards” emergency management planning process.
  
  8. Include Counties in Anti-Terrorism Task Forces
  The Justice Department should expand the composition of its newly created law enforcement Anti-Terrorism Task Forces to specifically include elected representatives of county and other general purpose local governments. Security clearance should be provided to county officials for intelligence information commensurate with their responsibilities.
  
  

• Infrastructure Security

  9. Reimburse Counties for Airport Security Costs
  Congress should enact an airline security bill immediately, to provide county-owned and operated airports with federal reimbursement for additional costs of security measures mandated by the federal government. In addition, the federal government should assist airports in financing security measures by allowing flexibility with the Airport Improvement Program, Passenger Facility Charges, and tax exempt bonds.
  
  10. Assist Ports and Transit Systems in Financing Security Measures
  The federal government and state governments should provide assistance to counties for securing ports, transit systems, commuter rail and freight rail systems.
  
  11. Help Localities Secure Public Utilities and a Safe Water Supply
  Congress should authorize funds for drinking water systems and other public utilities, large and small, to conduct physical vulnerability assessments and emergency planning.
  Additional research should be conducted into the threats to water and sewer systems and other public utilities and the development of methods and technologies to prevent and respond to attacks.
  
  12. Include Security in Infrastructure Development
  The federal government and state governments should evaluate threats and consider security as a criterion in the funding and development of new infrastructure, including physical infrastructure (such as transportation, schools, flood control and water systems) and cyber infrastructure. Security measures associated with the development of infrastructure should be eligible for federal funds.
  
  13. Reimburse Counties for Securing Federal Facilities
  The federal government should reimburse counties for the local public safety and law enforcement costs associated with requests to provide security to federal installations and federally owned infrastructure within their jurisdictions.
  
  

• Emergency Planning and Public Safety

  14. Train County Officials to Prepare for and Respond to Acts of Terror
  Federal, state and local governments should collaborate to train first responders to respond to acts of terror, utilizing and expanding upon existing training facilities and opportunities to their fullest extent. Curricula also should be established for the specific purpose of training elected county officials and other representatives of general-purpose local governments. A standard, core set of competencies should be developed.
  
  15. Assist Public Safety Communications Interoperability and Interference Issues
  The federal government should assist counties in obtaining additional spectrum as soon as possible to address interoperability and dead zone problems created by congestion and interference with commercial services. In the event of a disaster or terrorist attack, all first responders should have access to a common set of frequencies that can be used to communicate between agencies. To make this effective, particularly if the federal government chooses to use the 700 MHz band and digital communications, financial assistance should be provided to ensure that counties can afford to use this new technology.
  
  16. Establish a Public Communication Network
  A communication network capable of delivering information in a timely manner between the federal government, state and local governments, and the general public should be established.

(For more information, contact the NACo Legislative Affairs staff at (202) 393-6226, or visit NACo’s Web site at www.naco.org.)