Legislature(2003 - 2004)
02/13/2003 08:01 AM House STA
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* first hearing in first committee of referral
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+ teleconferenced
= bill was previously heard/scheduled
ALASKA STATE LEGISLATURE
HOUSE STATE AFFAIRS STANDING COMMITTEE
February 13, 2003
8:01 a.m.
MEMBERS PRESENT
Representative Bruce Weyhrauch, Chair
Representative Jim Holm, Vice Chair
Representative Nancy Dahlstrom
Representative Bob Lynn
Representative Paul Seaton
Representative Ethan Berkowitz
MEMBERS ABSENT
Representative Max Gruenberg
COMMITTEE CALENDAR
OVERVIEW: HOMELAND SECURITY
TAPES
03-9, SIDE(S) A & B
CHAIR BRUCE WEYHRAUCH convened the meeting of the House State
Affairs Standing Committee at 8:01 a.m. Representatives
Weyhrauch and Holm were present at the call to order.
Representatives Seaton, Dahlstrom, Lynn, and Berkowitz arrived
as the meeting was in progress.
SUMMARY OF INFORMATION
CHAIR WEYHRAUCH explained that although the public has a right
to know what is going on with homeland security, the public also
has a right to be protected. Therefore, sensitive areas
regarding Homeland Security will be heard by the committee in
Executive Session. He specified that the purpose of the hearing
is: to know what is going on with homeland security in Alaska
so that the House State Affairs Standing Committee can exercise
jurisdiction over matters of state affairs and military and
veterans affairs; to understand any public policy implications
of homeland security and whether the legislature in working with
the executive branch needs to address any public policy issues
through statute or otherwise; to eventually exercise our duty to
review any budgetary matters that come before the legislature in
addressing homeland security.
[Presenters were asked to present only as much as they
reasonably can within their own professional ability and
discretion to provide information to the committee knowing this
is a public meeting. Later on in executive session the
presenters will be asked to present information to the committee
that is sensitive.]
GENERAL CRAIG CAMPBELL, Commissioner Designee, Department of
Military and Veterans Affairs, spoke briefly regarding his role
with homeland security and the seriousness of the security
threat level orange that the United States is under. General
Campbell introduced Assistant Commissioner Sam Johnson, the head
of the Homeland Security and Emergency Services Division, who
will present, from the state's perspective, an informational
packet that the department has been using to evaluate how much
needs to be done in Alaska to protect the citizens of the state.
There is going to be an increased emphasis on the budget in
regard to homeland security.
SAM JOHNSON, Assistant Commissioner, Homeland Security and
Emergency Services, Department of Military and Veterans Affairs,
presented a thorough briefing regarding homeland security in the
State of Alaska. The DMVA is the focal point for all matters
regarding homeland security and protecting the citizens and key
infrastructure of the State of Alaska. Roles of homeland
security, such as deterrence, mitigation, response and recovery,
were discussed. Prioritization of the critical infrastructure
in the state has been completed, he related. Development of
response procedures and checklists and refining the
dissemination of information to communities is in the scope of
the Emergency Services Division.
CAPTAIN JACK DAVIN, Chief of the Marine Safety Division, 17th
Coast Guard District - Juneau, reviewed the responsibilities and
duties of the US Coast Guard (USCG) with relation to homeland
security. The Homeland Security Division has grown rapidly
since [the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001] and now the
Homeland Security Division is on the same level as Search and
Rescue, which is the number one mission of the US Coast Guard.
Goals of the USCG security mission were touched upon. The US
Coast Guard is partnered with US Customs, Immigration, and
Naturalization. Furthermore, Border Service works very closely
with the state, FBI, and many other agencies on a day-to-day
basis. Since [the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001] the
US Coast Guard has been participating in Operation Noble Eagle,
which is a US military operation, associated with homeland
defense and civil support to the federal, state and local
agencies in the United States.
LIEUTENANT MICHAEL PATTERSON, Deputy Director, Homeland Security
Division, US Coast Guard - Alaska, noted that he is representing
Captain Bruce McQueen. Lt. Patterson briefly spoke about his
position and stated that he had no additional information to
provide.
MAJOR DOUG NORRIS, Deputy Director, Alaska State Troopers, gave
a short dissertation regarding the status of the Alaska State
Troopers as the first response group in the event of an
emergency on a state or national level.
CAMILLE SOLEIL, Executive Director, Alaska Nurses Association,
presented to information regarding the development of the Alaska
Nurse Alert System. The system is designed to establish a
network of nurses; volunteers who could respond to disasters and
emergencies here in Alaska including responses to natural and
manmade disasters, acts of terror, and acts of war including
bio-terrorism. The group is partnered with the American Red
Cross, Alaska Chapter, and the section of Public Health Nursing,
the Alaska Division of Public Health, and the Anchorage Medical
Reserve Board Department of Health and Human Services. The
first goal of the association is to set up the Alaska Nurse
Alert System database. She mentioned the need for validly
licensed volunteers, LPNs, Registered Nurses, and Advanced Nurse
Practitioners who are willing to respond in situations of
emergencies. The target date for finishing the database is
March 31 of this year. Nurses statewide will be contacted and
asked for input from their areas of interest, and furthermore
the Nurses Association will train other volunteers.
MS. SOLEIL brought up the question of liability; "If a validly
licensed volunteer participates in emergency response and
participates in the way that they are instructed to do by the
organization that is hosting it, such as the Red Cross in
shelters or the Department of Public Health for immunizations;
and they fulfill their duties as they are asked to, is there a
way to get an emergency liability exception for them so that
they do not have to worry about that?"
FRANK RICHARDS, State Operations Engineer and Security Manager,
Department of Transportation & Public Facilities (DOT&PF),
explained how DOT&PF is involved in homeland security. The
department is responsible for highways, bridges, tunnels, and
the Alaska Marine Highway System. Each of these individual
modes [of transportation] has a different security matter. Mr.
Richards spoke about the 260 airports operated by the state,
including two international airports and 20 rural certificated
airports of which 16 of these airports require security programs
under the Transportation Security Administration Regulations.
He related that there are 238 community class airports, rural
airports, around the state. On the highway side there about
6,200 centerline miles of highway, 715 bridges, 602 buildings
and the Whittier Tunnel. On the Marine Highway side, there are
9 vessels that provide transit for passengers, freight, and
vehicles for over 3,000 miles from Bellingham, Washington, to
Dutch Harbor. He pointed out that DOT&PF [employees] are first
responders, providing front line services for security. He
highlighted that the Transportation Security Administration has
taken over the functions of regulatory actions from the Federal
Aviation Administration as well as the responsibility for
passenger and baggage screening.
JACK MEYERS, Operations and Security Manager, Alaska Marine
Highway System, added that there are 33 [ferry] terminals, 17 of
which are manned. A security study of eight or nine state
ferries has been completed and the M/V Bartlett will be
surplused October 1. Individual security plans for the vessels
as well as the terminals need to be done. In the Bellingham
area a security zone of 500 yards from any Alaska State Ferry
has been established. However, that same security zone is not
yet established in Alaska. The Alaska Marine Highway System in
conjunction with the US Coast Guard is providing various
training platforms in March and April for the State Troopers and
other law enforcement officials throughout the state.
REPRESENTATIVE BOB LYNN asked for information on the number of
people who had been excluded from security service due to the
fingerprint checks done by TSA.
FRANK RICHARDS provided the additional information regarding the
fingerprint checks done by DOT and TSA and informed the
committee that only a handful of individuals came up with
felonies [and were disqualified].
REPRESENTATIVE BOB LYNN asked if there were a lot of illegal
aliens who where excluded because of the TSA background checks.
MR. RICHARDS responded, "No, there wasn't."
REPRESENTATIVE LYNN asked, "What can be done, or what is being
done to enhance the security of our general aviation fleet?"
MR. RICHARDS responded that the FAA has asked them to increase
diligence and surveillance.
COMMISSIONER DESIGNEE MARC ANTRIM opted to present his testimony
during the executive session.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
There were no announcements.
COMMITTEE ACTION
No action was taken.
ADJOURNMENT
CHAIR WEYHRAUCH adjourned to executive session at 8:55 a.m.
NOTE: The meeting was recorded and handwritten log notes were
taken. A copy of the tape(s) and log notes may be obtained by
contacting the House Records Office at State Capitol, Room 3,
Juneau, Alaska 99801 (mailing address), (907) 465-2214, and
after adjournment of the second session of the Twenty-Third
Alaska State Legislature this information may be obtained by
contacting the Legislative Reference Library at (907) 465-3808.
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