If you’re on the ground responding to terrorist attacks — whether by plane or by anthrax — the last thing you need are issues of command and control, mismatched equipment and threats of lawsuits. And the first things you need are well-established partnerships, networks, support and local control.

If there were messages to be delivered to federal officials attending the all day meeting of NACo’s Homeland Security, these were the clearest ones.

In a fast-paced, focused environment, the 43 members of NACo’s task force, meeting in Washington, D.C. Oct. 26, heard from, asked questions of, and made suggestions to a parade of presenters, who covered everything from emergency preparedness, to public health, law enforcement and airport security.

Secretary of Transportation Norman Mineta and White House Office of Homeland Security Director Tom Ridge were among several top Administration officials who addressed task force members. Mineta urged support for the House Republicans’ bill on aviation security, observed that trucks offloading commercial transport planes like UPS and FedEx are not being adequately screened before they drive onto the tarmac and said he favors using laid-off airline pilots as air marshals.

Gov. Tom Ridge said the country’s emergency preparedness system is sound, “but we’ll have to work together to improve it.” He said there will be an expanded role for FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) and a revision of its mission, which was designed for the 20th century and “Mother Nature.” He assured members “that [they] will be partners and included in every step of the way.”

More specifically, Ridge announced his intention to form a state and local government committee to advise his Office of Homeland Security.

White House Intergovernmental Affairs Director Ruben Barrales offered to carry questions and suggestions about emergency preparedness to a special working group at the White House, the Domestic Consequences Policy Committee — “the most effective, red-tape cutting group I’ve ever seen.”

Lessons learned
Also on hand to brief task force members were front line responders like Capt. Mark Penn, deputy coordinator Emergency Services, and Assistant Chief James Schwartz of Arlington County, Va. who were on the ground after the Pentagon attack, and Robert A. Full, emergency services director, for Allegheny County, Pa., whose 13-member county team assisted at the crash site of United Airlines Flight 93 in Somerset County, Pa. on Sept. 11

To a person, these speakers stressed the importance of close cooperation and mutual aid pacts among local jurisdictions. Allegheny County is the lead agency for the 13-county emergency preparedness team in southwestern Pennsylvania. Team members share resources, purchase the same equipment and meet regularly.

Arlington County and other Northern Virginia jurisdictions operate on an “automatic aid” basis. Fire and emergency personnel can and do cross boundaries if the need arises without any red tape or fear of liability

In his remarks, Gov. Ridge echoed the local responders’ advice. “It’s absolutely imperative that counties work as closely as possible with one another. We need to think carefully about how we integrate our capacities. … I urge you to collaborate and integrate like you’ve never done before.”

Other presenters on the public health and emergency management side said counties need to “drill, drill, drill” in order to hone their response to a terrorist attack. Both Arlington and Allegheny counties credited Y2K mock exercises and preparedness plans as critical to the effectiveness of their front line responses on Sept. 11.

Patrick Libbey, president of the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO), also warned of the high need for redundancy and back up for personnel and equipment.

Lessons taken
Many speakers updated task force members on their agencies’ or organizations’ response to the events of Sept. 11. Here are just a few.

FEMA Deputy Director Michael Brown said his agency will increase training opportunities for local officials on their roles and responsibilities in the event of a disastrous event. The agency’s general counsel is also reviewing the need for an overarching federal policy that provides immunity against lawsuits for responders operating in jurisdictions outside their own.

A NACCHO survey shows that while the public health system is in better shape than it was two years ago, the resource base remains thin. The median number of workers in local public health agencies is 13.

Trina Hembree of the National Emergency Management Association, which represents state level emergency mangers, said their most recent studies show “We are not as unprepared as we may feel.”

The task force will meet again on Nov. 28 in Santa Fe County, N.M. The meeting will focus on the role of technology in homeland security.

(For more information about NACo’s Homeland Security Task Force, please visit NACo’s Web site at www.naco.org.)