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jurisdictions, that efforts undertaken to-date at the federal level, while by themselves are valuable, would greatly benefit from an increased level of coordination and

accountability. Efforts that may be duplicative or worse, contradictory, lead to confusion at the local level and expend precious federal resources unnecessarily. Efforts underway at the federal, state and local levels of government ought to be better synchronized for the benefit of public safety.

It is said that the sum of human effort is greater than the individual parts. If none of us can quantify, or even find, the parts, it is more likely that the sum total of our national preparedness effort will be diminished. In my view, a more focused effort would be more effective. At the federal level, there is certainly expertise located in different agencies that should be leveraged to create the most effective preparedness effort possible. It seems to me, and to many of my colleagues in the fire service, that this could be better accomplished by designating one federal official with responsibility and authority to coordinate and deliver these programs. It would also be best if that official was not at the same time responsible for managing additional responsibilities on a day-today basis. Whom that official is or where he or she works is not for the fire service to say. We have in the past requested a single-point-of-contact in Washington that we can access for answers and provide input to as we move forward.

Quantifying our efforts is also an issue. We as a nation have thus far not attempted to define, quantifiably, what an acceptable level of preparedness is. Without clear, attainable preparedness goals, it is difficult to make progress in any arena. In the fire service, we have a good idea of what it takes to support a measurable level of service to our communities. Simple fire protection, for example, requires a level of preparedness that includes arbitrary response times. More importantly, we know what we must bring to the fire ground to put the fire out. We also have a clear understanding of the tasks that fire fighters must be able to perform to succeed.

Our International Association of Fire Chiefs' terrorism committee is comprised of fire chiefs from across the country, all of whom have decades of experience in responding to and mitigating public emergencies of all kinds. It is our view that an overarching plan should be adopted that would better define local preparedness for response to terrorist incidents.

I would suggest that our efforts coincide with a plan that would facilitate and encourage both the interagency coordination I have discussed and the development of "performance objectives" that clearly define the tasks that first responding agencies need to perform in order to mitigate a terrorist incident. Institutionalizing this approach, in all fifty states, leaves plenty of room for experimentation and innovation by state and local officials. It provides for flexibility that would ensure better preparation among local first responders by focusing on those areas in which a particular community's level of preparedness is deficient when measured against these performance objectives. The plan also would provide a framework that avoids the one-size-fits-all approach that has to an extent been employed in the past. Such a plan would consider existing local, state, regional and federal response assets and require their inclusion in a local planning effort.

Existing assets would include local hazardous materials response teams, emergency medical services and Metropolitan Medical Response Systems, where available. State assets would include any assets available to state governments, including National Guard and other assets that may be available to a particular state. Regional assets would include Urban Search and Rescue teams, located in the various FEMA regions, and the National Guard Civil Support Teams (formerly RAID) that are being stood up around the country. Federal assets are too numerous to name completely, but include the FBI's HazMat Response Unit, and the Defense Department's recently created Joint Task Force for Civil Support. These are all examples of existing assets, though not a complete list, that should be included in the overarching plan.

Grant funding would be used to assist first responder agencies in meeting performance objectives developed to identify those actions which must be taken to mitigate a terrorist incident. Perhaps most importantly, the overarching plan I have outlined would provide us with not only a clear goal to work towards, but defines the most important goal of all: the end-game, adequate preparedness.

Hinging grant funding on local interagency planning that includes appropriate state and federal response agencies, would in my experience contribute markedly to our national preparedness effort. When communities have demonstrated a willingness to work in partnership with each other, they should then be assisted with means to address the performance objectives that need to be met to ensure public safety in the event of an incident of terrorism.

Grant funding made available to first responders has until recently been administered directly to local governments. Congress has chosen henceforth to deliver aid, throughthe-states, to "state and local" first responders. With this approach I have no quarrel. However, it is incumbent upon Congress and the administration to take the necessary steps to ensure that whatever funding is available for the purpose of preparing communities for incidents of terrorism be passed through state agencies to local agencies without being diverted for other purposes, regardless of the good intentions that often lead to what I would characterize as the "siphoning off" of funds, unintentionally or otherwise.

I know that this and other Committees of the Congress have heard testimony from fire chiefs in the past. We as a group have emphasized the role of local public safety personnel, particularly fire fighters, in responding to incidents of terrorism. When emergencies occur, time is our enemy. It has been my life's experience that local personnel will work alone in the crucial hours following an event. I can not emphasize this point enough.

In explaining ourselves to Congress we have asked for assistance in training and equipping fire fighters to deal with what is being called "Weapons of Mass Destruction" terrorism. We have spoken of the need to enhance existing capabilities rather than creating new ones.

I say this to make a final point. Federal assistance provided toward that end is important. It has been used to help us in our national effort. Assistance and help are the key terms here. We in Los Angeles and local agencies in communities around the country have spent far more in local tax revenues on terrorism preparedness than we have received from other sources. This is as it should be, in my opinion. Local expenditure, at least in Los Angeles County, will continue for as long as a threat exists. My point is merely that the character of terrorism warrants an orderly, focused national effort that should enhance, and not replace, the local one.

Madam Chairman, thank you again for inviting me to testify today. I am happy to answer any questions the Committee may have.

Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
Subcommittee on Oversight, Investigations, and Emergency Management

Congress of the United States

House of Representatives
April 6, 2000

I am Robert Neal Fudge, the Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) Program Manager for the Louisiana Office of Emergency Preparedness. I would like to thank the members of this committee for the opportunity to be here today and speak on a subject of vital importance to all of us.

Emergency Management plays a vital role in the preparation for and consequences of WMD events. Planning, response, recovery and mitigation are all areas in which Emergency Management is involved. To be better prepared for a terrorist event, the state of Louisiana is currently forming a Coordinating Committee to address these different issues. That committee is co-chaired by the Commander of State Police and the Adjutant General of the Louisiana National Guard who also serves as the Director of Louisiana Office of Emergency Preparedness. This committee will include representatives from the following agencies; Louisiana Office of Emergency Preparedness, Louisiana National Guard, Department of Public Safety, Department of Health and Hospitals, Department of Environmental Quality, Department of Social Services, Department of Transportation and Development, the Louisiana Emergency Preparedness Association, the Louisiana Sheriff's Association, as well as fire and emergency medical service personnel.

At the direction of Congress the U.S. Attorney General has created a National Domestic Preparedness Office within the Federal Bureau of Investigation to serve as a single point-of-contact for state agencies and to facilitate the coordination of the various plans, training and operational programs associated with terrorism at the federal level. The Louisiana Office of Emergency Preparedness applauds this effort and seeks to duplicate this concept through our Coordinating Committee.

The Nunn, Lugar, Domenici training which was provided by the Federal Government went straight to local jurisdictions and by-passed the state. The State of Louisiana, as well as all states, during a WMD event will be a key player in the response and recovery from such an incident. Coordination and communication between the federal government and state government in this program would result in more complete and adequate training for all involved in the state of Louisiana. The state has formed the Louisiana Emergency Response Training Center to address this concern. The Louisiana Emergency Response Training Center has been created through the efforts of Louisiana State University and Louisiana State Police. This first rate training facility is currently in operation and provides a variety of training for all municipal and industry personnel for HAZMAT incidents. Our vision is to expand the role of this facility through the incorporation of WMD training into the curriculum. In so doing we hope to prevent duplication of training efforts, avoid training gaps and enhance communication among

the various participants at the state and local level who deal with HAZMAT and WMD events. In an effort to maximize course availability we are currently discussing the possibility of taking courses into the community for presentation. This state of the art training will be designed and accredited by the Louisiana Emergency Response Training Center and provided a variety of sources to include Louisiana State University, Louisiana State Police, the Louisiana Office of Emergency Preparedness, the Louisiana National Guard Weapons of Mass Destruction Civil Support Team and private industry.

The Louisiana National Guard Weapons of Mass Destruction Civil Support Team will be a valuable asset to the state in dealing with consequence management activities associated with WMD incidents. Their expertise in training and response will be a valuable resource for the Governor in dealing with WMD emergencies within the State.

In closing, Louisiana is working diligently to improve education, and training, and to insure coordination and communication between federal, state, and local organizations. This formidable alliance among state and local agencies will prove to be a vital partner with the NDPO to counter WMD incidents at the state and local level. The outreach of LERTC will prevent duplication of training and provide well-balanced and highly trained responders. With the added support of the Weapons of Mass Destruction Civil Support Team the State of Louisiana will prove to be a strong force in the battle against the consequences associated with weapons of mass destruction incidents well into the 21st century.

Again my name is Robert Neal Fudge and I would like to thank you for the opportunity to address this important subject matter.

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