emse232

Institute for Crisis, Disaster, and Risk Management

Crisis and Emergency Management

April 2009 Volume 16 - Number 3

News and Analysis...

Arizona Emergency Management: Implications for FEMA and DHS

Chemeika Wood

During her confirmation hearing on January 15, 2009, Napolitano defined the mission of the DHS – “to protect the nation’s borders by finding and killing the roots of terrorism and to stop those who intend to hurt us; to wisely enforce the rule of law at the borders; to protect our nation cyber infrastructure; and to prepare and respond to natural and man-caused disasters with speed, skill, compassion, and effectiveness”, in her own words. This urgent mission will be her foundation as she works to make the operations of DHS more effective. This will be no small task as DHS, created in 2003, has struggled to integrate 22 separate agencies and more than 200,000 employees into an agency that is deserving of the respect of the American people. Napolitano also plans to work to strengthen and mature DHS, by clarifying its role and professionalizing its workforce, to put it in a better position to fulfill the many duties of the department.

As the former governor of a border state, Napolitano brings to Washington, DC experience in dealing with border security, immigration enforcement, and state and local law enforcement activities. She is experienced as governor in responding to man-made and natural disasters, such as the Kinder-Morgan pipeline break, responding to wildfires, and providing assistance to victims of Hurricane Katrina, and was able to establish a plan of action for Arizona Homeland Security. Emergency Management in Arizona falls under the Department of Emergency and Military Affairs (DEMA), and is responsible for coordinating emergency services between governmental agencies, to reduce the impact of disasters on persons and programs. The division is advised by the Arizona Emergency Response Commission, which was established by Arizona Law and tasked with the implementation of the Emergency Planning and Community Right to Know Act (EPRCA) in Arizona. Operationally, Arizona’s Division of Emergency Management is divided into work groups that mitigate and respond to disasters – the Continuity of Operations (COOP) and Public/Private Partnership Group, the Emergency Response Group, and the Mitigation Group. These structures also facilitate communication to the people of Arizona pre, during and post disaster, by employing systems such as the Arizona 2-1-1.

Near the top of the list of critical questions to be answered is whether the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will remain a part of DHS. Napolitano has not publicly taken a stand on the issue. She has stated that “FEMA has an important role to play in homeland security”, and that she would continue to work the integration of the agency with the department. Arizona was one of the states that experienced the total breakdown of communication from FEMA regarding the status, welfare or destination of Katrina evacuees. During testimony given before the House Committee on Homeland Security, Napolitano urged Congress to focus its attention on the best ways in which the federal government could team with the states to improve emergency preparation and response. Further, Napolitano recommended that Congress respect the constitutional authority of states and the governor’s of those states to make decisions during an emergency situation. Historically, state and local governments are most capable of preparing for, responding to, and recovering from a disaster or emergency. To ensure that this trend continues, the federal level should properly fund emergency and disaster relief initiatives.

Drawing on broad management experience and her involvement in the response to specific events (listed above), Napolitano will look to further incorporate the private sector in meeting the goals for safety and security of the nation.

Sources:

Janet Napolitano, Homeland Security Secretary, by Joanna Klonsky

http://www.cfr.org/publication/17887/

Napolitano Sails through Confirmation Hearing, by Mickey McCarter

http://www.hstoday.us/content/view/6844/149/

Janet Napolitano's Confirmation Hearing Statement, by Janet Napolitano

http://www.cfr.org/publication/18283

Testimony of Janet Napolitano, Governor of Arizona, Delivered before the Committee on Homeland Security, United States House of Representatives, “Federalism and Disaster Response: Examining the Roles and Responsibilities of Local, State, and Federal Agencies

http://www.homelandsecurity.az.gov/documents/News/2005/NR_GovernorsTestimony.pdf

Arizona Division of Emergency Management

http://www.dem.azdema.gov/operations/index.html