DHS Pilot Program to Focus on State Emergency Planning
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By Stew Magnuson and Matthew Rusling
The Department of Homeland Security, along with U.S. Northern Command, is coordinating a new pilot program designed to make states devote more full-time personnel to drawing up emergency response plans.
The DHS-funded Task Force for Emergency Readiness will start off in five states. Teams of two or three full-time personnel will create blueprints for dealing with emergencies such as hurricanes, earthquakes or chemical spills.
Currently, states rely on personnel who may have other duties or who only devote some of their time to preparing for emergencies, Air Force Gen. Gene Renuart, Northcom commander, told reporters in December.
In the past, states have had difficulty finding and funding experienced planners, he added.
“They have Guardsmen who work part time, but that doesn’t give them the day-to-day focus on the planning efforts that may be needed,” he said. These small cells will coordinate their efforts with Northcom, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and state authorities.
“The intent is to create additional capacity for a state to not only create its own statewide response plans, but then to integrate them with federal responders, be they military or civilian,” Renuart added.
The Washington state pilot program might want to plan for the aftermath of an offshore earthquake that triggers a tsunami, Renuart said.
“That’s happened in Washington before, so they have good reason [for concern],” he said.
The program is seeking to hire members with extensive planning backgrounds, such as retired military, National Guard personnel or reservists, Renuart said.
The funding will come from DHS preparedness technical assistance grants. The start date is unknown, he said. The other four states participating are Hawaii, West Virginia, Massachusetts and South Carolina.