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included participation of state and federal assets in the regularly scheduled Domestic Preparedness Program Chemical Functional Exercise for the city of Philadelphia. The FY99 exercise will be held in September 1999 in New York City. The exercise scenario this year will involve a simulated biological attack.

The Improved Response Program (IRP) is designed to provide solutions and technical answers to high priority responder needs. Needs are identified by first responders during DPP city training, exercises, and workshops. These needs are referred to the IRP program, where potential solutions are explored through scientific research, expert workshop/tabletop exercises, and operational exercises. Results from these efforts are then distributed through the city training program, the Helpline, and through first responder organizations.

The IRP effort focuses on finding practical solutions to threats in two key WMD focus areas: chemical weapons and biological weapons. A group to address each area has been formed, each comprised of subject matter experts from across the country as well as representatives from state and federal response agencies. The cities of Baltimore, MD (CWIRP) and New York City (BWIRP) have volunteered to host operational exercises, serve as host cities for the groups, and provide numerous first responders to participate in the tabletops and workshops as well.

Expert Assistance Program. This fourth element of the DPP provides support to first responders in the form of expert advice and assistance. An equipment testing program, which validates commercially available WMD protection and detection equipment claims, has provided invaluable "expert assistance" to the first responder community about the true capabilities of commercially available equipment. Findings from the IRP and equipment testing are integrated into the DP training and exercise curriculum and, most importantly, are available to first responders for their use. Once validated, test results are made available to all first responders via the DP web site, through the DPP city training curriculum, and at DPP workshops and exercises.

A national Helpline is supported by the DPP to provide assistance with routine, nonemergency requests for chemical and biological information, including advice on personal protective equipment, decontamination, and sources of equipment. A national Hotline is staffed 24 hours a day by chem-bio experts in an Emergency Operations Center. Calls to the Hotline are coordinated consistent with Federal Response Plan notification procedures.

An internet web site is also part of the Expert Assistance program. It provides information about the DPP program, and the chemical-biological database, equipment testing, and a repository of information about chemical and biological weapons and agents. The database also contains information on detectors, protection and decontamination equipment that is useful to both military and civilian responders.

Chemical Biological Rapid Response Team (CB-RRT), the fifth component of the DPP program, is a military unit comprised of military personnel and equipment capable of rapid domestic WMD chemical-biological response. The CB-RRT is composed of specially trained personnel who will support the lead federal agency. CB-RRT can detect, neutralize, contain, dismantle and dispose of WMD containing chemical, biological, or related hazardous materials.

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Transferring the WMD Domestic Preparedness Program

The DPP has not been a static effort. Since its inception, participant input and

interagency evaluation have shaped the entire program. Indeed, the Act specifically requires that the program be revised on an annual basis to include adjustments based on lessons learned from exercises, coordination efforts, and/or equipment deficiencies.

Thus, when key representatives from the Department of Justice, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the National Security Council and the Department of Defense met in September 1998, to discuss how these agencies could best work together to combat domestic terrorism, it was agreed in principle that DoJ should assume leadership for implementing the nation's Domestic Preparedness Program.

This agreement would have the added benefit of placing responsibility for federally supported WMD training and equipping in one location, as part of the "one-stop shopping" approach consistently requested by first responders. After this meeting, Dr. John Hamre, the Deputy Secretary of Defense, wrote to the Attorney General affirming DoD's support to DoJ during the transfer of this program. My office has worked in concert with the Office of Justice Programs and the National Domestic Preparedness Office since that time to develop a formal memorandum of understanding that will transfer responsibility for most facets of DoD's Domestic Preparedness Program to DoJ.

The transition will be accomplished in stages to accommodate existing budgets and program plans. DoD will remain the lead federal agency for the Domestic Preparedness Program through the end of FY 2000. Also, a recommendation will be made for the President to designate the Department of Justice as the Lead Federal Agency to assume responsibility for the Domestic Preparedness Program no later than October 1, 2000.

Our negotiations are in the final stages, and the joint DoJ-DoD plan for transitioning responsibility for this program has gone extremely well. We expect the Memorandum of Understanding guiding this transfer to be finalized this summer.

Transition Plans

DoD will retain responsibility for the city training and equipping program until end of fiscal year 2000, at which time DoJ will honor the commitment to train the remainder of the designated 120 cities. During the fiscal year 2000 transition period, DoJ will coordinate with DoD in the city training-planning phases and will begin to provide grant funding for training equipment. The transition will occur in stages to accommodate existing budgets and program plans.

DoD's focus beginning in fiscal year 2001 will be to continue to enhance the readiness of its WMD response units and to prepare installation personnel for potential WMD attacks. DoJ will continue to focus DPP training efforts on local and state responders. As a result, both agencies will contribute funding to benefit from the lessons learned from Train-the-Trainer

Program and the Improved Response Program beginning in fiscal year 2001. Joint planning will be conducted through the Multi-Agency Task Force to coordinate both the improvements of state and local response capabilities and DoD's efforts to enhance its response elements.

Beginning in fiscal year 2001, DoJ will assume funding and programmatic responsibility for the Hotline, Helpline and Internet web site, but DoD will retain funding and programmatic responsibility for the chemical-biological database and the equipment testing program, as these program elements are integral to satisfying independent DoD needs. DoJ and DoD will engage in joint planning efforts so that the state and local responder communities will continue to benefit from the expert assistance functions. DoD will enhance its domestic chem/bio response capabilities through the CB-RRT and Rapid Assessment and Initial Detection (RAID) teams by continuing to train, exercise and maintain these teams.

Checks and balances are built into the staged approach to the transition. DoJ will coordinate with DoD throughout fiscal year 2000 and participate in joint planning as articulated in the finalized Memorandum of Understanding.

Interagency Cooperation and Planning

One year ago, Presidential Decision Directive 62, also known as the Combating Terrorism Directive, highlighted the growing threat of unconventional attacks against the United States. It detailed a new and more systematic method of fighting terrorism here at home, and it brought a program management approach to our national counter-terrorism efforts.

This Directive also established, within the National Security Council, the Office of the National Coordinator for Security, Infrastructure Protection and Counter-Terrorism, to oversee these efforts.

Secretary Cohen, Deputy Secretary Hamre, Attorney General Reno, FEMA Director Witt, and Director Clark at the NSC have been thoroughly engaged and are giving the challenges associated with this process their direct and continuing attention.

With the interagency coordination process having now been formalized under the auspices of the NSC, multiple Sub-Groups have been formed to implement the guidance provided under PDD 62.

I believe the interagency cooperation facilitated by this new management structure has fostered an extremely positive climate for transferring responsibility of the DPP to DoJ. It has clearly demonstrated that we can make real, tangible progress toward building a coherent national program.

DoD's Continuing Role in Supporting First Responders

As has been discussed, DoD has a well-established pattern of federal assistance to state and local authorities in times of disaster and has leveraged that capability in developing the WMD DPP program.

When it comes to WMD response, the members of the National Guard and Reserve are ideally suited for this mission. As Deputy Secretary Hamre noted in his testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee in March 1999, the National Guard and Reserve forces are "forward deployed all over America." They live and work in more than four thousand communities nationwide. They are familiar with emergency response plans and procedures. And, they often have close links with the fire, police, and emergency medical personnel who will be first on the scene. As a result, the Guard and Reserve comprise a highly effective source of trained and ready manpower and expertise.

As you know, the Act required the Secretary of Defense to "...develop and maintain at least one domestic terrorism rapid response team composed of members of the Armed forces and employees of the Department of Defense who are capable of aiding Federal, State, and local officials in the detection, neutralization, containment, dismantlement, and disposal of weapons of mass destruction containing chemical, biological or related materials."

Consequently, in addition to establishing the aforementioned Chem-Bio Rapid Response Team, last year President Clinton also announced plans to establish ten rapid assessment and initial detection (RAID) teams in each of the ten federal FEMA regions. These RAID teams, comprised of full-time National Guard personnel, are designed to be assets of the Governors as they perform three vital tasks. First, they will deploy rapidly to assess suspected radiological, biological or chemical events in support of the local incident commander. Second, they will advise civilian first responders regarding appropriate actions. And third, they will facilitate requests for assistance. These ten teams will be fully mission-capable by January 2000.

Funding to support five additional RAID teams have been requested in DoD's FY 00 budget request. Congress must approve additional full-time National Guard positions for these teams. The current SASC mark-up includes authorization to support a total of 27 RAID teams, 17 more than the 10 currently authorized, and 12 more than requested. The HASC has remained silent on this issue, so the number of authorized RAID teams for FY 00 awaits conference action. Stationing of these additional elements is currently being analyzed.

Each of the Reserve components is being called upon to play an expanded role in WMD response. In FY99 and FY00, we will train and equip 43 NBC Reconnaissance elements and 127 Decontamination elements in the Army Reserve, Air Force Reserve, Army National Guard and Air National Guard, enabling them to more effectively respond to a WMD attack.

Although we can never be fully prepared to respond to all types of events in all locations, we have begun to lay the foundation for an integrated, across-the-board response one that makes sense and one that is truly responsive to the needs of first responders. The continued partnership for WMD preparation among local, state and federal authorities will be essential to

our success.

support.

Thank you, once again, for the opportunity to speak to you today, and for your continuing

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Pittsburgh, Pa.

Honolulu, Hawaii

Houston, Texas

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Huntsville, AL

Indianapolis, Ind.
Irving, Texas
Jackson, Miss.
Jacksonville, Fla

Jersey City, NJ
Kansas City, Kan.
Kansas City, Mo.
Knoxville, KY
Las Vegas, Nev.
Lexington-Fayette, Ky.
Lincoln, Neb.
Little Rock, Ark.
Long Beach, Calif.
Los Angeles, Calif.
Louisville, Ky.
Lubbock, Texas
Madison, Wis.

Memphis, Tenn.
Mesa, Ariz.

Metaire, La.

Miami, Fla. Milwaukee, Wis. Minneapolis, Minn. Mobile, Ala. Modesto, Calif. Montgomery, Ala. Nashville, Tenn. New Orleans, La. New York, NY Newark, NJ

Newport News, VA

Norfolk, Va.

Oakland, Calif.

Portland, Ore. Providence, R.I. Raleigh, NC Richmond, Va. Riverside, Calif. Rochester, NY Sacramento, Calif. Salt Lake City, Utah San Antonio, Texas San Bernardino, Calif. San Diego, Calif. San Francisco, Calif. San Jose, Calif. Santa Ana, Calif. Seattle, Wash. Shreveport, La. Spokane, Wash. Springfield, Mass. St. Louis, Mo. St. Paul, Minn. St. Petersburg, Fla. Stockton, Calif. Syracuse, NY Tacoma, Wash.

Tampa, Fla.

Toledo, Ohio

Tucson, Ariz.
Tulsa, Okla.

Virginia Beach, Va.
Warren, Mich.
Washington, DC
Wichita, Kan.

Worchester, Mass.

Yonkers, NY

*Bold-type cities have received DPP training

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