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Institute for Crisis, Disaster, and Risk Management Crisis and Emergency Management Newsletter Website |
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December
2006
Volume
11 - Number 3 |
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By John Sullivan In response to the terrorist attack on 9/11, President Bush created the Department of Homeland Security. “All hazards preparedness” (Homeland Security Presidential Directive/Hspd-8, 2003) became the operating philosophy based on the premise that disaster preparation is the same, whether the crisis is a natural event or terrorism. It isn’t. There is some predictability about natural events. We can anticipate when (hurricane season, rainy seasons, etc.), and where (earthquake fault lines, flood zones, etc.). A key element of “natural disaster” preparedness is mitigation based on experience. We know natural events are going to occur and we can “mitigate” their effects through proactive means, such as, encouraging people and businesses to move from disaster prone areas (project impact), establishing construction codes, emergency warning systems, etc. These are areas in which FEMA has considerable experience and had, prior to being incorporated into the DHS, developed an excellent reputation. Terrorism is much less predictable. We can “guess” at likely targets; major metropolises, seats of government, landmarks, food or water supplies, etc. We can “guess” when; anniversaries, religious days, Super Bowl Sunday, etc. We can “guess” how; radiological, chemical, biological, explosive, etc. Terrorism is a form of psychological warfare. One of its primary goals is to keep us “guessing” and unnerved. In order to accomplish this, the terrorists will strike when, where and in a manner that is least expected. They will avoid hardened targets, lessening some the positive effects of mitigation. While mitigation is important; prevention should be the primary goal of “terrorism preparedness”. Unlike natural events, terrorism can be prevented. Terrorist events are planned. Good intelligence can stop many such attacks. It can also lessen the impact of an unstoppable attack. Mitigation is only effective if we can anticipate the terrorist event. Intelligence is the expertise of law enforcement. Mitigation is the expertise of FEMA. They should remain separate. FEMA should be removed from DHS. It should have direct access to the president and congress and its own budget and mandate. As it currently stands, terrorism is emphasized at the expense of natural disasters. In theory, increased spending resources in response to the threat of terrorism should result in improved response to any disaster, but in reality, there appears to be only one focus and that focus is on terrorism. Most preparedness functions were transferred to a newly created Preparedness Directorate; funding for natural disaster programs was cut and FEMA’s responsibilities and capabilities were downgraded (CRS Report RL33064, Organization and Mission of the Emergency Preparedness and Response Directorate). ”The result is that much of the new money for emergency management is solely for terrorism, not for all hazards. Bioshields and WMD training have little value for hurricanes and tornados. The Office of Domestic Preparedness in the DHS now funds fire and emergency management training with little consultation with FEMA. It could also be that the agency’s mission could become confused or myopically focused on terrorism” (Holdeman, 2005, Destroying FEMA). Terrorism deals with unknown hazards. Natural events are known hazards. The unknown is always more terrifying and dramatic. Terror and drama tend to get knee-jerk reactions which divert resources and funds from other threats. As Katrina demonstrated, emphasizing terrorism threats at the expense of real events can be devastating. That is why FEMA needs autonomy and its own advocate. |