Homeland Security

Statement by Thomas E. Gecewicz, CHO, MPA, CHWM

Director of Public Health, City of Bridgeport, CT

and

Chairman of the City Forum

Member Executive Board National Association County and City Health Officials, Washington, DC

March 27, 2000

Dear Congressman Shay & Distinguished Members of the Committee:

I thank you for giving me the opportunity to speak today. I am Certified Health Officer Thomas Edward Gecewicz, the newly appointed Director of Public Health for the City of Bridgeport, CT. My stewardship with Bridgeport, CT began on February 1, 2000. Last Friday's terrorist exercise was fully educational to me in the method of introducing my skills as a Health Officer into a mechanism with other professionals in the community and we worked cooperatively to emphasize our city's ability to protect our residents.

Previous to my appointment by the Commissioner of Health of the State of Connecticut, and as a Certified Director of Public Health for the City of Bridgeport, I also held a long list of previous service within the state of Massachusetts. The following is a synopsis of such: I was the youngest elected Health Board Member within the state of Massachusetts and stood for over 21 years as an elected official. Also, I served as the appointed Executive Health Officer in Braintree, MA for 18 years and as Director of Health for the City of Fall River, MA for 5 years. I served under 3 governors as their appointed member of the Board of Certified Health Officers and served as Chairman for 4 out of 12 years. I presently serve as a Mosquito Commissioner representing the Public Health faction of the Committee for the past 20 years in the County of Norfolk in the state of Massachusetts. This position was appointed to me by the state of Massachusetts Department of Agriculture. You have before you a long list of my other credentials. Please note, my certification in Hazardous Waste Management, including my distinction as serving on the Executive Board of the National Association of County & City Health Officers based in Washington, DC, where I am currently serving as an Elected Chairman for all cities with a population under 400,000. I have attended National Training in the CDC Offices in Atlanta and have obtained numerous certifications with the FDA, CDC, & DHHS. I have a working knowledge of the links between the Federal Government and its agencies primarily in their attempts to protect its citizens with extending federal services within territorial, state, and local government. Furthermore, I am also a postgraduate of the Public Health Leadership Institute offered by the CDC and the Universities of California.

On the public health level, I have worked strongly in the State of Massachusetts with the Federal Contingent assisting Senator Kennedy and Kerry as well as with Representatives Frank, Moakley, McGovern, Meehan, and Delahunt and have always been available to assist them in the needs of public and environmental health services such as when called upon to testify to the relevancy of concerns distinct to my profession.

On the State level, I have served with former Attorney General Harshbarger on subjects related to health and violence. I also served as a local health coordinator on EMS services linking the public health and safety together with the local and state EMS services.

As you are aware, NACCHO was the primary force behind the Bio-terrorism legislation. The legislation has expanded through the Secretary of HHS, Donna Shalala's office down to the CDC, including assistance from Senator Kennedy. The initial intent of the monies, which was requested by the CDC was to assist the link between the Federal Public Health Agencies and Local Public Health Departments. This need was emphasized due to the lack of communication and the loss of information from top to bottom. After review of the facts, it became evident by the CDC that of the 3,100 public health departments nationally, nearly 95% held no communication capability, such as computers or links to the internet. Members of the National Association and myself testified to the need of strengthening public health services following the federal disaster that took place in Oklahoma City as well as Hurricane Floyd, which devastated the State of Florida. The CDC realized through the use of surveillance that a major terrorist act would be a public health threat to our nations citizens. Therefore, communication for public health surveillance purposes became a major public health concern.

During testimony in Washington, DC, it became evident, and Congress agreed with NACCHO and monies were appropriated, however, other Federal Agencies other than the CDC used the word "surveillance" to also justify their needs to prepare, train, and equip themselves for bio-terrorist acts against our government and citizens. Monies were diverted away from public health. Unfortunately, the original public health concern has moved form the front line of defense to an associated position and most of the original monies went to other agencies such as the FBI, CIA, Department of Defense, and Department of Justice.

The exercise that took place on 3/24/00 utilizing the City of Bridgeport as an example of what could take place in this great country of ours and also gave proof that monies at the Federal level is necessary and need to be allotted for the following reason: proper training is needed of all local, state, and federal agencies that would be called upon when there is any threat to a community and its' citizens. During the exercise, it was evident that the first responders need help at their local level where life and property are the key concern to a community for health and safety. They must be properly equipped with staff who are educated, versed, and trained in their profession and who are ready at a moments notice to assist in any case of threat placed upon their citizens. This training should be ongoing, current, and adequate to assist in this response. The key point, which was stressed was the definite lack of communication, which again, emphasized what my National Association echoed nearly 5 years ago in Washington, DC before another Congressional Committee.

Members of the Committee, that echo has come back to haunt us and we now have the support of all the first responders speaking loud and clear in a uniform method that proper use of electronic communication is the key to saving life and property. We need computers with hardware and software, radio contact which can be used in the field including a secure link to a satellite which can be used by all National Agencies and there is a need for FCC to get involved to ensure that the communities that have blind spots get corrected so that no matter where the incident occurs, communication can not be hindered. For as we know, a terrorist will take advantage of our weak points and use it to their benefit.

We in the Public Health area attend to again correct our communication deficiency and are attempting to secure a public health alert network. A public health alert network would be utilized during any bio-terrorist act that threatens the public health of our residents and our nations citizens. In achieving this goal, a Bill has been submitted by Senator Frist, Republican of Tennessee, and Senator Kennedy, Democrat of Massachusetts. The intent of this Bill submitted last week before the 106th Congress 2D Session is to amend Title III of the Public Health Act to provide a public health infra-structure to address public health threats and emergencies solely.

Members of the Committee, this will be my National Association's second attempt to protecting our nation from public health threats. The National Association, which I serve as a member of it's Executive Board, had the foresight to place the needs before Congress, so, it is evident by the original appropriations, that a need truly exists, and it is also evident that Congress, the Department of Justice, and the Department of Defense agreed with NACCHO, so I take this opportunity to petition your support on two levels.

1. To ensure that all the issues that all my colleagues will emphasize here today do need monies to link our services together.

 

2. I will also ask for your future support of the Frist-Kennedy Public Health Bill,

which finally, after 5 years, will address the public health portion of the bio- terrorism concerns placing public health equally in the front line of defense with the other agencies protecting our national citizens.

 

It is with the hopes that the necessary funds are forwarded to the front line service providers to ensure that every national community and its' citizens be protected from any terrorist act or threat under a wide veil of environmental public health or associated potential catastrophe where life and property could be the victim of a terrorist force whose aim is to destroy the peace and harmony of our residents and citizens and of this great nation.

The City of Bridgeport is the largest populated city in the State of Connecticut. It is the third largest of the New England states next to Boston and Worcester, MA. Bridgeport has an approximate location to New York City which has been the site of several terrorist acts. Public health wise, we are also concerned with the newly noted environmental health source for the potentially life-threatening West Nile Mosquito viruses which was introduced to this nation last summer in the vicinity of La Guardia Airport located on Long Island, NY.

We sit at a primary location for threats due to easy accessibility of terrorists where transportation is open, as US Interstate 95, the link from Routes 8 and 25, north from the City of Bridgeport to the Merritt Parkway, which is a key link to the New York City boundaries. We are 45 minutes away from Bradley Field, an International Airport as well as the City of Bridgeport's own Municipal Airport, which could be open to easy access from a number of terrorist sources. Our seaport has a direct linking ferry to Long Island and New York, making us geographically a primary point of entry for any faction.

I therefore, can emphatically state as a Public Health Official, the numerous opportunities to transmit diseases such as anthrax; a life threatening virus, also the West Nile and numerous other sources of other biological items which could threaten the stability of our healthy communities.

We also welcome a high volume of immigrants who often carry diseases such as tuberculosis and other communicable diseases. We welcome them voluntarily and treat them if necessary. We know immigration of people to our country strengthens our national communities. In the City of Bridgeport, and our nation welcome all who come to this country similar to the welcome my grandfather had by the view of the Statue of Liberty nearly 100 years ago.

It is well known that our population is a harmonious mixture, which should be offered to live and grow in a strong growing economic area, which offers a safe environmental local. Our families should feel safe in knowing that their community will provide the best public heath services, I can testify that this City offers the best public health services for the most economic dollar and is strongly supported by the city's administration. In addition, with knowledge expanding and science research and testing new created viruses it is important that we can protect the future of the yet futuristic unborn citizens of our nation.

Our community is supported in health services with the most number of profit and non-profit agencies than in any other noted city in the State and we receive grants from HHRSA, CDC, NIH, EPA, including sources through the Department of Justice. There is no question that there is a strong fiber between our residents and the community in Bridgeport in a strong working relationship with number of federal agencies.

However, members of the panel, there is a major deficiency that exists not only with this community, but every other community across the country, and it is the independent threads of no financial support on the local level to continue a safe sound government for all of our people if and when threatened by a terrorist act that could occur at any moment.

We here in Bridgeport, have two outstanding hospitals as well strong EMS support agencies, including the City of Bridgeport's health staff which consists of 196 personnel. Ninety-five percent hold Bachelors degrees and more than 75% have Masters degrees or equivalent. We maintain a certified laboratory for analytical support of our 4 physicians and several dentists. The entire staff of Bridgeport are dedicated to the delivery of public health for our residents. There is, however, a need for local training against terrorist infiltrations.

Senator Kennedy and Frist are emphasizing a national need for a local health network to support Board of Health and Health Professionals in maintaining the best service for our citizens during any unwanted issue that could and would affect our community and the nation.

Members of the Committee, the drill which we welcomed in the City of Bridgeport on 3/24/00 has been echoed in Washington, DC by my National Association and will be verified here today with testimony by others that there is an emphatic need for monies, strong communication through computer systems, radios, electronic systems, and cell phones in a secure network which could be brought into the field to assist professionals in serving our residents during potential emergencies that could affect all of us.

We do not know when or where it will occur, but we are the first to respond and it is our actions through proper training and knowledge with well prepared staff that saves lives.

We can not wait until the need arises to from a group outside of the community for response and then transport that group into the community for action. After they review and analyze the situation to determine what proper response method is needed for them to follow through on a number of procedures to develop the next course of action. This will only expand the needed response of the immediate threatening issue.

Therefore, monies need to be deployed to local levels so that we can disperse accordingly and not wait for another source to assist us.

Members of the Committee, time is of the essence. We, the local community, are the first line of defense. We should be properly equipped and trained. We often plan and hold mock drills such as the one held last Friday, as well as though held on the national level. Tax dollars are spent in the hope that those properly trained will help in a situation with a smooth transition. However, there is a bump in the road. The bump is the confusion by the federal government that the state government can best serve it's residents. Although, the state is helpful, it is the local community that takes the blunt during any emergency. I trust the State Police is the only state 24 hour force we have that immediately responds and they do an excellent job in serving us, but, the true strength across the country is the local community itself, not the state.

So as the past national awarded Public Health Officer of the Year, which was bestowed upon me by the National Association of Local Boards of Health, and as the current Director of Health of the great City of Bridgeport, I petition your committee to take all action possible to ensure that we the locals are adequately prepared to properly respond to any catastrophic event when it occurs within our communities. We are our people's first line of defense. As we all know, we are a government of the people, for the people, and by the people. And we the people exist in our communities which are local and therefore, monies should be distributed locally for this defense.

Thank for this opportunity to present before your community.