[Senate Hearing 107-888]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
S. Hrg. 107-888
FEMA'S ROLE IN TERRORISM RESPONSE
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HEARING
before a
SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE
COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
UNITED STATES SENATE
ONE HUNDRED SEVENTH CONGRESS
SECOND SESSION
__________
SPECIAL HEARING
FEBRUARY 27, 2002--WASHINGTON, DC
__________
Printed for the use of the Committee on Appropriations
Available via the World Wide Web: http://www.access.gpo.gov/congress/
senate
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COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
ROBERT C. BYRD, West Virginia, Chairman
DANIEL K. INOUYE, Hawaii TED STEVENS, Alaska
ERNEST F. HOLLINGS, South Carolina THAD COCHRAN, Mississippi
PATRICK J. LEAHY, Vermont ARLEN SPECTER, Pennsylvania
TOM HARKIN, Iowa PETE V. DOMENICI, New Mexico
BARBARA A. MIKULSKI, Maryland CHRISTOPHER S. BOND, Missouri
HARRY REID, Nevada MITCH McCONNELL, Kentucky
HERB KOHL, Wisconsin CONRAD BURNS, Montana
PATTY MURRAY, Washington RICHARD C. SHELBY, Alabama
BYRON L. DORGAN, North Dakota JUDD GREGG, New Hampshire
DIANNE FEINSTEIN, California ROBERT F. BENNETT, Utah
RICHARD J. DURBIN, Illinois BEN NIGHTHORSE CAMPBELL, Colorado
TIM JOHNSON, South Dakota LARRY CRAIG, Idaho
MARY L. LANDRIEU, Louisiana KAY BAILEY HUTCHISON, Texas
JACK REED, Rhode Island MIKE DeWINE, Ohio
Terrence E. Sauvain, Staff Director
Charles Kieffer, Deputy Staff Director
Steven J. Cortese, Minority Staff Director
Lisa Sutherland, Minority Deputy Staff Director
------
Subcommittee on VA, HUD, and Independent Agencies
BARBARA A. MIKULSKI, Maryland, Chairman
PATRICK J. LEAHY, Vermont CHRISTOPHER S. BOND, Missouri
TOM HARKIN, Iowa CONRAD BURNS, Montana
ROBERT C. BYRD, West Virginia RICHARD C. SHELBY, Alabama
HERB KOHL, Wisconsin LARRY CRAIG, Idaho
TIM JOHNSON, South Dakota PETE V. DOMENICI, New Mexico
ERNEST F. HOLLINGS, South Carolina MIKE DeWINE, Ohio
TED STEVENS, Alaska (ex officio)
Professional Staff
Paul Carliner
Gabriel A. Batkin
Alexa Sewell
Jon Kamarck (Minority)
Cheh Kim (Minority)
C O N T E N T S
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Page
Statement of Joe M. Allbaugh, Director, Federal Emergency
Management Agency.............................................. 1
Opening statement of Senator Barbara A. Mikulski................. 1
Statement of Senator Richard C. Shelby........................... 3
Prepared statement of Joe M. Allbaugh............................ 9
State and local relationship..................................... 9
Recovery update.................................................. 10
Monitoring air quality........................................... 10
Ensuring appropriate safety and preventive measures.............. 10
Health monitoring................................................ 11
Assistance for clean up to ensure safe reentry of buildings...... 11
Lessons learned.................................................. 11
Meeting the challenge ahead--Office of National Preparedness..... 12
Office of Homeland Security...................................... 12
ONP: Mission and Activities in Support of Homeland............... 12
Organization..................................................... 13
First responder initiative....................................... 13
Fire grants...................................................... 13
Citizen Corps Initiative......................................... 13
FEMA'S ROLE IN TERRORISM RESPONSE
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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2002
U.S. Senate,
Subcommittee on VA, HUD, and
Independent Agencies,
Committee on Appropriations,
Washington, DC.
The subcommittee met at 9:30 a.m., in room SD-124, Dirksen
Senate Office Building, Hon. Barbara A. Mikulski (chairman)
presiding.
Present: Senators Mikulski, Shelby, Stevens, and Domenici.
FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY
STATEMENT OF JOE M. ALLBAUGH, DIRECTOR
opening statement of senator barbara a. mikulski
Senator Mikulski. Good morning, everybody. The VA-HUD/FEMA
Appropriations Subcommittee will now come to order. This
morning, we will have the benefit of the testimony of Mr. Joe
Allbaugh, the head of Federal Emergency Management.
I called this hearing today to examine FEMA's role in
responding to acts of terrorism. I want to acknowledge the fact
that Senator Bond, my ranking member, is on the floor to
manage--has been the Republican manager for election reform.
He'll be joining us later. And if his staff has questions they
particularly want answered, I'll be very happy to--Senator
Feinstein, as well. And we're very pleased to have our
colleague, Senator Shelby, here.
What a difference a year makes. About a year ago, we had
Mr. Allbaugh here for his very first appearance before the
committee, presenting the administration's appropriations on
Federal Emergency Management. We were talking about a new fire-
grant program, how to be ready, about many things. And along
the way, something horrific happened to the United States of
America. The aerial attack on the United States of America on
September 11 was unprecedented. The subsequent impact of
Anthrax was also unprecedented.
And today we want to know: What were the lessons learned
from the last several months? What was FEMA's experience? What
were the experiences that they gained from that? And what are
their plans for dealing with this in the future?
I know that under Presidential Directive PD-39, FEMA is
designated as the lead agency for consequence management, for
responding to acts of terrorism. We want to listen to Mr.
Allbaugh today to find out: Did the Federal response plan that
FEMA is charged with really work? How did FEMA respond to
September 11, and what were those crucial lessons learned? What
can we say now about FEMA Urban Search and Rescue Team? And
what changes, if any, do we need to improve the program or to
expand the program? What is the role of the new Office of
National Preparedness that Mr. Allbaugh began to work on last
year? And what is the president proposing for FEMA's future?
Mr. Allbaugh, I want you to know that I support the
president's war on terrorism and his commitment to homeland
security. I support the commitment of resources to our first
responders, particularly our firefighters. And, like you, I
want to make sure that FEMA remains an all-hazards agency.
I believe we can get double value for our investment.
Whatever we put into homeland security into our first
responders, they're going to be ready. In my own hometown of
Baltimore, we have several chemical factories. If there is an
accident or whether there is an attack, the consequence
management is the same. So I believe that whatever public
investments we make at the local level are going to protect our
people against--whether it's a national disaster, an accidental
disaster, or a malevolent hostile attack on us--we want to make
sure that FEMA does stay an all-hazards agency, ready for
everything from earthquakes to dealing with weapons of mass
destruction.
I'm going to have several questions for you. We need to
know how FEMA responded, were there problems in coordination
with other agencies, how well did the Urban Search and Rescue
Team respond?
I'm particularly proud by the fact that one of the FEMA
Urban Search and Rescue Teams is located in Montgomery County
and dashed to the Pentagon, stayed there for several days, and
did, I think, an outstanding job with local fire departments
filling in where they had gone. We need to know what those gaps
are.
We also note that the president's proposal is talking about
doubling FEMA's budget, focusing $3.5 billion on a first-
responder initiative, consolidating first-responder programs,
and the Justice Program for Domestic Preparedness. I think
that's a little organizationally controversial, but we need to
have a better understanding of this proposal.
For example, under the president's proposal, the fire grant
would be rolled into the first responder initiative. I'm
concerned that our firefighters might not get the same level of
support they have under a separate program. Our colleagues in
Commerce, State, Justice have very serious reservations about
it. Senator Hollings and our colleague, Senator Judd Gregg, who
is really an authority in counter-terrorism effort, really made
3 days of hearings last year to focus on where we are, and I
think their concerns should be taken seriously.
We want to know about this Office of National Preparedness
and what it does and how it's going to work, and, of course,
we're very interested in the president's Citizens Corps. But,
most of all, we want to make sure that, not only is FEMA fit
for duty, but that working with and through FEMA, that our
first responders, the first people on the scene, at often the
greatest risk, who literally and figuratively put themselves in
the line of fire, are the best equipped, the best trained, the
best prepared that America can be able to offer, because they
really are our soldiers in Homeland Security. And I look
forward to taking your testimony here today.
Colleagues, I'm going to turn to you as we prepare for the
vote. Senator Shelby, you were here. Of course, I--the full
chairman. With your indulgence, Senator Stevens, do you want to
wait your turn or----
Senator Shelby. I'll yield to him.
Senator Stevens. I have no prepared statement.
Senator Mikulski. Okay. Senator Shelby?
statement of senator richard c. shelby
Senator Shelby. Thank you, Madam Chairman.
Director Allbaugh, I appreciate your being here today to
talk to us about FEMA's role in responding to acts of
terrorism.
I'm very interested in this topic, as you know, for several
reasons. First, the Center for Domestic Preparedness and the
Noble Training Center located at what was Fort McClellan in
Anniston, Alabama. You probably know this. Both of these
facilities provide unique training capabilities of our Nation's
first responders and medical personnel. In addition, the
Anniston Chemical Destruction Facility on Anniston Army Depot
is located in Calhoun County, nearby.
In light of the attacks on September the 11, many of my
constituents have raised concerns about the safety of the
facility and FEMA's role there. Over the past few years,
Congress has made a significant investment there in the Center
for Domestic Preparedness and Noble Training Center so that
they can train thousands of first responders and medical
personnel. I'm hopeful that the new emphasis on domestic
terrorism will allow us to further increase our investment in
these facilities.
As part of the five-member National Domestic Preparedness
Consortium, the CDP has the unique distinction of housing the
only live-agent training facility in the United States. At the
CDP, first responders are trained with live agents to give them
hands-on experience responding to, detecting, and dealing with
live agents that they may encounter in the field.
But this is not just about facilities. We have an
exceptional training program in place at the Department of
Justice. I believe that it's extremely important to maintain
the integrity and the capabilities of these training programs.
I'm troubled by the administration's proposal to transfer
the Office of Emergency Preparedness from the Department of
Justice to FEMA. Primarily, I'm deeply concerned that ongoing
first-responder training efforts could be compromised by this
proposal to switch lead agencies mid-stream. Director Allbaugh,
you bear the burden to justify, I believe, the necessity for
this transfer. Any disruption in training activities could
result in serious consequences.
Beyond the issue of whether you could implement a
successful transfer without interruption, the question still
remains: Why are we doing this? Judge Gregg, Senator Gregg,
that the chairwoman mentioned, and also Senator Hollings, are
going to ask these same questions. Why are we taking the chance
that training could be interrupted? I do not know why.
To date, I've been provided little information to convince
me that this will be a valuable transfer. Furthermore, the
information that I've received leads me to believe that your
agency is just beginning to do their homework regarding the
Nation's first-responder training programs.
Director Allbaugh, although I look forward to working with
you as this process continues, and learning how this transfer
will, in the end, better serve our Nation's first responders
and our country, I'm troubled.
Director Allbaugh, I would also like to touch on another
subject that relates to FEMA's role in responding to acts of
terrorism. That subject regards the protection of the
communities that are home to U.S. chemical weapons stockpiles.
I'm sensitive to the concerns of the people who live in these
communities. I'm encouraged by the steps the Army and the FAA
have taken to increase the security of these stockpile
facilities.
FEMA is responsible for all off-post emergency preparedness
activities in relation to the Nation's chemical stockpile
sites. Technical and bureaucratic problems have plagued the
CSEPP program in Anniston, Alabama. My primary concern has and
continues to be the safety of the community, of the people
there. The Alabama delegation has worked diligently with the
Army and FEMA for years to ensure that maximum protection is
realized. The governor of Alabama has recognized problems with
the CSEPP program and has exercised his option to seek a
judicial remedy.
Major issues remain to be addressed within the CSEPP
program in Calhoun County, and I welcome your thoughts
regarding these critical safety measures and how FEMA plans to
fulfill its commitment to the community.
Thank you.
Senator Stevens. Madam Chair? Mr. Allbaugh, I probably
won't be back, because we've got a Defense hearing, too, right
after our 10 o'clock vote, at the Defense Appropriations
Committee.
I've heard both the chairman and Senator Shelby. I want you
to know, I think, to a great extent, what we face is the
problem of getting prepared to really increase our security for
our homeland, but without increasing the number of entities
that are involved.
You know, I've still got an open mind about this concept of
FEMA being the lead agency. I think it has trained people that
have dealt with disasters, and we have more disasters than
anyone in the country, as you know, so we know FEMA, and we
trust FEMA. And I think that there are a lot of places that
don't have disasters that don't know your people and don't have
that same basis of trust that we do. Through earthquakes and
floods and tsunamis and everything else, FEMA has been our
connection with the national government.
I think that one real question we have now, in terms of the
overall concept, is communication. Federal agencies are going
to a LAN mobile-radio concept of total communication, but I
don't see yet an integration of State and local entities in
that, and I would hope that that's going to be in the forefront
of our objective as we review this.
And Senator Byrd has told me he has some questions about
the plans that are being made. And, you know, it's been in the
public--I told our caucus yesterday that Senator Byrd had
expressed a desire that Governor Ridge come and speak to the
whole committee at one time, because I think each subcommittee
is going to have these questions unless we get that basic
planning out in front of us and we understand the overall
scheme. I hope that that will be worked out.
But right now, I do believe we all should sit back and try
to understand what has been done in terms of this planning and
to analyze the budget and see if it's going to be adequate to
meet the national needs, particularly in this homeland-defense
area.
I welcome the opportunity to work with you on it. I am
certain someone has to be in charge. We're going to see a new
plan now in the Department of Defense, probably this week,
about who is going to be in charge of that, as far as homeland
defense. So it is going to be a complicated matter that's going
to take some time, and my urging to my colleagues here is for
us to wait and listen and analyze and see if we can make an
input that's meaningful, as far as our understanding, our
background on the issues that we deal with here on this
committee.
But I'm pleased to see you here, and I wish that I could
stay the whole time, but I will not be back after the vote.
Thank you very much.
Senator Mikulski. Senator?
Senator Domenici. Thank you very much, Madam Chairman. My
situation on voting is about the same as his. I will try to
come back and be here for the second round of questions.
Senator Shelby, I have the same concerns as you have. The
State of New Mexico has taken the lead through one of our small
technical scientific schools with Alabama, and they're doing
the basic training the underpinning of the training--with
science and technology that goes into that.
But let me just say this to the director. I am not at all
sure that, ultimately, FEMA should have all of the authority
that the president currently contemplates giving you. None of
that is said in any way to indicate you do anything but the
best job. You do. FEMA does an excellent job. You do a great
job. But the question is going to arise as to where you're
going to get the authority to do all of the detailed things
that we're giving you the money to do. And will we not just
transfer the money to you and then have to let the agencies in
different statutorily-authorized entities spend the money?
So this leads me to three fundamental things that concern
me. First, has the entire activity of first-responder training
been transferred to FEMA, or does DOJ still retain some aspects
of this critically important function? I think that's a very
important question. Second, would the shift in first-responder
training responsibility require legislative authorization by
the Congress? And if not, what are the appropriate legal
authorities that the administration cites as the basis for
proposing and proceeding with this reorganization of national
domestic preparedness and first-responder training? I think
that's a very important question.
Senator Mikulski. I think that's the bottom--that's the
launch pad here.
Senator Domenici. Under the leadership of Senator Gregg,
who was the then-chairman of the Senate Commerce, Justice,
State, and Judiciary Appropriations Subcommittee he's now
ranking member--a very important initiative came into fruition.
It needs to go beyond its current state, but the Department of
Justice took the mission over because it was given to them.
First responders exist in America. You're aware of that. We
have 126 cities, who, at the end of last fiscal year, had been
trained as first-responder cities. I don't know if the
committee knows that. That's New York, and that's everyone.
That was authorized under the 1996 Act called Nunn-Lugar-
Domenici. Now we've got to follow up and do with those cities
and others--not for preparedness, but carrying it out. I assume
that's the job you all have been given, but I'm not sure. I
can't tell from what I've read.
I thank you very much. I'll try to get back and ask the
questions myself.
Senator Mikulski. Senator Domenici, and to all of my
colleagues, those--every point that you've raised are valid.
That's the point of this hearing. And I don't think it will be
the only discussion we should have. We had a very robust
exchange with the Attorney General yesterday on this topic.
But we all, I think, are unified in what is our national
goal, which is to have the best-trained, the best-equipped, the
best-prepared first responders that America can do.
Well, Mr. Allbaugh, why don't you proceed with your
testimony. By the time you've concluded, there will be a vote,
and then we'll come back and--with the questions. And we hope
that as many of our colleagues who can return will. Please.
Mr. Allbaugh. Thank you, Madam Chairwoman and members of
the committee. I appreciate the opportunity to be here today.
It's always a pleasure to come before this committee to discuss
FEMA's response to the September 11 terrorist attacks and our
ongoing involvement in Federal-homeland security efforts.
Our country learned much on September 11, and we at FEMA
were no exception. We learned, as we do in every emergency
situation, what works and what needs improvement. On the plus
side, the Federal Response Plan, the blueprint for government
response activities, worked. The proper people and resources
from around the country and from all levels of government and
expertise were deployed to all three disaster sites. Of the
more than 3500 Federal workers deployed in New York, more than
500 are still working at the Disaster Field Office providing
human services, public assistance and support.
One of the lessons we have taken from our experience on
September 11 is the inequity of training, equipment,
exercising, and planning in the response community. While at
Ground Zero in New York City, we also saw volunteers, including
first responders from around the country, turned away because
of the inability of response managers to put them to proper
use.
The breathing apparatus used by the fire department of New
York City is different from those used by other fire
departments. Even so, when extra manpower and equipment arrived
and was made available, they often could not be used. The same
was true of communications. Different devices were used as well
as different frequencies, thus limiting the device's usefulness
and responders' abilities on the ground.
I personally witnessed, on many occasions, emergency
managers and first responders passing each other handwritten
notes as the most efficient way of communicating. By
establishing national standards and a more robust intra-and
interstate mutual aid agreements, these compatibility issues
can be addressed. We are already working with States and other
Federal agencies on these solutions.
The New York experience also showed the need for state-of-
the-art personal protective equipment for firefighters and
emergency medical personnel. In the case of a potential
chemical or biological threat in the future, the on-hand
availability of this equipment and the training that would go
along with it would become all the more crucial. As such, we
need to expand the training of FEMA's Urban Search and Rescue
teams to prepare all of them for the hazards of such weapons of
mass destruction. Currently, we only have six of our 28 USAR
teams that are prepared for WMD.
The scope of the September 11 attacks was also a lesson. No
longer can we assume an attack will include a single target. To
better prepare for multi-attack targets, we must establish a
single-incident command structure for the entire country.
Command incompatibility in our emergency management response
system will cost lives. To me, these points are not only simply
public-policy debates to be engaged, but life-and-death
problems to be solved.
Twenty years from now, when my kids or my grandkids ask me
if I did everything I could to help prepare our Nation to
respond to these threats, I want to be able to say, yes, I
did--we all did. Any other answer is unacceptable.
Today we have an unprecedented opportunity to train and
equip our first responders, prepare our citizens, and protect
property. Missing this opportunity simply is not an option.
So given these lessons and others, how do we plan to move
forward in the future? Well, to begin with, the president, as
you know, submitted, in his 2003 budget, a request for FEMA
with new responsibilities and authorities for homeland
security, first responders, and citizen preparedness. The total
appropriation the president asked for is $6.4 billion, which
would essentially double our current budget.
As we move into the appropriations process, our team at
FEMA feels especially fortunate to have this subcommittee
overseeing our future. We've seen how well the members and your
respective staffs know the issues that we'll be dealing with in
the future, and we look forward to working with you to complete
this process.
Let me address two particular issues with the time that I
have left. First, let me give you an idea of how we plan to
account for and allocate this new money, keeping in mind that
there are three types of individuals in our country--one, those
who can count, and, two, those who can't. That's a bad joke.
I'm sorry.
Mr. Allbaugh. The staff needs to make a note, no more jokes
in front of committee.
Second, let me explain why I believe it's so important that
the first responders and national preparedness initiatives need
to be consolidated under FEMA's authority.
The First Responders Initiative would include $3.5 billion
in grants to State and local jurisdictions for specific needs
in their fire, police, and emergency medical services. These
grants will be designed along with long-term goals of building
State and local capabilities that would initially be targeted
in four areas: planning, equipment, training, and exercises.
Our plan would be to take in all the facts, look at all the
assessments, and get the money quickly to those communities
that need it most. FEMA will work with these States to provide
maximum flexibility while we develop standards to ensure
accountability.
My second point, the reason I believe that this money
should be folded into FEMA's responsibility, is that the target
areas of this First Responder Grant program fit perfectly with
the tasks that the president has given us in the Office of
National Preparedness. ONP is already working closely with the
Office of Homeland Security and Governor Tom Ridge to create
the strategies properly to be put in place to respond to man-
made disasters. We will develop national standards for State
and local first responders, which will help solve compatibility
issues. These standards will pertain to training, equipment,
communications, mutual aid, and exercising, so that every part
of our national emergency response system is on the same page.
Finally, FEMA has been asked and tasked by the president
with the responsibility for coordinating a Citizen Corps, our
new network of local citizen and community preparedness
volunteer organizations. Some of the member programs are
already established and others are being developed as we speak.
The citizencorp.gov Web site recently logged its one-
millionth hit, evidence that the president's faith in the
selfless spirit of the American people is well founded. We
Americans realize preparedness is not a spectator sport. FEMA
will provide funds to State and local jurisdictions to set up
their local volunteer networks, help train volunteers, and
develop comprehensive preparedness and response plans. More
often than not, the first responder is a private citizen, a
witness to attacks. And Citizen Corps will train volunteers to
help respond to such situations.
FEMA's relationships with State and local governments, and
our record of quickly and efficiently getting grant monies out
the door, already makes us the primary point of contact for
first responders around the Nation. This grant program, added
to the established coordinating responsibilities of the ONP and
Citizen Corps, will improve training, equipment, and
compatibility of our first responders and citizens across the
country making our communities stronger, safer, and better
prepared.
I thank the committee for the opportunity to appear before
you today, and I'd be happy to entertain any questions to the
best of my ability.
Senator Mikulski. Well, thank you very much, Mr. Allbaugh.
I think that--that, and then your--I believe you also had a
more detailed testimony----
Mr. Allbaugh. I did--submitted for the record.
Senator Mikulski. Yes, and it's now been----
Mr. Allbaugh. Yes, ma'am.
Senator Mikulski [continuing]. Submitted to the record.
Mr. Allbaugh. If the committee would accept that, I would
appreciate it.
Senator Mikulski. Yes.
[The statement follows:]
Prepared Statement of Joe M. Allbaugh
introduction
Good morning, Madam Chairwoman and Members of the subcommittee. I
am Joe Allbaugh, Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency
(FEMA). Thank you for this opportunity to update you on FEMA's response
to the terrorist attacks on September 11 and FEMA's evolving role in
the area of homeland security, and the status of our Office of National
Preparedness.
We continue, along with our partners, to provide assistance to
alleviate the suffering of those impacted by the September 11 terrorist
attacks. While I can assure you that tremendous work has already been
accomplished, there is much left to do, and we will continue to work
hard to speed assistance to those still struggling to overcome losses
from the tragic events of September 11.
The level of cooperation, dedication and professionalism exhibited
by the first responders and others who have worked on the response and
recovery efforts has been outstanding. We won't forget what they have
done and commit to providing the continued support they need. Some
3,500 Federal workers were deployed to New York to support the
response, about 1,300 from FEMA, and almost 2,000 from other Federal
departments and agencies. These responders have had a single focus, to
help the victims recover from this terrible National tragedy. There are
still 491 people working on the recovery in New York at the Disaster
Field Office.
background
FEMA is the Federal Agency responsible for leading the nation in
preparing for, responding to and recovering from Presidentially
declared major disasters. Our success depends on our ability to
organize and lead a community of local, State, and Federal agencies and
volunteer organizations. We know whom to bring to the table when a
disaster strikes in order to ensure the most effective management of
the response. We provide management expertise and financial resources
to help State and local governments when they are overwhelmed by
disasters.
The Federal Response Plan (FRP) forms the heart of our management
framework and lays out the process by which interagency groups work
together to respond as a cohesive team to all types of disasters. This
team is made up of 26 Federal departments and agencies, and the
American Red Cross, and is organized into interagency functions based
on the authorities and expertise of the members and the needs of our
counterparts at the State and local level.
Since 1992, and again in response to the terrorist events of
September 11, 2001, the FRP has proven to be an effective and efficient
framework for managing all phases of disasters and emergencies. The FRP
is successful because it builds upon existing professional disciplines,
expertise, delivery systems, and relationships among the participating
agencies. FEMA has strong ties to the emergency management and fire
service communities and we routinely plan, train, exercise, and operate
together to remain prepared to respond to all types of disasters.
state and local relationship
Much of our success in emergency management can be attributed to
our historically strong working relationship with our State and local
partners. Through our preparedness programs we provide the financial,
technical, planning, training, and exercise support to give State,
local and Tribal governments the capabilities they need to protect
public health, safety and property both before and after disaster
strikes. Our programs foster the partnerships that are so critical to
creating a strong comprehensive National emergency preparedness system.
Terrorism consequence management is just one component of our overall
emergency management effort. For example, after September 11, Governor
Ridge and I agreed that there was a need to quickly assess State
capabilities to effectively respond to acts of terrorism. We assembled
an interagency team with members from Department of Defense, Department
of Education, Health and Human Services, Department of Justice and
Environmental Protection Agency to visit the 50 States and territories
to assess their readiness against 18 criteria and identify priorities
and shortfalls. We examined several categories like critical
infrastructure, personnel, plans, equipment and supplies communications
and related capabilities. The results were provided in a classified
report to Governor Ridge right before Thanksgiving.
recovery update
As I said, we have already provided a lot of assistance to help
with the recovery. Federal funds distributed by FEMA, the U.S. Small
Business Administration (SBA), the Department of Labor (DOL), and the
State of New York exceeds $1 billion.
--FEMA has registered more than 61,000 people seeking disaster
assistance through our toll free registration telephone system.
More than 85,000 people have visited one of the City-State-
Federal Disaster Assistance Service Centers.
--We have provided more than $30.2 million in grants to 5,500
households for temporary housing assistance to help people
return their homes to a livable condition or find alternative
housing.
--FEMA and the State of New York have committed more than $4 million
to the State-run Individual and Family Grant Program (IFG) to
assist affected individuals and households with essential and
necessary needs.
--FEMA, in coordination with the New York Department of Labor, has
provided more than $5.9 million of Disaster Unemployment
Assistance to 2,500 workers and business owners who lost
employment as a result of the attack and are not covered by
regular unemployment programs (e.g. self-employed).
--The State of New York was awarded $25 million from the U.S.
Department of Labor under the Workforce Investment Act
dislocated worker National Emergency Grant Disaster Relief
Employment Assistance Program. The funds are being used to help
workers, who lost their jobs as a result of 9/11, find or
qualify for new jobs. The State has allocated the funds to at
least fourteen local agencies to assist the workers.
--SBA has approved more than 3,300 disaster assistance loans totaling
nearly $300 million to business owners in and around lower
Manhattan.
--Nearly 33,000 individuals have received $3.8 million in United
States Department of Agriculture Disaster Food Stamps.
--FEMA provided a $22.7 million grant to New York for its crisis-
counseling program, Project Liberty (administered by the NY
State Office of Mental Health).
--FEMA has funded $245 million in emergency assistance payments for
recovery activities, such as activation of the Urban Search and
Rescue (US&R) Task Forces. In the World Trade Center and
Pentagon responses 26 of our 28 task forces were deployed and
the remaining 2 placed on alert.
--More than $428 million in Public Assistance funding has been
approved to reimburse State and local government agencies for
costs incurred responding to and recovering from losses
associated with the attack. FEMA is funding 100 percent of the
Public Assistance support, most of which has been for debris
removal and emergency protective measures.
--More than 1.2 million tons of the estimated 1.4 million tons of
debris have been removed from the WTC site.
monitoring air quality
The importance of air quality, emergency responder health,
environmental degradation, and related issues are very important to us,
in addition to responding to the needs of the victims. We have worked
closely with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the New York
City Department of Environmental Protection and the New York State
Department of Environmental Conservation to monitor and address air
quality concerns. Funding was provided to EPA to conduct air sampling
throughout Manhattan, Brooklyn and Staten Island and the air quality
monitoring continues today with numerous monitoring sites providing
data that can be used to evaluate health and safety standards.
ensuring appropriate safety and preventive measures
The health and safety of emergency responders is also of paramount
concern to us. Right after the attacks, numerous government agencies
such as the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, National
Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Department of Health and
Human Services (HHS), EPA, and State and City agencies dispatched
representatives to the site to provide advice on health issues and
establish appropriate safety measures and protocols. In fact, a
comprehensive Health and Safety Plan was developed with input from
numerous Federal, State, and New York City agencies. FEMA is a strong
supporter of site safety. Our experience in disaster responses has
taught us the importance of ensuring the safety of the emergency
responders so that they do not also become disaster victims.
Federal personnel and teams deployed into the disaster area, such
as the US&R Task Forces, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers personnel, and
medical personnel from the HHS, arrived with the necessary protective
gear. Based on health and safety advisories that were issued, they were
able to adopt required safety protocols. In the first weeks, FEMA's
Safety Officer closely coordinated with and participated daily in the
New York City Interagency Health and Safety Meeting and, as a result,
was able to pass on advisories and provide training from the meetings.
health monitoring
We took measures to address immediate health concerns involving
emergency responders through our coordination with HHS/Public Health
Service. Five Disaster Medical Assistance Teams, four Disaster Mortuary
Teams, one Veterinary Medical Assistance Team, and one Mental Health
Assistance Team, were dispatched to New York City to provide health
care and related assistance. The Naval Hospital Ship USNS Comfort and
burn nurses were also deployed to support the response.
Base line medical testing was funded by FEMA for medical
surveillance of 11,000 firefighters and 4,000 State emergency
responders working at Ground Zero. Blood samples were drawn by local
clinics coordinated by the FDNY Medical Office. These samples are being
used to help establish a health baseline. Follow-up and additional
testing will be completed by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) over
the next 12 months. Nine million dollars has been made available for
testing, analysis and management of this effort with CDC as the lead
agency.
In an effort to be cautious, we asked the US&R Task Forces that
deployed to WTC to notify us of any medical problems/illnesses
resulting from or related to their deployment. More than 1,300 US&R
Task Force personnel and their 84 search and rescue dogs were deployed
to the WTC. The Task Forces represented 14 States and did a superb job.
assistance for clean up to ensure safe reentry of buildings
Because of the amount of dust and debris from the building
collapses, clean up of residences and the surrounding area has been a
major priority. We provided housing assistance grants for clean up of
residences. In addition, the New York State-administered Individual and
Family Grant program provided grants for items such as High Efficiency
Particulate Air (HEPA) air filters, vacuum cleaners, and other eligible
items to help residents with reentry into their homes. In many cases
landlords and/or insurance companies funded clean up measures. I should
also mention that voluntary agencies were very active and helped with
clean up for special needs residents.
We also supported the New York City Department of Health Community
Teams in distributing to residents flyers containing recommendations on
actions needed in order to be able to re-occupy buildings and homes.
FEMA's Outreach Teams also distributed the flyers. This flyer addressed
clean up and safety and health concerns and was developed to facilitate
individuals moving back into their homes.
Eligible government clean-up costs and monitoring activities are
being funded 100 percent through FEMA's Public Assistance program. For
example, the New York City Board of Education's clean up of schools
near Ground Zero is an eligible expense as is the clean up of city
vehicles such as fire trucks and police cars.
We will do whatever it takes to ensure recovery in New York City.
Most recently I have taken additional steps to deal with emerging
environmental and health issues surrounding the World Trade Center
response. I have asked HHS and EPA to work with us to develop more
comprehensive plans of action to address responder health issues and
short-and long-term indoor and outdoor environmental issues arising
from the attacks in New York.
lessons learned
We learn from every disaster experience and incorporate these
lessons wherever possible into our planning and processes to improve
the next disaster response. For example, an assessment of the Oklahoma
City bombing led to the creation of the FEMA Urban Search & Rescue
teams as well as the processes for monitoring the long-term health of
1st responders. The World Trade Center and Pentagon disaster responses
are no different. We have learned from both. We recognize that better
personal protective equipment is needed for our first responders. More
training and exercises, better communications and improved
interoperability of the equipment, and enhanced medical response
capabilities and mutual aid agreements are also needed. I am committed
to ensuring that those needs are met.
meeting the challenge ahead--office of national preparedness
Although the challenge of meeting these needs may represent an
expansion of our duties, in many respects, FEMA's role in responding to
terrorist attacks was identified well before September 11. On May 8,
2001, the President tasked me with creating the Office of National
Preparedness within FEMA to ``coordinate all Federal programs dealing
with weapons of mass destruction consequence management within the
Departments of Defense, Health and Human Services, Justice, and Energy,
the Environmental Protection Agency, and other Federal agencies.''
Additionally, the ONP was directed to ``work closely with State and
local governments to ensure their planning, training, and equipment
needs are met.''
The President's decision to create ONP was a vital solution for a
problem long recognized but rarely acted upon--the need for central
coordination among the myriad of Federal programs dealing with
terrorism preparedness. Some forty Federal Departments and Agencies
have been involved in the overall effort to build the National
capability for preparedness and response to the consequences of
terrorist incidents. Federal terrorism preparedness programs and
activities are vested with several departments and agencies based on
their statutory authorities, Presidential direction, and Congressional
jurisdiction, including legislation and specific funding earmarks. Many
of these activities have been primarily focused on the development or
enhancement of Federal capabilities to deal with terrorist incidents,
including plans, personnel and physical security upgrades, and
specialized resources such as protection and detection technology and
response teams.
Various independent studies and commissions have recognized the
problems inherent in this uncoordinated approach. Recommendations by
the Gilmore Commission, for example, stress the importance of giving
States and first responders a single point of contact for Federal
assistance for training, exercises and equipment.
Many first responders themselves are baffled by the maze of
programs and agencies that provide preparedness assistance. In recent
testimony before Congress one first responder Chief Ray Alfred, on
behalf of the International Association of Fire Chiefs said, `` Some of
my colleagues in the fire service have . . . spoken of their concerns
as to the lack of a coordinated Federal effort, both in terms of the
preparedness and support programs I have discussed and the seemingly
endless Federal response capabilities that appear duplicative and
continue to grow.''
FEMA is the natural Federal Agency to be the single point of
contact to facilitate and oversee the implementation of the National
effort to build preparedness capabilities. FEMA is the lead Federal
agency for all-hazard emergency management activities involving
preparedness, response, recovery and mitigation. As the designated lead
agency for consequence management, FEMA coordinates Federal disaster
and emergency assistance programs and activities to support State and
local governments in their response and preparedness efforts.
office of homeland security
Following the September 11 attacks, the President appointed
Governor Ridge to head the newly established Office of Homeland
Security (OHS) with the charge to ``develop and coordinate the
implementation of a comprehensive National strategy to secure the
United States from terrorist threats or attacks.'' In carrying out this
activity, the OHS was tasked to ``coordinate the executive branch's
efforts to detect, prepare for, prevent, protect against, respond to,
and recover from terrorist attacks within the United States.'' Since
that time, FEMA has been working closely with Governor Ridge and the
OHS, and other agencies to identify and develop the most effective ways
to quickly build and enhance the overall domestic capability to respond
to terrorist attacks. In conjunction with OHS, FEMA will provide
critical support for homeland security initiatives, particularly in the
area of local and State capability building. FEMA will also have a
significant role supporting the development of the National strategy;
participating in interagency forums and working groups, including the
Homeland Security Council, and Policy Coordinating Committees; and
contributing to the interagency budget strategy and formulation
process.
onp: mission and activities in support of homeland
The Office of National Preparedness' (ONP) mission is to provide
leadership in the coordination and facilitation of all Federal efforts
to assist State and local first responders (including fire, medical and
law enforcement) and emergency management organizations with planning,
training, equipment and exercises necessary to build and sustain
capability to respond to any emergency or disaster, including a
terrorist incident involving a weapon of mass destruction and other
natural or manmade hazards.
FEMA has made the following changes to support this expanded
mission to support the Office of Homeland Defense:
--Realigned preparedness activities from the Readiness, Response and
Recovery Directorate to ONP;
--Realigned all training activities into the U.S. Fire Administration
to allow greater coordination between training for emergency
managers and training for firefighters;
-- Moved the authority for credentialing, training and deploying
Urban Search and Rescue teams from the Readiness, Response and
Recovery Directorate to the U.S. Fire Administration.
organization
The ONP is organized in FEMA Headquarters under a Director
(reporting directly to the FEMA Director) and supported by a Management
Services Unit and four Divisions to carry out key its functions to
coordinate and implement Federal programs and activities aimed at
building and sustaining the National preparedness capability. The
divisions and their functional responsibilities include the following:
--Administration Division--Provide financial and support services,
and management of the grant assistance activities for local and
State capability building efforts.
--Program Coordination Division--Ensure development of a coordinated
National capability involving Federal, State, and local
governments, to include citizen participation in the overall
efforts to effectively deal with the consequences of terrorist
acts and other incidents within the United States.
--Technological Services Division--Improve the capabilities of
communities to manage technological hazard emergencies-whether
accidental or intentional-and leverage this capability to
enhance the capability for dealing with terrorist attacks.
--Assessment and Exercise--Provide guidance, exercise, and assess and
evaluate progress in meeting National goals for development of
a domestic consequence management capability.
We continue to work with all 55 States and territories and
Federally recognized Indian Tribes and Alaskan Native Villages to
implement our current and other grant programs to assist State, Tribal
and local government to enhance their capabilities to respond to all
types of hazards and emergencies such as chemical incidents, incidents
involving radiological substances, natural disasters, etc.
first responder initiative
The President's First Responder Initiative will be led by FEMA and
implemented under the Office of National Preparedness. The President's
proposed fiscal year 2003 budget includes significant Federal funding
to dramatically enhance the homeland security response capabilities of
America's first responders with funds targeted to purchase equipment,
train personnel and develop response plans.
The initiative builds on existing capabilities at the Federal,
State and local level. It will include the development of standards to
ensure maximum interoperability and provides incentives to develop
mutually supportive programs to maximize effective response capability.
The President is proposing $3.5 billion to train firefighters,
police officers and emergency medical technicians to improve response
to chemical or biological events, provide new equipment, and help local
governments develop comprehensive plans to prepare for and respond to
terrorist attacks. FEMA would be tasked with administering these funds.
fire grants
FEMA, through the United States Fire Administration (USFA), has
completed its Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program grants for
fiscal year 2001. In a nine-month period, FEMA/USFA created and
administered a new grant program that focused on the basic firefighting
and equipment needs of our nation's local fire departments and fire
service organizations.
Given their significant role as 1st responders to a disaster, as
was shown by their bravery on September 11, the need of firefighters
for additional training and equipment to respond to future terrorist
attacks will be addressed by ONP.
citizen corps initiative
Citizen Corps is part of the overall effort of Freedom Corps to
assist individuals and communities with implementing Homeland Security
Programs in their areas. Since September 11, 2001, Americans are more
aware than ever of the threat of terrorist acts on home soil. In the
days following the attacks we saw immediate and selfless volunteering,
generous monetary gifts, blood donations, and an outpouring of support
and patriotism across America. Sustaining that spirit of volunteerism
and unity is crucial to defending the freedoms America holds dear.
In order to help Americans strengthen their communities, President
Bush tasked FEMA with overseeing Citizen Corps. This broad network of
volunteer efforts will harness the power of the American people by
relying on their individual skills and interests to prepare local
communities to effectively prevent and respond to the threats of
terrorism, crime, or any kind of disaster.
The Citizen Corps builds on existing crime prevention, natural
disaster preparedness, and public health response networks. The Citizen
Corps will initially consist of participants in the following five
programs: the Volunteers in Police Service Program; an expanded
Neighborhood Watch Program; the Medical Reserve Corps; Community
Emergency Response Teams (CERT), and Operation TIPS. FEMA has the
responsibility for approving additional programs to be affiliated with
Citizen Corps in the future. Individuals who participate in any of the
Citizen Corps programs will be members of Citizen Corps.
The Citizen Corps will bring together local government, law
enforcement, educational institutions, the private sector, faith-based
groups and volunteers into a cohesive community resource. The Federal
role is to provide general information, to develop training standards
and materials, and to identify volunteer programs and initiatives that
support the goals of the Corps.
What we need to do now is break down the firewalls and allow the
ONP to coordinate and facilitate all preparedness programs. As I said
before we need one Agency, one place for all 1st responders to receive
assistance for planning, training, equipping and exercising in
preparation for future WMD or terrorism events.
Operationally, FEMA is well prepared and equipped to respond to
terrorist disasters. Similar to natural disasters, following a
terrorist event FEMA aims to ensure that the Federal Government and its
partners provide needed support to disaster victims, first responders,
and local governments.
I look forward to working with Members of the Subcommittee and
Congress as a whole as we go forward in helping our nation to better
prepare for the future.
Senator Mikulski. Yes. And I, of course, will be back after
the vote. I want to turn to my colleagues as a--just in
senatorial courtesy. For those who might not come back--be able
to come back because of other demands, I'm very happy for you
to read off the questions and be sure that they are heard. And
then we can come back to me after the vote.
Mr. Chairman, did you have some questions?
Senator Stevens. Yeah, I have just one, Mr. Allbaugh, and
that is about this--it concerns what I've mentioned before--and
that is, what are the plans for integrating the State and local
response agencies into the LAN mobile radio system that you are
proposing?
Mr. Allbaugh. That's one of our greatest problems across
the country--the incompatibility of systems and individuals to
communicate with one another. I wouldn't mind if we took $2
billion of this additional $3.5 [billion] and solved that
problem with getting the right software in place, not to be in
a position of telling a community they need to buy Ericsson or
Motorola or a specific type of equipment, but establish the
standards so it would allow individuals--police, fire, and
emergency medical teams--to communicate with one another.
We had so many people show up in New York City. The systems
were totally incompatible. We had fire trucks that would show
up, pumper trucks, and they couldn't connect the hoses, for
example, because New York City had a different standard.
We need to have national standards when it comes to
equipment, when it comes to training, when it comes to
communication. If you cannot pump, it costs lives. That is an
unfortunate down side.
We're making the first steps at the national level, as you
have alluded to, with the Federal agencies. It is a bold first
step, and I congratulate members of Congress for forcing us to
do this. We need to do this. We need to set those same
standards at the State and local communities and adhere to
those standards, enforce those standards, and make sure
communities have the ability to talk to one another during an
incident.
Senator Stevens. Well, it's not unlike the problem we faced
when we changed the radios--and the communication divides for
our ships off our shore. We did change them--twice, in my time
here in the Senate. And in both instances, we had to have a
period in which people could adapt to these new regulations.
And it was an expensive thing to change radios on--not only
pleasure craft, but on the fishing boats and the marine safety
boats and the Coast Guard Auxiliary. It took a lot of money to
do that.
Unless there is money available for these local people to
make that change, they're not going to be able to comply.
Mr. Allbaugh. I would agree with that, sir.
Senator Stevens. And the difficulty is, if you change into
LAN mobile radio first, your people are going to come on the
scenes and be talking to each other, but the guys who are there
first are going to be talking in a different language. And that
bothers us considerably, particularly those of us who come from
very sparsely populated areas and have enormous problems in
dealing with the security of the homeland for everybody
concerned. I mean, we're stuck out there, half the coastline of
the United States off one State.
And if we're going to be able to follow the lead of the
Federal Government, some consideration has to be given of the
cost of and the time frame for compliance. All we ask is to be
able to try to work together. I'd hate to see FEMA convert
completely in the Federal system of communications devices that
could not be used because we don't have the type of devices
that are necessary to understand one another. It's the largest
problem for us, and I hear you say it's the largest one for
you.
Mr. Allbaugh. The largest problem in the Nation right now
that faces us is the ability to communicate, and I don't think
this is a problem that can be solved in 1 year, or 2 years.
This is a multi-year problem, and it's going to require
assisting State and local communities in funding by way of
grants to achieve these standards we need to set in place.
Senator Stevens. How long will it take us to devise the
standards?
Mr. Allbaugh. We can devise the standards probably in 3 to
6 months, easily, with necessary input. We've already done a
lot of groundwork in this area, and I think that emergency
managers, fire and police across the country recognize the
problem. They want to solve the problem as much as we do. And
we can't put the entire burden on their back. This has to be
something we solve shoulder to shoulder, and I'm anxious to
tackle the problem.
Senator Stevens. Thank you very much.
Senator Mikulski. Senator, are you coming back, or----
Senator Domenici. I have both appropriations and a budget
hearing.
Senator Mikulski. Well, you have a question about the
authority, again, with----
Senator Domenici. I'll submit four, if you will submit them
for me, Senator Shelby, for him to answer. I'll just ask one
question.
Senator Shelby. I'd be glad to. You go ahead, and take your
time. I'm coming back.
Senator Domenici. Let me just give a little bit of history
and see where we are. First, I hope you know that I'm very much
on the side of the president, in terms of trying to streamline
a response here. The catastrophe we had has come alive on the
issue. Where we had been asleep, waiting around in disbelief
that this could ever happen in America, we now know we have to
proceed well beyond just having first responders in our
communities. That isn't the solution to the problem. That's
just the beginning.
But I'll give you just a bit of history. The National
Defense Authorization Act of 1996 had a provision in it. In
1996. Imagine. And we did so little about it. It was an
amendment offered by Lugar, Nunn, and Domenici. It included a
provision that responder training was to take place in 120
major cities to prepare for potential disaster attacks that
might use weapons of mass destruction. The Department of
Defense carried out most of this training, but in 1999, the
Clinton administration transferred it from the Department of
Defense to the Department of Justice.
Through the leadership of Chairman Judd Gregg, the Senate
Commerce, Justice, State, and the Judiciary Subcommittee
required the Clinton administration to prepare a 5-year
counter-terrorism plan for the Federal Government. I believe
this was in 1998.
As part of that initiative, the National Domestic
Preparedness Consortium was established. It was headquartered
in Fort McClellan, in your State of Alabama. There are four
training partners spread out in the country. There are experts
now in explosives, chemical, and biological weapons of mass
destruction, and others.
So I understand the need for central coordination among
this myriad of Federal programs dealing with terrorism. Yet at
the same time, significant groundwork has already been laid in
the department--that is the Department of Justice--to carry out
this effort. There are many professionals already hired and on
board. I think you're aware of that situation.
So preparedness within FEMA that would be designed, among
other things, to work closely with State and local governments
to ensure their planning, training, and equipment. Those are
the words the president used to create this transfer when he
created it, that we were to ensure that they would work closely
with State and local governments, et cetera.
In your written testimony, you stated that FEMA is a
natural Federal agency to be the single point of contact to
facilitate and oversee the implementation of this national
effort to build preparedness capability.
I have one question that falls on that set of facts. Given
the fact that the groundwork is already there--it's been laid
in other departments and agencies--and that there are very
large increases requested for first-responders in the
president's budget, why do you believe that your agency is such
an obvious choice for this task?
Mr. Allbaugh. I think simply and solely because of our
existing relationships with State and local community leaders.
We have been training first responders for a number of years,
since the inception of FEMA, back in 1979. And I would think
that, based upon those relationships--and, quite frankly, maybe
those individuals are the ones you should ask the question: Who
do they best want to deal with?
But we are providing at the Federal Government a confusing
array of options as to who local and State individuals need to
go to for their training. Regardless of whether it's FEMA or
Justice or DOD--all the first responder training, I would ask,
be consolidated into one area so we make it as easy and as
simple as possible for those individuals who need to receive
the training.
We have an incredible amount of grants that we do on an
annual basis to State and local communities. This year alone
we'll give over $3.1 billion to State and local communities in
the way of grants to assist them with their preparedness,
mitigation, and planning. This year, because of New York City
and the Pentagon, we'll spend over $7 billion in grants.
And those relationships are ongoing, they're evolving,
they're thriving, and they are the basis, the sole basis, for
us being able to provide the training that we do in such a
wonderful job up at Emmitsburg.
Senator Domenici. Thank you very much.
Senator Mikulski. Well, thank you, Senator Domenici, for a
really active engagement in these issues. This committee will
stand in recess so that it can go to vote. And we'll be back--
--
Mr. Allbaugh. I promise I won't leave.
Senator Mikulski [continuing]. In 10 or 15 minutes, and
we'll resume and follow our regular order.
The subcommittee will now resume its deliberations. And,
Mr. Allbaugh, I want to thank you for coming to the committee
and know that this is not the hearing on the FEMA
appropriations.
Mr. Allbaugh. Right.
Senator Mikulski. This is the discussion on, really, a
year's work, going back to when the president, in May, asked
you to really establish the Office of National Preparedness at
FEMA and then to present recommendations to him, as I recall,
in the fall. And, of course, before those recommendations
happened, we had the September 11, attack.
Could you tell us why, when the vice president and the
president asked you to conduct that review, where were you
before the attack and then how that then evolved into what
you're presenting today?
Mr. Allbaugh. What we were leading up to was a presentation
of a confusing picture at the State and local level, and
especially at the Federal level, as to who was responsible for
what when an occurrence takes place. Then we were sidetracked
with the activities on the 11 and, at the end of last year,
began aggressively reestablishing ourselves with ONP. I
selected Mr. Bruce Baughman, who's been with FEMA since its
inception, to head up the responsibilities of ONP. He's doing a
fabulous job, has the necessary contacts throughout the Federal
Government, and I'm proud he's going to be leading this effort.
But crystalizing the necessary training, equipment
purchases, and crafting a plan for the country to make sure
that our first responders are the best trained, best equipped,
best exercised--it's great to buy the toys. It's wonderful to
train on those toys. But if we don't exercise, we never know
where the glitches are. And I learned over the past year, and
it was brought home to me especially on the activities of the
11, the need to train and exercise more.
A sizeable portion of the president's proposal of $3.5
billion will go to training and exercises at the State and
local level. So Bruce's shop will be responsible for
coordinating that entire effort with State and local
communities.
Senator Mikulski. Well, Mr. Allbaugh, just listening to
you, it's like kind of being at a hearing in NATO. When NATO
first got started, there was this whole issue of who was in
charge, the inter-operability--were we going to speak a common
language, and they were all going to speak on the same
frequencies.
Mr. Allbaugh. Right.
Senator Mikulski. This whole issue of, I will call it,
``inter-operability,'' not to have sameness in our local
communities,' cause communities are not the same, but this
whole inter-operability issue, even within states--you know,
over a 100 years ago, we had the great Baltimore fire, and we
found, when people came to our rescue, because of even that
equipment in those days, they could not help us. That
established the--that led to the establishment of the national
fire-plug standards.
Mr. Allbaugh. That is right.
Senator Mikulski. And, you know, I do not want to reduce it
to that, but that was the technology at the time. Do you see--
what you are proposing dealing with what we call the inter-
operability, the communication issue, even speaking the common
language, so the codes or whatever or--language all means the
same.
Mr. Allbaugh. I believe that is the challenge ahead of us.
Setting national standards so everyone will understand what is
required when it comes to deployment of assets at any given
incident--on a regional basis and a statewide basis--so we will
not have pumper trucks show up at a site that cannot connect
the hoses; so we can have and ensure that police and fire are
communicating on the same frequencies and have the ability to
talk to one another; so we make sure we don't put,
unnecessarily, lives at risk beyond the lives that those brave
men and women are trying to save.
It is a problem nationwide, and we can solve this. There
are a number of entities right now at the Federal level that
are trying to address this, including an interagency committee
headed by Justice and DOD. We have been asked to participate. I
look forward to our participation, helping solve this problem
with the FCC. It is a massive problem, but it can be solved.
Senator Mikulski. It is a massive problem. First of all,
what I am interested in both in the new proposals and the ideas
that you are expressing today, whatever is the office, Is what
the president's proposals, particularly for the merger with
Justice or the moving over of Justice--is it a change that will
make a difference?
Mr. Allbaugh. I believe it will.
Senator Mikulski. Could you elaborate?
Mr. Allbaugh. I believe it is----
Senator Mikulski. I say it in the most cordial way. We
really want to work with the president----
Mr. Allbaugh. Sure.
Senator Mikulski [continuing]. Governor Ridge, you and John
Ashcroft and----
Mr. Allbaugh. I appreciate that.
Senator Mikulski [continuing]. You know, we're all kind of
Team America here.
Mr. Allbaugh. Well, let me first congratulate the members
of the committee for the hard work that you put in on
addressing first responders. You have the five training
facilities that Senator Shelby alluded to earlier. They are
assets to this country. And the goal is to make sure that we
properly enhance those assets so there is no confusion among
State and local first responders as to where they should go for
proper training.
I believe ODP primarily focuses on fire, rescue, and
HAZMAT. We're an all-hazards agency. We want to make sure first
responders can address any type of incident. And now our most
critical incident is one that is man-made, a catastrophic
disaster that we've all seen.
We have the necessary relationships and training to
coordinate this, nationwide. And I think the president is
interested in simplifying a command structure, if you will,
within the executive branch as to who's responsible for what.
And that's the purpose and the reason behind moving ODP, and
the desire to move ODP to FEMA.
Senator Mikulski. Well, do you think that this new
arrangement, where FEMA will remain an all-terror, an all-
hazards agency, because there are those in some of the local
communities that are wondering are we becoming an all-homeland
security agency or an all-terrorism-focused agency?
Mr. Allbaugh. I understand that----
Senator Mikulski. How would you keep the focus when it
being this all-hazard response for our first responders,
because that's really what we're talking about.
Mr. Allbaugh. Yes, ma'am. I understand their concern. I
think part of the reason that there is a special added emphasis
on homeland security is because the events of September 11 are
5 and a half months ago, still fresh in our mind. We're very
concerned about our security, nationwide.
That is not to dismiss or take away, in any way, shape or
form, at FEMA, our responsibility for disaster mitigation,
after the fact and pre-disaster mitigation. That and flood
protection are our core entities. We will continue, as we have
in the past, making sure that communities are well educated. We
will assist them, as we have in the past, with necessary grants
to better improve their building-code practices, when it comes
to flood protection, or any type of mitigation that the
community would like to take place.
We need to be prepared for everything. We're not as
prepared as we should have been on the 11. We're better
prepared today than we were, and we'll get better as each day
passes.
Senator Mikulski. Well, am I correct in assuming that what
a first responder needs to do--particularly now some of the
firefighters--is to--whether it's a national disaster for our
emergency medical and management, et cetera--but our response
and our preparedness needs to be the same. And I don't mean
that it doesn't require different equipment for a HAZMAT
situation and so on.
Do you see that the training and the exercises, which I
think is really what Judd Gregg's point was yesterday--because
under the Office of Domestic Preparedness, they did a lot of
training and exercises--but my point is that the exercise
training would be not only for weapons of mass destruction or a
terrorist attack, or a chemical incident. But it also could be
another natural disaster. Would you see those exercises----
Mr. Allbaugh. Absolutely.
Senator Mikulski. I see Bill shaking his head. Did you want
to--go ahead.
Mr. Allbaugh. Absolutely. We truly are an all-hazards
agency. And many times we have individuals who focus just on
floods, or they focus on tornados, or they focus on hurricanes.
We need each one of those individuals in the responder
community to be able to respond to literally anything. This
training will be all across the board for all first responders.
Senator Mikulski. Senator Shelby, you've been very patient
and very generous with your own colleagues. Please, you go
right ahead.
Senator Shelby. Thank you. Thank you Madam Chairman.
Senator Mikulski. And you go right ahead.
Senator Shelby. Thank you, first of all, for holding this
hearing and for your courtesy.
I'm deeply concerned that the ongoing--and I mentioned it
in my opening statement----
Mr. Allbaugh. Yes, sir.
Senator Shelby [continuing]. First-responder training
programs could be compromised by the proposal to switch lead
agencies midstream. Any disruption in training activities could
result in serious consequences.
So the question remains: Why are we doing this? In my
opinion, the only reason that we should switch agencies
midstream is because there is overwhelming evidence that these
programs can become better than they are in the current
structure.
Last year, Congress provided $35 million to the Center for
Domestic Preparedness so they may train 10,000 first responders
this year. In addition, thousands more will be trained by the
other consortium programs. The White House describes the budget
proposal as one that will allow, quote, ``more than 11,000
emergency-response personnel to be equipped and trained in
2003.''
Could you tell us why a budget that professes to increase
our Nation's commitment to first responders by $3.2 billion
would actually, it seems to me, result in a decrease in the
number of those individuals being trained?
Mr. Allbaugh. No, sir, I can't. That logic fails me----
Senator Shelby. Would you get back with me on that?
Mr. Allbaugh. I sure will. I'd be happy to research that.
Senator Shelby. That may have just been a statement, but it
was a statement.
Mr. Allbaugh. Would that have been a statement from OMB?
Senator Shelby. I don't--I thought it was the White House.
So it could have come from there. I don't know where it came
from.
Mr. Allbaugh. I apologize. I'm not familiar with that.
Senator Shelby. Would you furnish that----
Mr. Allbaugh. I'd be happy to do that, sir.
Senator Shelby [continuing]. And respond back to----
Mr. Allbaugh. You bet I would.
Senator Shelby [continuing]. Myself and to the Chair. FEMA
is responsible--just a little background here, and then I'll
get into questions--responsible for all off-post emergency-
preparedness activities in relation to the Anniston Chemical
Destruction Facility at the Anniston Army Depot. Technical and
bureaucratic problems have plagued the CSEPP program in
Anniston. Most recently, FEMA has withheld funds allocated for
the Anniston CSEPP program in Calhoun County by Secretary Pete
Aldridge.
You hosted a recent meeting with officials from the Army
and FEMA about the CSEPP funds. And Governor Siegleman, if he
hasn't, he's planning to file suit in the Federal District
Court in Birmingham in an effort to stop further operations of
the incineration facility until the Army and FEMA address and
implement several outstanding critical safety measures in
Calhoun County.
My question is this. Although I regret you were unable to
attend the recent meeting in my office with Senator Sessions
and others regarding the Chemical Stockpile Emergency
Preparedness Program to discuss critical safety issues
involving Calhoun County and surrounding communities in my
State. It wasn't--Congressman Aderholt, Congressman Riley was
not there, but his staff was--I correct myself.
But this is just not an Alabama issue, as Senator Stevens
has made clear. I'm concerned about all the communities that
are home to U.S. chemical weapons and stockpiles. I'm sure you
understand and agree with the concern that many people who live
in these communities have after the attack of September the 11.
Many see these sites as high-risk areas and targets for
terrorism.
I'm encouraged by the steps the Army and the FAA have taken
to increase the security of these stockpile facilities. As the
director, though, the agency responsible for all post-emergency
preparedness around these sites, I'm troubled that critical
safety measures are still being debated, and emergency-
preparedness funding continues to be withheld by FEMA in my
State.
What are you doing to see that these issues are resolved,
and the sense of vulnerability that many feel in these
communities is replaced with a sense of confidence that they
enjoy maximum protection as required by the statute?
Mr. Allbaugh. Thank you, Senator, for the question. I, too,
am deeply concerned about those individuals in Anniston and
surrounding all eight sites. We have met with city officials.
We are continuing a dialogue. I have asked David Paulison,
who's the U.S. fire administrator, to take this responsibility
personally for me to resolve this issue. Just recently, we
disbursed $25 million to the State, $16 million to the State
and $9 million to Anniston. There's still $15 million to be
disbursed.
I'm anxious to solve this problem. The issue basically
revolves around masks. We lack the necessary testing on masks,
the appropriate recommendation. I'm deeply concerned about
giving masks to individuals without proper training, Senator. I
don't mind providing the training to those individuals. I am
worried about giving folks a mask without the training, and
then they have a false sense of security. We're meeting Friday
and the beginning of next week with numerous individuals to
address the remaining $16 million, and I'm----
Senator Shelby. What we are trying to do is work that out--
--
Mr. Allbaugh [continuing]. Anxious to resolve this.
Senator Shelby [continuing]. But work it out to make sure
that the people who live in the community there are safe if
there were to be a mishap.
Mr. Allbaugh. I understand.
Senator Shelby. Understand where we're coming from.
Mr. Allbaugh. I do understand, sir. I'm concerned with, not
only that site, but the other seven sites as well.
Senator Shelby. I would also like to explain with a short
narrative why so many people are frustrated and outraged with
FEMA's activity regarding funding and implementation of safety
measures. You alluded to that. Let me just run through it.
One of the most pressing safety items has been an upgrade
of the country's EMIS--is that what you call it--software.
Mr. Allbaugh. Software, yes.
Senator Shelby. EMIS software system. This upgrade would
allow the local EMA to quickly and accurately warn the
thousands of people who live within a short distance of the
stockpile in the event--the chemical stockpile--in the event of
an accident.
Despite the existence of EMIS, the Army accepted an
unsolicited bid in 1993 from Pacific Northwest National
Laboratory to develop a second emergency software system for
the CSEPP program, which is known as FEMIS, F-E-M-I-S. Forty
million dollars and 9 years later, General Doseberg, the
stockpile commander, said the Army will not use FEMIS because
of test failures. Consequently, Calhoun County is using EMIS.
Funding to upgrade EMIS has been requested so that the Army in
Calhoun County will have the best possible software system
operating their EOCs.
Last October Undersecretary of Defense Pete Aldrich got
involved in the Chemical Demilitarization Program. An agreement
was reached to fund the software upgrade. This software funding
issue has persisted for years, and it's consistently been
denied by FEMA. The Army and FEMA have studied this issue and
conducted numerous tests.
In fact, another meeting was just recently held in Denver,
Colorado, to further study the EMIS versus FEMIS issue. This
delay has been perplexing because of the overwhelming support
of the Army and the communities which are home to these sites
have given to EMIS. FEMA, though, has continued to support the
use of the FEMIS system.
Interesting, 2 weeks ago, the top official of FEMA
responsible for this matter announced plans to leave FEMA to
take a job with Battel Memorial Institute, which operates the
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, the developer of the
FEMIS software. Apparently this move has been in the works for
some time.
A somewhat different, yet similarly curious, situation
exists within the Army, regarding personnel with strong
connections to the FEMIS software. I find it very discouraging
that employees at the Army and your agency who are responsible
for working with my State on these critical safety issues
appear to have such a conflict of interest.
I hope that you will be sensitive to situations like this
in the future as we all work to ensure the safety of these
stockpile communities.
Mr. Allbaugh. I appreciate your concern. I share that
concern. I----
Senator Shelby. Where are we on that?
Mr. Allbaugh. We're about to resolve the $6 million on the
automation issue. Yes, sir.
Senator Shelby. Will it work?
Mr. Allbaugh. Well, I don't know. It's beyond my technical
capabilities, but we will resolve this. And I probably hastened
the departure of that individual from our agency.
I cannot--I will not tolerate conflicts of interest.
Senator Shelby. Good.
Mr. Allbaugh. And it irritates me to learn of these things.
And we're in the process of correcting this problem. I
appreciate you pointing it out.
Senator Shelby. Mr. Director, lastly--the Chairwoman has
been very courteous here--I want to just mention to you and
your staff that you--we have an ongoing interest in a
constituent matter that your staff--Senator Sessions,
Congressman Riley, and I have previously written to you about,
and we'll touch base with you again on that. We hope you can
resolve that.
Mr. Allbaugh. Is this regarding----
Senator Shelby. Other than that----
Mr. Allbaugh [continuing]. Pine Bluff, Arkansas, that----
Senator Shelby. That's right.
Mr. Allbaugh [continuing]. You're talking about? We have a
series of investigations----
Senator Shelby. Yeah, that's what----
Mr. Allbaugh [continuing]. Going on there.
Senator Shelby. We want you to find out what needs to be
done and do it.
Mr. Allbaugh. That's what I'm trying to find out, sir.
Senator Shelby. Good.
Mr. Allbaugh. I know there are some problems, and I want
to----
Senator Shelby. We want you----
Mr. Allbaugh [continuing]. Correct them.
Senator Shelby [continuing]. To do what's right.
Mr. Allbaugh. Thank you. I want to do what's right.
Senator Shelby. And do it in an expeditious way. Okay?
Mr. Allbaugh. Yes, sir.
Senator Mikulski. Well, thank you, Senator. Those were
really very enlightening questions. And I think your
experience, not only on the Appropriations Committee, but in
both chair and ranking on the Intelligence Committee, really--
--
Senator Shelby. Thank you.
Senator Mikulski [continuing]. Serves this committee well.
Senator Bond is really tied up on the floor. We're going to
submit his questions for the record, but let me go to mine.
Senator Domenici really raised some very important issues,
and I'd like to clarify it. First of all--this goes to the
first-responder initiative--has the Justice Department's Office
of Domestic Preparedness actually moved to FEMA, or is that
something waiting for other actions?
Mr. Allbaugh. It has not moved to FEMA. We are waiting on
other actions. We do have the authority, as far as I know with
the Stafford Act, to receive the responsibilities that ODP has
been performing.
Senator Mikulski. So you believe--and I'm not disputing
this. I think we're all trying to parse this out.
Mr. Allbaugh. Sure.
Senator Mikulski. Now, you believe that, under the Stafford
Act, you have the legislative authority to move, shall we say,
inter-operably with Justice. Is that correct?
Mr. Allbaugh. Yes, ma'am.
Senator Mikulski. Well, we would appreciate from FEMA how
we are moving through this-
Mr. Allbaugh [continuing]. We have the ability to perform
the functions at ODP. We don't have the authority to move any
agency or any part of an agency.
Senator Mikulski. And what type of authority do you need?
Do you need an executive order from the president, or do you
need legislative and statutory authority?
Mr. Allbaugh. I think we need legislative authority. I
think it could be moved, as well, with an executive order from
the president.
Senator Mikulski. I see. Well, I believe that that should
require more conversation with Governor Ridge our colleagues at
Commerce--at State, Justice, Commerce----
Mr. Allbaugh. Sure.
Senator Mikulski [continuing]. To see this. I think we--
again, we're all united in the same goals. There are some
reservations, but I believe we can--there's a spirit of
goodwill to work this through. Let me, though, ask a couple of
other questions along those lines.
Well, first of all, you are waiting for other actions. Who
do you think is going to take those other actions, and when, or
do you--this seems to be more working this through our
appropriation----
Mr. Allbaugh. I think it's a combination of informing
members on the Hill in both houses, along with the Attorney
General and myself working through those necessary
administrative actions that need to take place in order for
this function to be moved over, as well as budgetary
requirements to fully fund ONP in the future.
Senator Mikulski. Well, my recommendation--I really-- we'd
would hope that Governor Ridge could come and speak to the full
Appropriations Committee, really accompanied by you and the
FBI, who is crisis management and so on. But I think that there
will be other conversations, and we look forward to having
them.
Mr. Allbaugh. I'll look forward to those.
Senator Mikulski. Let me ask, though, the thinking--
there's--we're talking about three different first responders:
our firefighters, our police officers, and our emergency
medical officers. Am I correct?
Mr. Allbaugh. And emergency managers.
Senator Mikulski. And emergency managers. They, on a day-
to-day basis, perform three different kinds of functions. They
have three different kinds of cultures. They have three
different kinds of equipment needs or different kinds of
technology needs. Absolutely, the training and the exorcizing--
or exercising--exorcizing is what we have to do with Al Qaeda--
but--that's Catholic, you know, what exorcists do.
Mr. Allbaugh. Yes, ma'am.
Senator Mikulski. And----
Mr. Allbaugh. I hope never to experience it.
Senator Mikulski. Yes. And I believe, though, President
Bush is doing his best in that way.
But, as you see--actually, on the ground, they need to
really be working together. Do you envision--how do you
envision that that's going to work?
Mr. Allbaugh. Well, part of our challenge and our
responsibility is to encourage a command structure nationwide,
from the top down. These individuals do not follow a structure
where an incident takes place and everyone's sharing
information sitting at the table at the same time or receiving
information, a part of the decisions. That's where a lot of
confusion arises.
It is my hope that, using the incident command structure,
we can lead the way, as we have at the Federal level--lead the
way with State and local entities in challenging them to rise
and meet the same standard using the command structure.
Senator Mikulski. Well, again, I just want to point out an
example. In Montgomery County, here in Maryland----
Mr. Allbaugh. Right.
Senator Mikulski [continuing]. You have both the
combination of county-paid professional firefighters and
volunteer fire departments. In fact, Rescue 1 that dashed to
the Pentagon was volunteer. Mr. Duncan, the county executive,
pointed out that he has 19 different volunteer fire
departments, and they don't have a central command. In fact,
they don't have a central command with him, and they like being
autonomous. That's part of it. And I only use this as an
example of even what's going to need to be pulled together at a
local level. I'm not saying it's impossible, but we're going to
have a lot of work ahead of us.
Mr. Allbaugh. We have a lot of work ahead of us. It is a
steep challenge. It is probably the second-greatest problem we
face, beyond just the communications issue. Communities need to
step up to the plate and enforce a command structure within
their local jurisdiction.
Senator Mikulski. And you see that as the incident command.
Mr. Allbaugh. I do. I think that is something that has
grown over the years out of the fire service, and it has proven
to work efficiently. You're right, there are a variety of
cultures that have been resistant to a command-structure
approach, but it is the only way to ensure that the job is
being done, and being done correctly, and all the tasks at hand
are being addressed, as well as performing our most important
function, which is saving lives and protecting property.
Senator Mikulski. In the First Responder Initiative, how
would the money flow? Would it go to States? Would it go to the
local county governing body? Would it go directly to police
departments, fire departments, EMSs?
Mr. Allbaugh. Unlike the fire grant program that Congress
was so gracious in funding last year and now the next two
successive years, which are direct grants to local fire
departments, we plan to use this grant money by passing it
along directly to the States and ensure that 75 or 80 percent
of that money is passed, then, on to local communities, who
actually need the money for the training, planning, and
equipment purchases--again, adhering to a set of national
standards that we will set.
Senator Mikulski. Now, you said ``going to the States.''
Mr. Allbaugh. First--yes, ma'am.
Senator Mikulski. And then the States putting it out.
Mr. Allbaugh. That's correct.
Senator Mikulski. Well----
Mr. Allbaugh. They're our partners in just about every
other grant program that we administer at FEMA. We have
existing relationships, existing systems in place. It is the
appropriate way to disburse this money in almost a block-grant
form.
Senator Mikulski. Well, I think this will require further
conversation, because local leadership--mayors and county
executives--in my case, also county commissioners--always feel
that States take a lot of overhead before it gets to them.
Mr. Allbaugh. And that's why----
Senator Mikulski. You were----
Mr. Allbaugh. I understand.
Senator Mikulski. You were governor----
Mr. Allbaugh. I've heard those same concerns, ma'am.
Senator Mikulski [continuing]. Then-governor Bush's senior
chief of staff----
Mr. Allbaugh. I understand.
Senator Mikulski [continuing]. So you know----
Mr. Allbaugh. I understand.
Senator Mikulski [continuing]. So you know him. And I think
it has--it has validity. And yet at the same time, FEMA,
through its emergency management responses, work through the
States. So I also--we understand that.
The fire grant--when we had the professional fire folks
here, and we had a volunteer fire department--the national head
of volunteer fire departments, they really were strong in
keeping the fire-grant programs separate, which you could
imagine that. But you see this--the fire-grant program ending
and then going the other way. Is that correct?
Mr. Allbaugh. No, ma'am, I don't. I see----
Senator Mikulski. No?
Mr. Allbaugh [continuing]. Those two programs separate
and----
Senator Mikulski. So you would continue to keep them
separate?
Mr. Allbaugh. I would continue to have the fire-grant
program do what's been done over the last year. We implemented
that program in a short 5-month period and got $100 million out
the door all by September 30 last year, going to basic
firefighting needs.
The First Responder Program is a more global program--$3.5
billion, for terrorist training, weapons-of-mass-destruction
training, those incidents that are really catastrophic in
nature--and it's almost as if you're comparing apples and
oranges when you try to combine those two programs.
Senator Mikulski. Well, Mr. Allbaugh, I'm happy to hear you
say that, and particularly during this next year, while we're
trying to really work to clarify in the best--move ahead on
these organizational issues.
I would, as we move through this appropriation, just really
want to stay the course on the fire-grant program. And FEMA and
its fire administrator--and I want to acknowledge his presence
here, as well--really get kudos in the way the program was
organized. For the first time, there were bumps and potholes,
but no realignments. And also the firefighting community really
appreciated that it was peer-reviewed.
Mr. Allbaugh. Yes, it was.
Senator Mikulski. That those who know what they do----
Mr. Allbaugh. Awarded on a competitive basis and----
Senator Mikulski. Yes. It is peer-reviewed and competitive,
and they really thought that was first class, and so do I. They
also talked about the Urban Search and Rescue Teams.
Mr. Allbaugh. Yes, ma'am.
Senator Mikulski. And Senator Bond had the leadership for
Missouri here, and he really outlined--yes--an outstanding
plan. Because we said, ``Should we expand? These are
terrific.''
What do you see the role of the Urban Search and Rescue
Teams--will they also be put under this, or how could we
concentrate, in this year's appropriation--because we'll be
making down payments on where we totally want to go--on how we
can improve Urban Search and Rescue Teams?
Mr. Allbaugh. I have a deep affinity for those men and
women who are a part of our 28 teams nationwide. I personally
would not increase the number of teams that we have, but
rather, in years to come, improve our money that's spent in the
USAR arena, in the area of equipment caches training again, and
exercises and enhancing individual task force capability to
respond to incidents.
We were very, very fortunate, as you've already alluded to,
in having the folks at Rockville and then Fairfax County right
here in the back yard, essentially, of Washington, to respond
to the site at the Pentagon. They did a first-class job working
closely with Arlington police, Alexandria police, Arlington
fire, Alexandria fire, and, of course, the individuals at the
Pentagon. We were able to dispatch eight USAR teams immediately
to New York City.
There are 28 teams, two task forces on each team, 31
individuals on each task force--they are thoroughbreds, for all
practical purposes, of the industry. And----
Senator Mikulski. Now, they refer to themselves as your
special forces.
Mr. Allbaugh. Well, they are. They're as close to special
forces as FEMA will probably ever come.
Senator Mikulski. Or the Marines. Depending on the point
they wanted to make, they were either Marines or special----
Mr. Allbaugh. Right.
Senator Mikulski [continuing]. Forces. But whatever they
were, they were terrific. And----
Mr. Allbaugh. They are deployable in a short, 4-hour
period, and we're working on logistically shading that time to
the best of our ability. We still are due reports from the
incident support teams--after-action reports--after the
Pentagon event and New York City, which we'll be receiving in
the next month and making improvements upon that and
recommendations to improve their budgets along the way.
Senator Mikulski. Well, again, I think we're absolutely on
the same broadband--or we're inter-operable with each other. I
really would commend to your attention the testimony of the
Missouri leadership.
Mr. Allbaugh. I've read that.
Senator Mikulski. Yes. And I think they give us--in my
mind, it gave me a very clear navigational chart. And I look
forward to other conversations with you. Because as we move
ahead this year, and we're in a very short appropriations--and
we'll come back for your appropriations hearing, and we
appreciate the generosity of your time today--but how we can
really use the fire-grant program while we're working on the
other issues and moving expeditiously, how we can strengthen
our fire-grants program and at the same time our--this urban,
just search and rescue, so that you would continue to have
growing competency and better-equipped responders even within
the firefighting community.
Mr. Allbaugh. I couldn't agree with you more, ma'am, and I
appreciate your support for all of our efforts, as well as
members of this committee.
Senator Mikulski. Well, listen, you've all--FEMA's been
through a lot, and I just want to thank them. I mean, the way
the national response team--the Office of Federal Response
seems to work so well, when you read all the data that came out
of New York, the way the 13 agencies worked together--I mean,
this isn't about government. This is about health. This is
about Americans helping each other. And that was the response.
And so we really want to thank everybody. We know they've
worked very long hours under enormously difficult conditions,
and they're still up there.
Mr. Allbaugh. They are.
Senator Mikulski. In other words, the job is not done. And
in some ways, the job is only the beginning----
Mr. Allbaugh. Yes.
Senator Mikulski [continuing]. In terms of this. So, again,
we look forward to further conversations. We thank everybody.
CONCLUSION OF HEARING
This committee stands in recess until March 6, when we will
be taking the testimony of the Veterans Administration. Thank
you.
[Whereupon, at 11:30 a.m., Wednesday, February 27, the
hearing was concluded, and the subcommittee was recessed, to
reconvene subject to the call of the Chair.]
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