03/26/2002 03:28 PM House MLV
| Audio | Topic |
|---|
+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
HOUSE SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON MILITARY AND
VETERANS' AFFAIRS
March 26, 2002
3:28 p.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Representative Mike Chenault, Chair
Representative Beverly Masek
Representative Lisa Murkowski
Representative Joe Green
Representative Pete Kott
Representative Joe Hayes
MEMBERS ABSENT
Representative Sharon Cissna
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
HOUSE BILL NO. 324
"An Act making supplemental and other appropriations for
homeland security; and providing for an effective date."
- HEARD AND HELD
HOUSE BILL NO. 371
"An Act establishing the Alaska veterans' memorial endowment
fund and providing for credits against certain taxes for
contributions to that fund; relating to other tax credits for
certain contributions; and providing for an effective date."
- SCHEDULED BUT NOT HEARD
PREVIOUS ACTION
BILL: HB 324
SHORT TITLE:HOMELAND SECURITY APPROPRIATIONS
SPONSOR(S): RLS BY REQUEST OF THE GOVERNOR
Jrn-Date Jrn-Page Action
01/16/02 1972 (H) READ THE FIRST TIME -
REFERRALS
01/16/02 1972 (H) MLV, STA, FIN
01/16/02 1972 (H) GOVERNOR'S TRANSMITTAL LETTER
01/16/02 1972 (H) SPREADSHEET BY DEPT. COST
02/12/02 (H) MLV AT 3:00 PM CAPITOL 124
02/12/02 (H) Heard & Held
02/12/02 (H) MINUTE(MLV)
02/19/02 (H) MLV AT 3:00 PM CAPITOL 124
02/19/02 (H) Heard & Held
02/19/02 (H) MINUTE(MLV)
02/21/02 (H) MLV AT 3:00 PM CAPITOL 124
02/21/02 (H) Heard & Held
02/21/02 (H) MINUTE(MLV)
02/26/02 (H) MLV AT 3:00 PM CAPITOL 124
02/26/02 (H) Heard & Held
02/26/02 (H) MINUTE(MLV)
02/28/02 (H) MLV AT 3:00 PM CAPITOL 124
02/28/02 (H) -- Meeting Canceled --
03/05/02 (H) MLV AT 3:00 PM CAPITOL 124
03/05/02 (H) Heard & Held
03/05/02 (H) MINUTE(MLV)
03/14/02 (H) MLV AT 3:00 PM CAPITOL 124
03/14/02 (H) Heard & Held
03/14/02 (H) MINUTE(MLV)
03/21/02 (H) MLV AT 3:00 PM CAPITOL 124
03/21/02 (H) -- Meeting Canceled --
03/26/02 (H) MLV AT 3:00 PM CAPITOL 124
WITNESS REGISTER
WAYNE RUSH, Homeland Security Coordinator
Division of Emergency Services
Department of Military and Veterans' Affairs (DMVA)
P.O. Box 5750
Fort Richardson, Alaska 99505-5750
POSITION STATEMENT: During hearing on HB 324, explained
Items 59-71 of DMVA's proposed appropriations and answered
questions.
MAJOR GENERAL PHILLIP OATES, Adjutant General/Commissioner
Department of Military & Veterans' Affairs
P.O. Box 5800
Fort Richardson, Alaska 99505-0800
POSITION STATEMENT: During hearing on HB 324, answered
questions about some of DMVA's proposed appropriations and
explained the department's priorities.
GEORGE WUERCH, Mayor
Municipality of Anchorage
P.O. Box 196650
Anchorage, Alaska 99519
POSITION STATEMENT: During hearing on HB 324, suggested
considering first responders and the perspective of citizens who
dial 911 and expect help.
MIKE SCOTT, Chairman
Legislative Committee
Alaska Municipal League (AML);
Municipality of Anchorage
P.O. Box 196650
Anchorage, Alaska 99519
POSITION STATEMENT: During hearing on HB 324, expressed concern
that local needs have largely been left unaddressed and asked
that AML be brought into the equation; on behalf of the
Municipality of Anchorage, answered question about why Anchorage
chose to go it alone for some items.
ACTION NARRATIVE
TAPE 02-17, SIDE A
Number 0001
CHAIR MIKE CHENAULT called the House Special Committee on
Military and Veterans' Affairs meeting to order at 3:28 p.m.
Representatives Chenault, Masek, Murkowski, Green, and Hayes
were present at the call to order. Representative Kott arrived
as the meeting was in progress.
HB 324-HOMELAND SECURITY APPROPRIATIONS
Number 0082
CHAIR CHENAULT announced that the only order of business would
be HOUSE BILL NO. 324, "An Act making supplemental and other
appropriations for homeland security; and providing for an
effective date."
CHAIR noted that the committee would consider items relating to
the Department of Military and Veterans' Affairs (DMVA). [Pages
4-14 of the 2/27/02 version of the document, "Terrorism Disaster
Policy Cabinet Cost Estimates for Highest Priority
Recommendations," had just been provided to members; all items
cited are from that document, with a few punctuation and
spelling changes.]
Number 0358
WAYNE RUSH, Homeland Security Coordinator, Division of Emergency
Services, Department of Military and Veterans' Affairs, began by
addressing Item 59 ["24-hour State Emergency Coordination Center
additional support"]. Mr. Rush explained that this would keep
the State Emergency Coordination Center (SECC) operational 24
hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. He emphasized how
essential the SECC is to be able to respond rapidly to any type
or magnitude of disaster at the state level. Noting that the
first couple of hours of an event are critical, he said the 24-
hour-a-day SECC would give the state the capability to begin to
coordinate interagency support for local officials immediately,
when there is the greatest potential to save lives, property,
and the environment.
MR. RUSH highlighted the increased possibility of attacks by
terrorists with weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and noted that
recently [when anthrax was sent through the mails in the Lower
48, resulting in several deaths], the SECC was a focal point for
coordinating local, state, and federal response operations and
tracking each event. He explained that originally [DMVA]
believed it would receive funding from other departments to help
defray the costs of the SECC; however, that wasn't feasible
because of adverse impacts on other departments' functions. In
addition, personnel costs are greater than anticipated.
Number 0630
CHAIR CHENAULT recalled that the 24-hour-a-day emergency
coordination center was fully funded last year.
Number 0662
MAJOR GENERAL PHILLIP OATES, Adjutant General/Commissioner,
Department of Military & Veterans' Affairs, affirmed that the
funding was established last year, and said [DMVA] had tried to
reduce the level of the request as much as possible. This year
in operating it, however, it was discovered that some charges
were higher. In addition, there was an inability to get some
Department of Public Safety (DPS) funding that goes into its
center, because it would have eliminated a [position] that
serves other public safety purposes. Furthermore, some federal
money was unavailable. The good news is that $1 million will be
given to each state, assuming the federal funding comes through,
for "design money" for 24-hour-a-day facilities. Right now,
though, due to the funding shortfall, [DMVA] is canceling some
major activities because of having seen the absolute importance
of the 24-hour-a-day capability, as shown during the anthrax
situation.
Number 0782
MAJOR GENERAL OATES, in response to a question from Chair
Chenault, clarified that the request isn't for additional staff,
but is to have sufficient money for staff and costs of
operations. He went on to say that one position was funded from
federal "disaster funding"; although it is good that Alaska
hasn't had as many disasters this year that generate that
funding, the money traditionally obtainable from that source
isn't available. He again stressed how critical this 24-hour-a-
day center is, and specified that [the SECC] is operating within
the same parameters established last year during the initial
testimony.
Number 0910
MR. RUSH added that [DMVA] is "reprogramming" about $191,000 in
the state's fiscal year 2003 (FY 03) to support the SECC. That,
in addition to the $100,000 [requested in HB 324], is what is
needed to keep it operating at its current staffing level.
MAJOR GENERAL OATES indicated currently eight people provide the
24-hour-a-day staffing; that hasn't changed, but the money
[provided previously] was found to be insufficient.
Number 1023
CHAIR CHENAULT turned attention to Item 60 ["Acquire the Mobile
Analytical Laboratory and Unified Command Suite for 103d
CST(WMD) -- federally funded; awaiting delivery"].
MR. RUSH characterized Item 60 as a "bookmark" so readers can
get the total picture of what is needed with regard to homeland
security and WMD. It pertains to the 103d Civil Support Team
(CST), a 22-person full-time national guard team that received
its certification - certifying the ability to perform its
mission of providing WMD support to local incident commanders -
about two weeks ago from the U.S. Secretary of Defense. Noting
that the capabilities primarily relate to chemical [or]
biological events, Mr. Rush said this can provide significant
assistance to local authorities in terms of identification,
detection, assessment, and advice, and also offers a tremendous
communications capability. The laboratory gives the capability
to identify primarily chemical substances, as well as certain
biological ones, and then to give on-scene advice to the local
incident commander. Mr. Rush added, "They're totally
deployable, either by road, by ship, or by aircraft."
Number 1205
MR. RUSH discussed Item 61 ["Add three emergency management
specialists in the Division of Emergency Services to focus
entirely on WMD planning, training and exercises"]. He
explained that prior to [the terrorist attacks of September 11,
2001, on the East Coast], the Division of Emergency Services
tried to manage the WMD/homeland security function with one
part-time position. Since then, this position - his own, he
intimated - has been devoted full-time to homeland security.
Recently, [the division] reassigned another position to work
full-time in the homeland security arena. Still, this level of
staffing is insufficient to manage the vastly increased emphasis
on homeland security, he told members. Hence funding would
support three additional emergency management specialists: one
specifically for WMD exercise-and-training development, one for
WMD planning, and one for WMD grant application and management.
MR. RUSH, in response to a question from Representative
Murkowski, said this element probably would only be necessary if
there were no funding for an office of homeland security, since
such an office would be the most effective way to manage
homeland security.
Number 1345
MR. RUSH turned attention to Item 62 ["Build a state-of-the-art
facility for the 103d CST(WMD) -- federally funded but not yet
under construction"]. He noted that the 103d CST has temporary
quarters in the National Guard Armory at Fort Richardson, but
doesn't have the type of facility it needs to support its
requirements for either training or equipment storage and
maintenance. Thus Item 62 shows federal funds for a facility
separate from the armory, but on the Fort Richardson base.
Number 1396
MR. RUSH briefly addressed Item 63 ["Develop a comprehensive
emergency communications annex to the state Emergency Operations
Procedures (EOP)"]. He said this is in development, requires no
additional funding, and is needed to support the all-hazard plan
as well as homeland security and WMD.
Number 1421
MR. RUSH discussed Item 64 ["Develop a robust WMD exercise
program for all levels of government and the private and
volunteer sectors"]. He explained the cycle of "plans,
training, and exercise" required: threat analysis and risk
assessment, followed by development of a plan from which it can
be determined what resources and training are needed to
implement the plan, followed by exercises. First the assessment
and then the plan are tweaked, and the cycle begins again.
Item 64 will fund development of a multi-year exercise program
and will include travel, materials, a professional-services
contract, and the costs of doing the exercises.
MR. RUSH pointed out the importance of exercises, because plans
aren't maximized without them. Exercises often are the most
neglected part of the cycle, however, because full-scale
exercises can be costly and resource-intensive. The desire is
for a robust exercise program over several years, which is
necessary for effectiveness. Characterizing this element as
essential, he noted that it appears there may be federal funding
available in federal FY 03 or FY 04; if so, [DMVA] would
withdraw this increment.
Number 1599
REPRESENTATIVE GREEN asked about the differences between
Items 61 and 64.
MR. RUSH answered that Item 61 is for personnel, one who would
specifically manage this exercise program. Item 64 is for
planning and conducting the exercises themselves, including the
costs of coming up with the exercise program and assembling
people. He said it can be done a variety of ways through
contracts or partially in-house. He pointed out that it is most
effective to begin with simple, tabletop exercises and work up
to full-scale ones.
Number 1703
REPRESENTATIVE GREEN expressed concern about duplication. He
asked whether Item 64 will be eliminated if an office of
homeland security is created.
MR. RUSH answered no. He posed an example of an exercise in a
community. Somebody would need to plan the exercise scenario;
although it might be the planner [in Item 61], he said, [DMVA]
instead sees that planner as managing the overall exercise plan
for the entire state for this four years. At the local level,
he noted, people involved in the exercise may be taken away from
other jobs or may require overtime. People who are the exercise
controllers and evaluators must be paid; there may be costs for
any equipment involved, and there will be costs for printed
materials for the exercise and so forth. He voiced the goal of
working up to several statewide exercises, including several
communities at once and the involvement of the SECC and other
state agencies, which would be fairly costly.
REPRESENTATIVE GREEN asked whether the planning is in Item 61
and the execution is in Item 64.
MR. RUSH answered that basically, yes.
Number 1875
GEORGE WUERCH, Mayor, Municipality of Anchorage, addressing all
items relating to homeland security, asked the committee to
think in terms of a citizen who dials 911 on the telephone,
expecting the first responder to help. He pointed out that many
Alaskan cities and boroughs can provide first responders, but
expressed concern that funding requests in HB 324 have little
that assists local first responders. Reporting that Anchorage
has adopted the concept of shifting priorities and incorporating
homeland security into the day-to-day operations, he explained:
If something happens, we don't have time to mobilize a
secondary office or secondary group of responders. We
need our frontline police officers, firefighter, and
EMTs [emergency medical technicians], our health and
human service providers, and our medical staff to be
able to respond ... in the course of the day's work.
So we would ask that you look in terms of what this
program brings to first responders across the state.
I will also add that ... the Alaska Municipal League
and The National League of Cities have both weighed in
with the same perspective, that first responders need
to be helped to strengthen homeland security, that we
shouldn't create instead a whole secondary tier of
responders, but strengthen what we have, provide the
training, the equipment, the specialized capabilities
that would strengthen that day to day.
Number 1996
MAYOR WUERCH said some things in this plan are really fine.
Noting that security at the international airport is a state
function, he pointed out that Anchorage does provide police,
fire, and medical response there. He complimented the SECC and
Major General Oates for participation with Anchorage before,
during, and after the events of September 11, 2001; for helping
with training; and for assistance as recently as the preceding
week, when there was a huge snowfall. He also expressed
appreciation for the SECC's presence 24 hours a day. Mayor
Wuerch closed by again asking the committee to look at funding
from the eyes of the citizen with regard to what strengthens the
response when someone dials 911.
[There was no discussion of Item 65, "Develop a small community
Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) Annex to the Community Model
Disaster Response Plan"; it carried the notation, "do within
existing budget."]
Number 2119
MR. RUSH turned attention to Item 66 ["Weapons of Mass
Destruction Plans: Develop a state plan for detection of and
response to biological terrorism; Establish WMD plans and
procedures annexes for jurisdictions without them"]. He
explained that this completes WMD response plans for 19 of the
largest jurisdictions in the state. It also provides a state
plan for detection of and response to biological attacks. He
emphasized how essential plans are, since they are the starting
point that drives training and exercises and they identify needs
for resources. This money would go directly to communities to
develop WMD response plans.
Number 2188
MR. RUSH addressed Item 67 ["Develop specific emergency contact
procedures for key individuals in every executive branch
agency"]. Noting that it is ongoing [and requires no additional
funds], he described this is as an emergency contact list in
order to be able to contact key decision makers. In response to
Chair Chenault, he said this hasn't been formalized before,
although various departments may have had it to some degree.
The 24-hour-a-day SECC can have this contact capability if the
input is received from the various agencies, he pointed out.
Number 2273
MR. RUSH turned attention to Item 68 ["Establish and Homeland
Security Office within the department to implement the
recommendations"]. Noting that the homeland security office is
the top priority of the Terrorism Disaster Policy Cabinet,
Mr. Rush said DMVA envisions that this office would be staffed
with representatives from DMVA, the Department of Environmental
Conservation (DEC), the Department of Natural Resources (DNR),
the Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS), the
Department of Public Safety (DPS), the Department of
Transportation & Public Facilities, and the Department of
Administration. An administrative staff person would be
assigned, and the office would be led by a deputy commissioner.
MR. RUSH explained that the core duties would be to assist
intelligence analysis and dissemination; maintain an Alaska-
specific threat assessment; develop protocols to respond to WMD
events; work with all the various national and Alaskan entities
involved, as well as other states, provinces, and territories;
provide the governor with expert homeland security advice;
develop program budgets and manage related grants; provide a
single homeland security communications conduit; develop and
review legislative actions and proposals; establish and
disseminate threat-level criteria and procedures; and assist
utilities and other infrastructure with security assessments.
MR. RUSH reported that the Terrorism Disaster Policy Cabinet
never envisioned this as a permanent fixture in state
government, but expected the core duties to be completed within
18 months. By the end of June 2003, the office as a stand-alone
entity would be disbanded, and the continuing functions of the
office would be absorbed by the Division of Emergency Services;
the temporary positions would be deleted. Mr. Rush emphasized
how critical this office is to coordinate "the ever-increasing
tempo of homeland security requirements."
Number 2445
MR. RUSH, in response to a question from Representative Green,
said federal funding will be used in every instance possible.
Thus far, however, no U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) funding
can be used for personnel, and much is targeted at first-
responder equipment only. He mentioned speculative funding in
the President's proposed budget and a supplemental budget from
DOJ, but emphasized that it is not firm, although it seems the
purposes for which such funding can be used may expand beyond
first-responder equipment.
Number 2628
REPRESENTATIVE MURKOWSKI returned attention to Item 64 and asked
whether municipal governments will help to fund exercises.
MR. RUSH replied that it is possible and is something the person
who coordinates the exercise program would have to work out. He
indicated he didn't foresee that most communities and boroughs
would have a lot of money for exercises, though.
Number 2712
MAJOR GENERAL OATES agreed with Mayor Wuerch about the
importance of reinforcement for first responders. He noted that
major federal agencies to provide funding would be the DOJ, the
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and the U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services. He suggested much of
the FEMA funding would be available at the state and local
levels for an exercise program. He also said some money is
available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC) and the hospital-preparedness program, to improve
capabilities, planning, preparedness, and response at all levels
for a bioterrorism event. He said it is believed most federal
money will flow down to the first-responder level. Calling this
a work in progress, he pointed out that federal programs are
evolving as well, and reiterated the intention of reducing
[DMVA's] request wherever possible.
MAJOR GENERAL OATES highlighted DMVA's priorities. He told
members that just for this next fiscal year, DMVA's top priority
is the office of homeland security, to allow the department to
leverage federal programs and get its procedures and plans in
place; then that office would "go away." The second priority is
the 24-hour-a-day State Emergency Coordination Center. He
expressed the need to invest more in overall emergency
management funding. Third is WMD training that DMVA will
sponsor to all first responders statewide, to allow better
preparedness for a WMD event and to use HAZMAT [hazardous
materials] capabilities that will be in Anchorage, Fairbanks,
Juneau, and Valdez, and the recently certified 103d CST(WMD)
team. Fourth is grants to the LEPCs [local emergency planning
committees] under Item 76. He added that some items such as the
HAZMAT response teams are no longer on the list.
MAJOR GENERAL OATES voiced the need to have this discussion
continue through the legislative process, especially to look at
areas where the department has already spent money by taking it
from existing programs; at areas in which not spending money
will have a direct negative impact related to either federal
money or federal mandates; and at what he called "the major
impact areas of funding." He said DMVA will be able to provide
priorities after federal funding becomes better known.
TAPE 02-17, SIDE B
Number 2927
MR. RUSH discussed Item 69 ["State Emergency Coordination Center
(SECC): Establish a mobile SECC that can be moved out of harm's
way and used as an alternate local Emergency Operations Center
for communities on the road system; Reconfigure and expand
available workstations at the SECC for increased operational
efficiency"]. He explained that currently the only alternate
facility is an unsatisfactory wooden, 20-by-16-foot building
adjacent to the armory at Fort Richardson. Although several
alternatives have been considered in the past, none have proven
feasible.
MR. RUSH offered the belief that a mobile SECC is feasible,
however. He said this item is for a self-contained, state-of-
the-art facility including a complete communications package; it
could be used as an alternate SECC, could be used anywhere along
a road system to provide a satellite SECC, could be used as an
emergency operations center for a local jurisdiction that
doesn't have one or that has one that has been destroyed or
damaged, or could provide a command post for an incident-
management team in support of a local jurisdiction.
MR. RUSH explained that this project also upgrades the primary
SECC by raising the number of workstations from 24 to 44, to
include computers. Although important, this component doesn't
have the same priority as the office of homeland security or
continuing the 24-hour-a-day [primary] SECC. He reported
hearing of possible money through DOJ in federal FY 03 or FY 04
that might have portions earmarked for what are normally called
"emergency operations centers"; he indicated if that is
available, this item no longer would be requested from the
state. In response to Chair Chenault, he said it's basically
$1.2 million for the alternate SECC and $215,000 to upgrade the
main facility.
Number 2760
MR. RUSH turned attention to Item 71 ["National Guard
coordination in rural areas"]. He explained that the national
guard provides the basic foundation to respond to terrorist
attacks or other disasters, especially in areas with little or
no public-safety presence available immediately. Mentioning
search capability, he cited as an example the rapid deployment
of trained national guard personnel to fulfill the ongoing
airport security role [instituted after September 11, 2001]. He
said the goal is to strengthen recruitment-and-retention efforts
in rural Alaska. Item 71 is to provide funding for a team to
travel to these rural areas to reinforce positive attitudes
toward the guard by emphasizing family safety, drug-demand
reduction, programs for veterans, the military youth academy,
national guard benefits, and opportunities for service.
Number 2710
MR. RUSH addressed Item 72 ["Weapons of Mass Destruction
Training: Provide WMD training for the following: Incident
management training to local emergency managers, first
responders and DEC primary responders; Response training for 60-
100 initial survey assessing personnel and to 25 response staff
in DEC and DHSS"]. He said this would provide a wide variety of
WMD training statewide; it includes training for local law
enforcement personnel and state troopers, as well as response
training for DEC and DHSS staff who are expected to go out
immediately upon notification of an incident. It also would
provide WMD-awareness training for local officials who normally
aren't in the business of emergency management, including
officials from hospitals, public schools, and public works
agencies, as well as city administrators and elected officials.
He noted that if future federal DOJ funding offsets this item,
it will be withdrawn.
Number 2629
MR. RUSH discussed Item 73 ["Hazardous Materials Response Teams:
Provide training, trucks and equipment for 2 new Level A HAZMAT
teams in Valdez and in Juneau to service Southeast; provide
Alaska specific detection, identification and safety equipment
for 103d CST(WMD); and provide WMD advanced-level training for
the Fairbanks HAZMAT team"]. He said one of the policy
cabinet's most urgent recommendations was to create two new
Level A teams, raising the total to four and providing a truly
regional capability by positioning one team in Juneau and one in
the Prince William Sound area. Currently, support for Southeast
Alaska would have to come from Anchorage or Fairbanks.
MR. RUSH noted that if there is a need elsewhere in the state,
DEC can call upon the team from Anchorage or Fairbanks, which
are under contract with DEC, to be deployed, and then will
reimburse that team. He pointed out that distance and weather
somewhat limit the capability to respond in Southeast Alaska,
however. Having four teams would provide a credible regional
capability statewide. Mr. Rush specified that this item
provides training and equipment for the teams; WMD-specific
training for the Fairbanks team, which hasn't yet received that
training; and arctic-specific equipment for the 103d [CST(WMD)]
that just received federal certification.
Number 2493
CHAIR CHENAULT asked what the difference is between Level A
training for the HAZMAT teams and the WMD advanced training.
MR. RUSH explained that the normal training received by the
Level A hazardous materials teams is primarily for entering and
performing operations in an environment contaminated by
industrial chemicals of various types. The next level, the WMD
level, is to provide training to be able to operate in an
environment that might be contaminated by other kinds of
chemical agents or biological agents.
Number 2440
MAJOR GENERAL OATES requested that Mr. Rush clarify how [DOJ]
funding may affect Item 73. He mentioned a comprehensive
statewide survey with regard to equipment for the two teams and
for first responders; he requested confirmation that if this is
coupled with the money from FEMA, [the department] may be able
to carry a large portion of Items 72 and 73.
MR. RUSH concurred, noting two elements in Item 73: general
funds and federal funds. He said the intent is to use DOJ funds
- now restricted to first-responder equipment only - to outfit
these two [new] teams. The remaining element is for training,
and funds may be available in the federal FY 02 supplemental or
FY 03 budget with which the state could offset the training
component as well.
MAJOR GENERAL OATES pointed out that the federal government also
is going through its [budget] process.
Number 2330
MR. RUSH briefly turned attention to Item 74 ["Secure trauma
equipment and medical formulary for the 103d Civilian Support
Team for Weapons of Mass Destruction (CST-WMD) -- federally
funded; awaiting delivery"]. He noted that the equipment has
already been received, and that this item was included to
provide the whole picture and emphasize that other funding is
available.
MAJOR GENERAL OATES added that the 103d [CST(WMD)], of all the
teams in the nation, received the highest marks on its
certification. It has full Level A HAZMAT capability. In
addition to operating in a contaminated area, it can advise
first responders about what actions should be taken, and can
provide worldwide communication.
Number 2267
MR. RUSH discussed Item 75 ["Blood delivery, State Emergency
Coordination Center (SECC) staff assistance at New York,
Disaster Policy Cabinet telecommunication and legal costs, and
temporary SECC coordination position"]. He noted that this is
for actual costs incurred as a direct result of the [the
terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001]. These resulted from
the following: activation of the SECC; additional temporary
Terrorism Disaster Policy Cabinet support staff; additional
staff needed to complete the U.S. Department of Justice-mandated
three-year domestic-preparedness strategy; and costs associated
with blood-supply testing, since blood from the local blood bank
in Anchorage needed to be tested in Seattle, Washington, within
a short timeframe or it would have become unusable. The only
aircraft permitted to fly immediately after the events of
September 11, 2001, were military aircraft, he reminded members;
the only viable option was national guard aircraft, and that is
the lion's share of the cost.
Number 2201
MR. RUSH addressed Item 76 ["Grants to Local Emergency Planning
Committees to develop all-hazards emergency plans"]. He said
these apply to core all-hazard emergency-preparedness
activities, including plans and training exercises, for 20
LEPCs. These committees will use the funds to complete, revise
and update hazard analyses, capability assessments, emergency
operations plans, and standard operating procedures; will be
used for administrative support and travel for local meetings
and quarterly statewide workshops; and can be - and are - used
to support exercises. Many LEPCs have some level of all-hazard
exercise on a yearly basis, he reported. Noting that this is to
provide funding for a level that is truly effective, so that
communities served by these LEPCs are better prepared to respond
to a WMD event or other disaster, he called LEPCs "the bedrock
of our ability to accomplish local emergency preparedness
throughout the state."
Number 2124
MR. RUSH turned attention to Item 77 ["U.S. Dept. of Justice
community grant program for specialized equipment for first
responders to terrorist events"]. He emphasized that the
federal government is in a state of reaction at this point, too,
and said different information is received almost daily about
possible [federal] grants, primarily from CDC, DOJ, and FEMA,
although the [U.S.] Department of Transportation also has a
program for port-and-harbor security through a competitive grant
process. Hence more is probably unknown than unknown about
possible grants at the moment, although DHSS is in the process
of applying for a CDC grant right now.
MR. RUSH said the $769,000 - the total DOJ funding for federal
FY 00 and FY 01 - is earmarked for first-responder equipment
only; the [disaster policy cabinet] has directed it to "personal
protective equipment" for law enforcement personnel statewide
and to equipment for the Level A HAZMAT response teams in Valdez
and Juneau. He raised the possibility of as much as $2.6
million from DOJ through FEMA in FY 02; although it may be only
for first-responder equipment, there may be some money for
exercises. He also mentioned $3.5 billion in the President's
budget for federal FY 03 that possibly could be used for plans,
training, and exercises, as well as equipment; possibly in
federal FY 04 there would be a like amount for communications,
emergency operations centers, and warning systems.
MR. RUSH went on to say that the amount of federal money coming
into Alaska emphasizes the need for an office of homeland
security to manage these grants, to make sure the state uses the
opportunity, to make sure there is no duplication, and to ensure
that no elements of the state's "homeland security posture" go
uncovered.
Number 1939
REPRESENTATIVE GREEN asked how DMVA's plans dovetail or avoid
conflicting with those of the private sector in Valdez, for
example. He said he didn't envision biological terrorism there,
for example, because of the limited population.
MR. RUSH answered that this would be a Valdez team, the Level A
hazardous materials team, composed of people from Valdez. He
suggested the Fairbanks North Star Borough team as a good model;
it includes personnel from the private sector, from volunteer
fire departments, from the paid fire departments, and so forth -
a wide variety of people for which the level of training
required and the maintenance of training are very intense. He
emphasized the need for a "committed base" of people, noting
that smaller communities, in particular, cannot depend on one
source of personnel for these teams. He said such a team
certainly would have a plan for responding to an event in
Valdez, but also would be included in the statewide plan for
possible deployment to other locations.
MAJOR GENERAL OATES added that the private sector has no Level A
HAZMAT capability for Valdez; it has limited capability to
operate around hazardous materials, but not biological or
chemical agents. He agreed with Representative Green that
because of Valdez's low population density, possibly there would
be no biological attack, but pointed out that a chemical attack
perhaps could render the site unusable if there weren't the
proper capability. He reiterated that deployable teams exist in
Anchorage and Fairbanks and through [the 103d CST(WMD)], which
is designed to operate in a chemical, biological, radiological,
nuclear, or high-explosive environment. However, regional
capability would be highly valuable, he told members.
MAJOR GENERAL OATES concluded by thanking Mr. Rush for his hard
work on behalf of Alaska, asking to talk to the committee at
some point about some national initiatives, offering to provide
any further information, and encouraging quick action to move
HB 324 forward.
Number 1616
MIKE SCOTT, Chairman, Legislative Committee, Alaska Municipal
League (AML); Municipality of Anchorage, speaking on behalf of
the AML, told members the local level is where the action is.
Mentioning some dialogue with Major General Oates the previous
year, he nonetheless echoed concern expressed by Mayor Wuerch
that people will pick up the phone and dial 911 [expecting
assistance], and yet the state plan has little relative to that
need. He mentioned $18 million in "gaps" found [in Anchorage]
after September 11, 2001. He requested the ability to sit down
with Major General Oates and then come back to the committee
with recommendations that [affect and involve] the communities.
MR. SCOTT concurred that local communities are the bedrock of
disaster planning, but said many local governments have far more
gaps in response [capabilities] than the state does currently.
Those needs have largely been left unaddressed, he told members.
He said federal funding likely will meet only a portion of those
needs, and suggested the need for an integrated approach through
the legislature that moves this forward and allows communities
to be effective partners. Mr. Scott said the list is long and
that he could show members where a local counterpart should be
considered, for example. He indicated the AML could prioritize,
given the relative risks it sees, and has done initial risk
assessments and has some idea of where the emphasis ought to be.
He requested that the committee bring AML into the equation
before the bill leaves this committee and goes to the House
Finance Committee.
Number 1338
REPRESENTATIVE GREEN offered his understanding that "C-Plans"
[contingency plans] approved by DEC bring in local individuals
as well as state-trained or military personnel. He asked
whether that has been looked at.
MR. SCOTT reported that one extremely effective thing the state
used to do in working with local governments was to put
together, through an annual grant program, emergency response
plans; typically, there would be a requirement for at least one
annual exercise, either a field or tabletop exercise. There
also used to be a small component by which communities could
obtain equipment when a gap was identified. "We have enough
paper to choke a horse on ... how to respond to plans," he
remarked, indicating there are sufficient people as well.
However, the gap is in [what communities] put in their hands and
actually do, he said.
MR. SCOTT noted that the state's plan in this document mentions
utilities and airports as critical infrastructure to be
protected. However, he challenged members to show him where
utilities - other than in some "perimeter-type activity" - are
receiving any hard security dollars. Pointing out that
Anchorage alone has several million dollars' worth of identified
needs and gaps, Mr. Scott suggested that such types of
information haven't been brought to bear in this process. He
said it would be a critical mistake to move forward a homeland
security package for the state without that piece, and offered
to work with the committee toward that end.
Number 1109
CHAIR CHENAULT asked whether anyone else wished to testify;
there was no response. He then asked whether Major General
Oates had closing comments.
MAJOR GENERAL OATES explained that the basic thrust at both the
national level and the state level is to reinforce first
responders in training, exercises, and equipment; this has been
coordinated not only through the SERC [State Emergency Response
Commission] process, but also through weekly teleconferences in
which mayors statewide were invited to join in. He said there
were two items for which Anchorage chose to submit its own
request, rather than participating in this one, but that it
doesn't mean [DMVA isn't totally supportive of Anchorage]. He
said one challenge, however, is to decide how to spread
capabilities across the entire state.
MAJOR GENERAL OATES mentioned a workshop in Anchorage for
assessing WMD risk and public health [needs], as well as a WMD
status report to U.S. Senator Ted Stevens; he said the latter is
an area in which Anchorage decided to go on its own, in addition
to a report to the governor. In addition, he said he'd offered
to sit down with the AML or any of the mayors to ensure that
their needs are "captured." He reiterated his understanding
that the majority of federal funding will go to first
responders. One reason for the need for proper staff is to
ensure that the department can work across the state to figure
out where best to put that money, he added.
MAJOR GENERAL OATES, calling this a work in progress, emphasized
urgency in moving this package forward and offered to show what
has been spent and its impact; areas in which if money isn't
spent, there will be a direct impact in loss of federal dollars
or loss of the possible use of some facilities; and what the
department perceives as its "major impact areas." Furthermore,
he suggested the need to follow the steps of New York after
September 11, 2001, in adopting an emergency management
assistance compact. He mentioned that there are other related
pieces of legislation, and said [DMVA] is working aggressively
on the national level as well. Suggesting that nationwide
funding shouldn't be linked to a population threshold, he also
mentioned that a competitive grant process isn't fair to all
cities. He suggested that everything should reinforce the
federal response plan, which reinforces the capability of first
responders, and pointed out that Alaska's homeland security
funding hasn't increased when compared with the huge increase at
the national level.
Number 0707
REPRESENTATIVE GREEN asked why Anchorage decided to go it alone
[on some items].
MAJOR GENERAL OATES replied that [Anchorage] has been effective
doing that, and that he applauded Mayor Wuerch and the
municipality for Anchorage's terrific emergency management
program. He observed that everything which strengthens
Anchorage strengthens the state's biggest city and the state's
ability to respond to weapons of mass destruction.
Number 0551
MR. SCOTT, speaking on behalf of the Municipality of Anchorage,
pointed out that committee packets contain at least two letters
from Mayor Wuerch, one addressing the governor regarding "the
state package." He said the municipal package put forth [by the
state] to the congressional delegation was done not because the
municipality didn't want to participate in the state plan;
rather, it was because the dialogue was not thorough. In
looking out for the community's best interest, therefore, the
mayor had initiated this. He reiterated the request for the
opportunity to sit down and see how the legislature's plan
incorporates local and state needs in the same package.
Number 0388
MAJOR GENERAL OATES asked when he could expect some guidance on
Chair Chenault's intentions.
CHAIR CHENAULT said he would talk to him before the coming
Thursday. [HB 324 was held over.]
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business before the committee, the House
Special Committee on Military and Veterans' Affairs meeting was
adjourned at 4:59 p.m.
| Document Name | Date/Time | Subjects |
|---|