[Senate Hearing 112-517]
[From the U.S. Government Printing Office]
S. Hrg. 112-517
FROM EARTHQUAKES TO TERRORIST ATTACKS:
IS THE NATIONAL CAPITAL REGION PREPARED FOR THE NEXT DISASTER?
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JOINT HEARING
before the
OVERSIGHT OF GOVERNMENT MANAGEMENT,
THE FEDERAL WORKFORCE, AND THE
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA SUBCOMMITTEE AND
AD HOC SUBCOMMITTEE ON DISASTER RECOVERY AND INTERGOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS
of the
COMMITTEE ON
HOMELAND SECURITY AND
GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS
UNITED STATES SENATE
ONE HUNDRED TWELFTH CONGRESS
FIRST SESSION
__________
DECEMBER 7, 2011
__________
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and Governmental Affairs
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COMMITTEE ON HOMELAND SECURITY AND GOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS
JOSEPH I. LIEBERMAN, Connecticut, Chairman
CARL LEVIN, Michigan SUSAN M. COLLINS, Maine
DANIEL K. AKAKA, Hawaii TOM COBURN, Oklahoma
THOMAS R. CARPER, Delaware SCOTT P. BROWN, Massachusetts
MARK L. PRYOR, Arkansas JOHN McCAIN, Arizona
MARY L. LANDRIEU, Louisiana RON JOHNSON, Wisconsin
CLAIRE McCASKILL, Missouri ROB PORTMAN, Ohio
JON TESTER, Montana RAND PAUL, Kentucky
MARK BEGICH, Alaska JERRY MORAN, Kansas
Michael L. Alexander, Staff Director
Nicholas A. Rossi, Minority Staff Director and Chief Counsel
Trina Driessnack Tyrer, Chief Clerk
Joyce Ward Publications Clerk and GPO Detailee
------
OVERSIGHT OF GOVERNMENT MANAGEMENT, THE FEDERAL WORKFORCE, AND THE
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA SUBCOMMITTEE
DANIEL K. AKAKA, Hawaii, Chairman
CARL LEVIN, Michigan RON JOHNSON, Wisconsin
MARY L. LANDRIEU, Louisiana TOM COBURN, Oklahoma
MARK BEGICH, Alaska JERRY MORAN, Kansas
Lisa M. Powell, Majority Staff Director
Jessica K. Nagasako, Professional Staff Member
Eric Tamarkin, Counsel
Rachel R. Weaver, Minority Staff Director
Jena N. McNeill, Professional Staff Member
Aaron H. Woolf, Chief Clerk
------
AD HOC SUBCOMMITTEE ON DISASTER RECOVERY AND INTERGOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS
MARK L. PRYOR, Arkansas, Chairman
DANIEL K. AKAKA, Hawaii RAND PAUL, Kentucky
MARY L. LANDRIEU, Louisiana SCOTT P. BROWN, Massachusetts
JON TESTER, Montana RON JOHNSON, Wisconsin
Amanda Fox, Professional Staff Member
John Vocino, GAO Detailee
Brandon Booker, Minority Staff Director
Kelsey Stroud, Chief Clerk
C O N T E N T S
------
Opening statement:
Page
Senator Akaka................................................ 1
Senator Pryor................................................ 2
Prepared statement:
Senator Pryor................................................ 33
WITNESSES
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2011
Steward D. Beckham, Director, Office of National Capital Region
Coordination, Federal Emergency Management Agency, U.S.
Department of Homeland Security................................ 5
Dean S. Hunter, Deputy Director, Facilities, Security, and
Contracting, U.S. Office of Personnel Management............... 7
William O. Jenkins, Jr., Director, Homeland Security and Justice
Team, U.S. Government Accountability Office.................... 9
Richard Muth, Executive Director, Maryland Emergency Management
Agency, State of Maryland...................................... 11
Hon. Terrie L. Suit, Secretary of Veterans Affairs and Homeland
Security, Commonwealth of Virginia............................. 13
Paul A. Quander, Jr., Deputy Mayor for Public Safety and Justice,
District of Columbia........................................... 15
Alphabetical List of Witnesses
Beckham, Steward D.:
Testimony.................................................... 5
Prepared statement........................................... 35
Hunter, Dean S.:
Testimony.................................................... 7
Prepared statement........................................... 40
Jenkins, William O., Jr.:
Testimony.................................................... 9
Prepared statement........................................... 46
Muth, Richard:
Testimony.................................................... 11
Prepared statement........................................... 70
Quander, Paul A., Jr.:
Testimony.................................................... 15
Prepared statement........................................... 91
Suit, Hon. Terrie L.:
Testimony.................................................... 13
Prepared statement........................................... 85
APPENDIX
Questions and responses for the Record from:
Mr. Beckham.................................................. 106
Mr. Hunter................................................... 115
Mr. Muth..................................................... 118
Ms. Suit..................................................... 125
Mr. Quander.................................................. 131
Background....................................................... 143
Statement submitted by David F. Snyder for the Record............ 151
FROM EARTHQUAKES TO TERRORIST
ATTACKS: IS THE NATIONAL CAPITAL
REGION PREPARED FOR THE NEXT DISASTER?
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WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2011
U.S. Senate,
Joint Hearing with the Oversight of
Government Management, the Federal Workforce,
and the District of Columbia Subcommittee
and the Ad Hoc Subcommittee on Disaster
Recovery and Intergovernmental Affairs,
of the Committee on Homeland Security
and Governmental Affairs,
Washington, DC.
The Subcommittees met, pursuant to notice, at 2:32 p.m., in
Room SD-342, Dirksen Senate Office Building, Hon. Daniel K.
Akaka, Chairman of the Subcommittee on Oversight of Government
Management, the Federal Workforce, and the District of
Columbia, and Hon. Mark L. Pryor, Chairman of the Ad Hoc
Subcommittee on Disaster Recovery and Intergovernmental
Affairs, presiding.
Present: Senators Akaka and Pryor.
OPENING STATEMENT OF SENATOR AKAKA
Senator Akaka. I call this joint hearing of the
Subcommittee on Oversight of Government Management, the Federal
Workforce, and the District of Columbia and the Ad Hoc
Subcommittee on Disaster Recovery and Intergovernmental Affairs
to order.
I want to welcome our witnesses today. I want to say aloha
and thank you for being here. Today, we will examine the
National Capital Region's (NCRs) preparedness and response to
natural and manmade disasters.
The NCR is a region defined by statute including the
District of Columbia, Maryland, Virginia, 11 local
jurisdictions, three branches of the Federal Government, and
over 5 million residents. More than 20 million tourists visit
the NCR every year, and 340,000 Federal employees work in the
area. So this is the size of that area.
This is an appropriate time to explore the NCR's emergency
preparedness and response capabilities as we celebrate the 70th
anniversary of the surprise attacks on Pearl Harbor and we
recently marked the tenth anniversary of September 11, 2001
attacks. Both tragic events tested our Nation's preparedness,
and September 11, 2001, exposed shortfalls in this region's
readiness.
The OGM Subcommittee's oversight of NCR's preparedness has
spanned several Congresses. In partnership with my former
colleague and dear friend Senator Voinovich, we held a series
of hearings on this issue in 2005, 2006, and 2007, focusing
largely on the region's poor strategic planning.
This hearing will help us evaluate the NCR's latest
strategic planning activities. The responses to recent
emergencies, including the January 26, 2011 snowstorm that led
to many hours of gridlock, and the East Coast earthquake in
August have renewed concerns that the NCR still faces serious
challenges in disaster preparedness and response 10 years after
September 11.
I was particularly troubled that the public, including
Federal employees, received very little guidance in the
immediate aftermath of the earthquake. I look forward to
discussing how we can improve regional situational awareness
and information sharing.
NCR members must be able to communicate with each other,
make informed decisions, and provide clear, consistent
information to the public. Additionally, it is important for
family members to be able to connect in the crucial hours after
an unexpected event. Coordinating so many jurisdictions is
challenging. However, it is essential that the region operates
as a cohesive and unified body during emergencies.
A Washington Post editorial argued for creating a regional
structure with authority to direct incident response. NCR
officials have recommended improvements within the existing
framework. Recently, Senator Pryor and I requested that the
Government Accountability Office (GAO) review whether the NCR's
current system for preparedness and response is effective and
efficient. I look forward to discussing how the NCR can be best
prepared to protect the millions of people who live and work in
the NCR and to preserve the many national treasures located
here.
I commend the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) for
revising its dismissal and closure guidance in response to the
January 2011 snowstorm and working with partner agencies and
the Council of Governments (COGs) to get their input. These
changes should help avoid future widespread gridlock, improve
safety for Federal employees and others, and enhance continuity
of Government operations. I also commend the Council of
Governments for its review of the snowstorm and practical
recommendations to improve coordination and information
sharing.
While today's hearing focuses on the Washington, D.C. area,
the issues of preparedness and response are important for
regional coordination in cities and States across the country.
I would like to thank the members of the NCR for all of their
hard work to keep us safe from harm.
Let me now recognize Senator Pryor for his opening
statement. Senator Pryor.
OPENING STATEMENT OF SENATOR PRYOR
Senator Pryor. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and I would like to
start today by recognizing that today's hearing coincides with
the 70th anniversary of the surprise attacks on Pearl Harbor
and reflect on that fateful day about the heroism that still
inspires us today. But, Mr. Chairman, if you could, I know that
you were actually an eyewitness to that event.
Senator Akaka. Yes.
Senator Pryor. Would you mind telling the Subcommittee here
in just a couple of minutes about your recollections about
that?
Senator Akaka. Yes. Well, thank you, Senator Pryor. It was
on Sunday, December 7, 1941. In Hawaii at that time, there were
scattered clouds. It was a pretty nice day and we were getting
ready for church. I was in a boarding facility there in the
hills above Pearl Harbor, and about, oh, I would say about
7:45, we detected some commotion down at Pearl Harbor and
immediately heard some blasts. So we looked out of our windows
and could see Pearl Harbor clearly.
I must tell you, I saw them torpedo the battleships that
were moored there and watched them sink in place, some of them,
and also a squadron of Japanese planes flew over us. And we
looked up and I was so surprised. They were green in color and
they had those rising suns on the wings, so we knew it was from
Japan. By then, the radio was beginning to report what was
happening there, that Pearl Harbor was being attacked and that
people should stay home. So that squadron that flew over us
bombed and strafed Kanoehe Marine Station over the mountains.
That was the beginning of a new era for the world and our
Nation.
The school that I was attending at that time was a military
type of school. We were activated and sent up into the
mountains for about a month, because we got information that
there may be paratroopers landing in the hills and we had to
protect the water systems. So, in a sense, immediately, we were
engaged.
What I did not know until later, when I read it, is
immediately, the military government took over, and so Hawaii
went under martial law and General Walter Short was placed as
military Governor. I remember his first announcement was, ``All
citizens in Hawaii will obey the commands of military
officers,'' and that was the beginning.
It was quite a sight, and for days, Virginia just burned.
Black smoke kept rising for days out of those battleships. But
our country did respond, and it took us some time, but we
fought and won the war. The war changed this country and
ultimately made it better, as well as the rest of the world.
So thank you for giving me that opportunity. I do not
usually talk about this, nor do I tell people about what I just
told you, but that is what happened to me.
Senator Pryor. Well, thank you for sharing that. The reason
I wanted you to do that is because, obviously, that is an event
that shaped the world and shaped United States history, but it
also helped to shape you as a man and as a Senator----
Senator Akaka. Yes.
Senator Pryor [continuing]. So thank you for your service
and thank you for sharing.
I have a longer opening statement that I will submit for
the record, but Washington, D.C. has gone through some recent
weather events and other things and we see continued gridlock
in communications. We see gridlock in traffic. It just raises
questions about are there leadership gaps here? Is there
bureaucratic fragmentation that needs to be addressed, without
knowing who is responsible in an emergency? It is a good time
for us to sit back and ask these sometimes hard questions about
what is going on in the D.C. region.
Now, I will say that the emergency responders work
tirelessly to keep the Capitol itself safe and keep the Capital
Region safe from harm, and they deserve our recognition for
their great service. The size of this metropolitan area and the
multiple State and local governments that have to be
coordinated is quite a challenge, and also the unique threats
to this area present a challenge, and we understand that, but I
think this is part of our oversight, to ask these questions.
But there is a huge risk in not being prepared. The Federal
Government in Washington, D.C. obviously is the nerve center,
command and control for all the Nation's military, all of our
diplomatic missions, all of our government, all of our
emergency response all over the country in the event that we
have another September 11, 2001, or Pearl Harbor type of event,
heaven forbid that we do. This area is absolutely critical to
keeping things going around the country and around the world as
we need them to.
So we also have to understand that in this very difficult
budget cycle and this economy, with revenues being down and we
are seeing layoffs, we are seeing tightening of belts in the
various public entities, from the Federal Government on down to
local government, we understand that it is a time to also look
at efficiencies and try to make sure that we eliminate any
inefficiencies, any wasted steps, and try to make sure that we
squeeze every single dollar we can for preparedness and get us
over the finish line like we want to.
So today, we are talking about improving coordination here
in the National Capital Region for emergency preparedness, but
we also need to keep our eye on the larger ball of preparedness
around the Nation. One example in our region would be Memphis,
Tennessee, which is a big metropolitan area. It has the
heaviest population in that little region of the country. But
Memphis and that area has a very large impact on Eastern
Arkansas, Northern Mississippi, Western Tennessee, and even the
southern parts of Kentucky, Illinois, Missouri, down in there,
because they all sort of touch down in that area. And so if
something terrible were to happen in Memphis, because it is
such a huge transportation and media and health services
center, it would clearly have an impact on the rest of the
region.
In October, our two Subcommittees collaborated on a
Government Accountability Office request asking for further
examination of the National Capital Region's current system of
an all hazards preparation. Today's hearing will serve as a
jumping off point for GAO. It will also help us determine what
we can do and Congress to ensure that our Nation's cities are
equipped to respond effectively to emergencies.
So, Mr. Chairman, thank you, and I look forward to hearing
from the witnesses.
Senator Akaka. Thank you very much, Senator Pryor. I look
forward to hearing from our panel of witnesses, also, and I
want to say mahalo, thank you, again, for your participation.
We have Steward Beckham, the Director of the Office of
National Capital Region Coordination at the Federal Emergency
Management Agency (FEMA); Dean Hunter, Deputy Director of
Facilities, Security, and Contracting at the Office of
Personnel Management; Bill Jenkins, Director of the Homeland
Security and Justice Team at the Government Accountability
Office; Richard Muth, Executive Director of the Maryland
Emergency Management Agency; Terrie Suit, Secretary of Veterans
Affairs and Homeland Security for the Commonwealth of Virginia;
and Paul Quander, Deputy Mayor for Public Safety and Justice
for the District of Columbia.
It is the custom of this Subcommittee to swear in all
witnesses. I would ask that each of you stand and raise your
right hand.
Do you solemnly swear that the testimony you are about to
give this Subcommittee is the truth, the whole truth, and
nothing but the truth, so help you, God?
Mr. Beckham. I do.
Mr. Hunter. I do.
Mr. Jenkins. I do.
Mr. Muth. I do.
Ms. Suit. I do.
Mr. Quander. I do.
Senator Akaka. Thank you very much. Let it be noted for the
record that the witnesses answered in the affirmative.
Before we start, I want you to know that your full written
statement will be part of the record, and I would also like to
remind you to please limit your oral remarks to 5 minutes.
Mr. Beckham, will you please proceed with your statement.
TESTIMONY OF STEWARD D. BECKHAM,\1\ DIRECTOR, OFFICE OF
NATIONAL CAPITAL REGION COORDINATION, FEDERAL EMERGENCY
MANAGEMENT AGENCY, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
Mr. Beckham. Thank you. Good afternoon, Chairman Akaka,
Ranking Member Johnson, Chairman Pryor, and Ranking Member
Paul, and other distinguished Members of the Subcommittees. I
am Steward Beckham, Director of the Federal Emergency
Management Agency's Office of National Capital Region
Coordination (ONCRC). I appreciate the opportunity to appear
before both Subcommittees today to discuss the way FEMA
coordinates with our local, State, and Federal partners in the
National Capital Region.
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\1\ The prepared statement of Mr. Beckham appears in the appendix
on page 35.
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NCRC was established by Congress in the Homeland Security
Act of 2002. Along with other preparedness offices, NCRC was
transferred to FEMA after passage of the Post-Katrina Emergency
Management Reform Act (PKEMRA), in 2007. NCRC's mission is to
oversee and coordinate Federal programs for and relationships
with State, local, and Federal authorities. My office works
closely with Federal, State, local, and private sector partners
to enhance preparedness in the National Capital Region.
My participation with the NCR Senior Policy Group (SPG), is
one example of NCRC's engagement with stakeholders. As the NCRC
Director, I represent the Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
and FEMA. As you will hear from my colleagues, Richard Muth and
Terrie Suit, the SPG is comprised of the Homeland Security
Advisors and Chief Emergency Managers for Virginia, Maryland,
and the District of Columbia.
The SPG plays a key role in sustaining a coordinated
regional approach to homeland security and strengthening
integrated decisionmaking and planning. Other partners include
the Joint Federal Committee, which is comprised of members from
the Legislative, Executive, and Judicial Branches, the
Emergency Preparedness Council, the Metropolitan Washington
Council of Governments, and many other NCR officials. NCRC
actively engages with chief administrative officers, public
health officials, first responders, emergency managers, leaders
from the private sector, and nonprofit communities and other
stakeholders in support of homeland security efforts.
With NCR partners, NCRC plans, leads, or participates in
exercises, drills, and events that occur with frequency in this
region. Consistent with our statute, NCRC provides the
technical support to State and local partners.
Interoperability, and regional risk are two examples.
Additionally, NCRC provides NCR-specific situational
awareness to NCR partners through the FEMA-NCR Watch Desk. The
NCR Watch Desk is the sole source of NCR-specific situational
awareness at DHS. The Watch Desk links Federal, State, and
local partners. This includes selected Federal agencies that
are strategically located but that would otherwise not be a
part of the homeland security or emergency management
information system. The above efforts bolster information
exchange and integrated planning.
In accordance with the National Response Framework,
emergencies are managed locally. During a disaster, the States
and the District maintain their sovereign authorities and work
with FEMA Region III to obtain direct assistance for unmet
needs or other aid approved by the President under the Robert
T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act.
During an incident, FEMA's operational entities have lead for
the agency. If needed, NCRC is able to augment FEMA Region III
and support the Federal Coordinating Officer by providing
enhanced situational awareness and consequence analysis
capabilities, coordination with NCR partners and agency
representatives through NCR Operation Centers.
Unfortunately, sometimes non-Stafford Act incidents take on
a greater significance because of the sheer amount of commuter
traffic within the National Capital Region. This occurred
during the winter storms when Federal Government operations in
the NCR were officially suspended. Federal agencies follow the
guidelines set by the Office of Personnel Management to ensure
the safety of their employees. NCRC and State and local
partners worked with OPM and provided input as the agency
developed its newly released guidelines. The decision to close
Federal Government operations in the region rests with OPM.
The Subcommittee has asked me to say a few words about the
NCR's Homeland Security Strategic Plan, which was created by
the NCR, the Emergency Preparedness Council (EPC). The EPC
includes elected and appointed officials from Federal, State,
and local government as well as private sector and nonprofit
leaders. I participate along with these other leaders.
During 2010, NCR partners updated the Strategic Plan. The
NCR Strategic Plan, along with other State, local, and national
plans serves as a road map for strengthening capabilities to
realize the NCR's vision for a safe and secure region. Major
goals included in the NCR Strategic Plan are enhanced
interoperable communications, enhanced information sharing and
situational awareness, including the communication of accurate,
timely information with the public, the enhancement of critical
infrastructure protection and further development of core
capabilities such as mass care and coordinated alert and
warning systems.
In drafting the 2010 Strategic Plan, NCR partners built on
the principles agreed to in developing the 2006 strategic plan.
The four principles are inclusion of NCR partners, provision of
a variety of forms for stakeholder involvement, respect for
jurisdictional authority, and assuring the preparedness needs
are reflected across all jurisdictional boundaries. There was a
thorough process to provide extensive input and review by
subject matter experts in the public, private, and nonprofit
sectors. NCR leaders on the Emergency Preparedness Council,
which is responsible for the Strategic Plan, as well as the SPG
and chief administrative officers provided input at all stages
of the process.
In conclusion, FEMA will continue to support and
collaborate with our regional partners to prepare for, prevent,
protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all
hazards. Building on decades of regional collaboration,
Federal, State, local, and regional partners remain committed
to a common vision of working together toward a safe and secure
NCR.
Chairmen Akaka and Pryor, Ranking Members Johnson and Paul,
and Members of the Subcommittee, this completes my prepared
statement. I would be pleased to respond to any questions that
you may have at the conclusion of these remarks.
Senator Akaka. Thank you very much, Mr. Beckham.
Mr. Beckham. Thank you.
Senator Akaka. Mr. Hunter, will you please proceed with
your statement.
TESTIMONY OF DEAN S. HUNTER,\1\ DEPUTY DIRECTOR, FACILITIES,
SECURITY, AND CONTRACTING, U.S. OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT
Mr. Hunter. Good afternoon, Chairman Akaka, Chairman Pryor,
Ranking Member Johnson, Ranking Member Paul, and distinguished
Members of the Subcommittees. My name is Dean Hunter and I am
the Deputy Director for Facilities, Security, and Contracting
at the U.S. Office of Personnel Management. In this position, I
have primary responsibility for security and emergency
management at OPM.
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\1\ The prepared statement of Mr. Hunter appears in the appendix on
page 40.
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Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to appear before
you today to discuss OPM's role in hazards affecting the
operational status of the National Capital Region as well as
our partnerships with FEMA and other Federal, State, and local
emergency management entities.
By law, individual Federal agencies possess the authority
to manage their workforces and to determine the appropriate
response during emergencies. Nonetheless, in order to
facilitate a consistent and coordinated approach on a region-
wide basis, Federal, State, and local authorities have
traditionally looked to OPM to determine the operating status
of the Federal Government across the D.C. area. OPM maintains a
24-hour operations center to actively monitor unfolding events.
As emergencies arise, our standard protocols include
participation in conference calls hosted by the Metropolitan
Washington Council of Governments (MWCOG) in order to develop
situational awareness, facilitate the exchange of information,
and coordinate communications and response efforts among
Federal, State, and local agencies and other stakeholders.
Participants in these structured calls typically include over
100 Federal, State, and local partners in all applicable
disciplines, including weather, transportation, emergency
management, law enforcement, utility companies, and school
districts.
The collaborative feedback of this network of stakeholders
drives OPM decisions during emergencies. Ultimately, OPM's
decision serves to carefully balance the safety and security of
the Federal workforce and the public with the need to maintain
the continuity of government operations.
Once made, a rapid dissemination of the OPM decision takes
many forms, from direct notification to media outlets, to
posting on the OPM webpage and call-in line, notification to
COG, Chief Human Capital Officers (CHCO), the White House and
Congress, to e-mail alert notifications to subscribed
employees, Washington Area Warning Alert System (WAWAS)
notification, and updating social media, including Twitter and
Facebook.
We review and update our dismissal and closure policies on
an annual basis in order to continue to ensure that we are able
to make the most well informed and timely decisions. For
example, Federal offices in the National Capital Region were
closed for four consecutive days during the historic snowstorm
of February 2010. Partly in response, last year, we updated our
policies to add ``Unscheduled Telework'' as a new operating
status option for agencies to provide their employees the
ability to telework and maintain continuity of operations.
This year, we participated in an interagency review effort
with our partners in COG to examine potential emergency
management improvements in the National Capital Region. The
resulting COG report, issued on November 9, details a number of
recommendations to improve regional coordination and
communication, including the establishment of a Regional
Incident Coordination (RIC) Program as well as a Virtual Joint
Information Center (VJIC) to provide consistent messaging.
Our collaboration with COG and the Chief Human Capital
Officers also led to the incorporation of additional options to
our D.C. Dismissal Guide, including shelter in place, an early
dismissal with a fixed final departure time, and an immediate
departure option. We do not contemplate issuing these
announcements very often, but have added them to our tool kit
to illustrate the full range of potential emergency situations
that agencies might face, which will help agencies plan for
emergency situations.
We are committed to making operating status decisions as
far in advance as feasible in order to reduce uncertainty and
minimize demands upon transportation infrastructure. It will
always remain our goal to have employees home safely prior to
the onset of a dangerous condition.
For anticipated late afternoon weather events, OPM will
consider the most strategic options. For example, OPM could use
unscheduled leave/unscheduled telework at the beginning of the
day to reduce traffic into the city and, if necessary, followup
with a staggered departure announcement with a final departure
time after the workday has begun if conditions deteriorate
sooner than originally forecast.
OPM maintains a strong working relationship with FEMA's
Office of National Capital Region Coordination. Working
together, we have developed a strategic plan and concept of
operations plan for catastrophic events as well as two tabletop
emergency preparedness training exercises. We are expanding our
efforts in the coming year to develop a Web-based preparedness
course and an NCR Federal Workforce Preparedness brochure. We
will continue to leverage those relationships and utilize the
lessons learned from each of them to improve decisionmaking and
communication in the interest of enhancing the safety of the
Federal workforce and the public.
Thank you for this opportunity. I am happy to address any
questions you might have.
Senator Akaka. Thank you very much, Mr. Hunter.
Mr. Jenkins, will you please proceed with your statement.
TESTIMONY OF WILLIAM O. JENKINS, JR., \1\ DIRECTOR, HOMELAND
SECURITY AND JUSTICE TEAM, U.S. GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY
OFFICE
Mr. Jenkins. Thank you, Chairman Akaka and Chairman Pryor.
I appreciate the opportunity to participate in today's hearing
on the status of efforts to enhance disaster preparedness in
the National Capital Region. My statement today focuses on the
NCR's latest Strategic Plan, issued in 2010.
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\1\ The prepared statement of Mr. Jenkins appears in the appendix
on page 46.
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Basically, preparing for disasters requires identifying
risk and potential consequences and identifying what needs to
be done, by whom, and how well it should be done. For example,
this includes identifying, first, the nature of the risk faced
in specific geographic areas; second, the types and scale of
the potential consequences arising from these risks; third, the
desired outcomes in addressing those consequences; fourth, the
capabilities needed to achieve those desired outcomes,
including command and control; fifth, who should fund, develop,
and maintain specific capabilities; and sixth, metrics for
assessing whether needed capabilities are available for
deployment.
Well crafted and executed operational plans are critical to
effective disaster preparedness and response, but sound
strategic planning is also critical. A coordinated strategy to
establish and monitor the achievement of regional goals and
priorities is fundamental and can provide a guide and framework
for operational planning.
We compared the NCR's 2010 Strategic Plan and its
supporting documents with six desirable characteristics we have
identified for strategic plans to support complex undertakings,
such as NCR preparedness. We reviewed the content of the plan
and its associated documents, such as investment plans, but we
did not evaluate whether or how well NCR has fostered and
implemented or coordinated its capability efforts. Work remains
in completing the plans, tasks, milestones, and metrics for
implementing the Strategic Plan and we are initiating work on
the NCR's preparedness in response to a request from these two
Subcommittees.
Overall, we found that the Strategic Plan generally
addressed each of the six characteristics and is more
comprehensive than its 2006 predecessor.
Briefly, with regard to each characteristic, we found,
first, the purpose, scope, and methodology of the plan is
reasonably clear. It focuses on investments in new and existing
capabilities, primarily those funded by Urban Area Security
Initiatives (UASI) grants, and the support of NCR
jurisdictions' execution of their own operational plans.
Second, problem definition and risk assessment. The plan
generally addresses the particular problems and threats
identified for the region. It clearly updates and prioritizes
goals from the previous version and the NCR says it will be
making decisions soon about the timing and methodology of the
next risk assessment.
Third, goals, subordinate objectives, and activities and
performance measures. The strategy describes what it is
intended to achieve and steps over the next 3 to 5 years to do
that. However, the performance plan to monitor progress is not
yet complete and NCR officials said that subject matter experts
are currently completing progress reports on the metrics to be
used for each of the strategy's initiatives.
Fourth, resources, investments, and risk management. The
strategy includes information and processes designed to help
address what it will cost to implement the strategy, including
the investments needed and the sources and types of resources
to support them. The strategy includes 16 investment plans that
are currently out for NCR partner comment. We did not evaluate
how well each investment plan's content is designed to achieve
the objectives it is intended to support.
One concern we have is the Strategic Plan's principle focus
on UASI grant resources. Beginning in our 2004 report on the
NCR, we have expressed the need for the NCR to explicitly and
fully consider the totality of resources available within the
region to achieve preparedness objectives. Moreover, the plan
does not identify or explicitly consider in-kind resources that
may be available from the Department of Defense, the National
Guard Bureau, or the Department of Health and Human Services.
Fifth, organizational roles, responsibilities and
coordination. The Strategic Plan's Governance Appendix details
the roles and responsibilities of the various NCR organizations
involved in all hazard preparedness. For example, the Emergency
Preparedness Council is described as the body providing
oversight of the Regional Emergency Coordination Plan and the
Strategic Plan to identify and address readiness gaps.
Finally, sixth, integration and implementation. The
strategy addresses how it is intended to integrate with the
various NCR jurisdictions, strategies, goals, objectives, and
activities and their plans to implement the strategy. An
appendix describes how NCR's strategic plan aligns with
national, State, and local strategies with the goal of
identifying common goals, objectives, and initiatives to be
implemented by the region.
In conclusion, a well defined, comprehensive Homeland
Security Strategic Plan whose implementation is tracked and
measured is an essential component of effective preparedness.
The ultimate value of a Strategic Plan, no matter how well
done, is its usefulness as a guide for policy and
decisionmakers in setting priorities, allocating resources, and
balancing risk and resource limitations. Having developed a
generally good Strategic Plan, the NCR now faces the challenge
of effectively implementing it and we will be following the
NCR's efforts as it does so.
Mr. Chairman, that concludes my remarks. I would be pleased
to respond to any questions you or other Members of the
Subcommittee may have.
Senator Akaka. Thank you very much, Mr. Jenkins.
Mr. Muth, will you please proceed with your statement.
TESTIMONY OF RICHARD MUTH,\1\ EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, MARYLAND
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY, STATE OF MARYLAND
Mr. Muth. Good afternoon Members of the Subcommittee. It is
an honor to be invited here today to discuss our shared
commitment to ensure the National Capital Region is prepared
for emergencies. My name is Richard Muth and I am the Executive
Director of Maryland Emergency Management Agency.
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\1\ The prepared statement of Mr. Muth appears in the appendix on
page 70.
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I bring nearly 40 years of experience at both the local and
State level to bear on these issues. I have been the State
Director for Emergency Management for about 4 years. Previous
to that, I spent 33 years at the local level, first as a
firefighter, emergency medical technician, and then retiring as
the Baltimore County Emergency Manager to come to the State.
The reason I state that is I am not your academic on this
Subcommittee. I am kind of the rubber-hits-the-road type of guy
here.
The Maryland Emergency Management Agency is the lead agency
for coordinating emergency preparedness planning, response, and
recovery during and after significant events, and that is for
the entire State of Maryland. Local police, fire, and emergency
medical personnel are almost always the first to respond to
emergencies. When they exhaust their capabilities or need
additional resources, they turn to the State. We coordinate the
Maryland State and local agencies while also working with our
regional partners in the District of Columbia and Virginia.
We work not just during disasters, but every day with our
local jurisdictions and our regional partners to improve the
National Capital Region's response. We do this based on a
strong regional strategic plan, through everyday interactions
and exercises and standing regional work groups, as well as by
supporting innovative communications and technology tools.
The first moments of any emergency event that occurs
without warning are inherently chaotic and confusing. Initial
confusion often leads to cascading effects as the individual
decisions aggregate into a broad, far-reaching consequence.
That is what happened during the earthquake. Initial confusion
led to the public reaction and resulted in congested roads,
slow transit, and tied-up networks, et cetera.
Public safety radio communications, however, were not
impacted during either the January 26 storm or the earthquake.
This is a result of significant effort in the region to ensure
that our first responders have interoperable and redundant
communications systems no matter the situation.
Our focus in Maryland is and will continue to be to build a
resilient community. A resilient community has three primary
elements: Resilient systems and utilities, resilient community
planning, and a resilient citizenry. Resilient utilities
quickly come back online after disruption because of
redundancy. A resilient communications network is both
redundant and robust for first responders. A resilient
citizenry has been educated on what to do and can support
emergency responders by keeping themselves safe and out of
harm's way.
Since January of last year, we have made changes that we
believe will continue to improve our capabilities. We have
invested in the Virtual Joint Information Center that will
improve our coordinated and public messaging, invested in
regional situation awareness, including the new Regional
Information Center, and we continue to invest significant time,
effort, and funds to build resilient communications for our
responders.
We have not stopped our efforts there. Other critical
systems have been improved, as well. Maryland has expanded the
availability of shared video cameras from 45 in 2009 to just
under 600 today. In August, we launched a new Public Emergency
Management Mapping System called OSPREY, to get needed
information to the public during an emergency, and just in the
past quarter, it has had over a quarter-of-a-million hits.
Everyone in the region also uses a single incident
management software, WebEOC, that allows us to seamlessly share
information, and that system is constantly being improved.
I wanted to talk a little bit about the evacuation comments
that come up from time to time. For the first time in recent
memory, Maryland had a mandatory evacuation of the barrier
islands of Ocean City during Hurricane Irene, and we also had a
hospital and two nursing homes evacuate. This successful,
orderly, and proactive evacuation of approximately a quarter-
of-a-million people took just under 24 hours to complete. An
evacuation of the District or the NCR would be exponentially
more complicated and a significantly more time consuming
effort, even if prior notice is available. One thing to keep in
mind is evacuation is an option of the last resort, not an
option of the first resort.
Maryland, together with regional partners, has developed an
integrated model for evacuation plans that is being used not
just throughout the National Capital Region, but also in other
States to create fully coordinated plans. New state-of-the-art
computer models are being used to validate, test, and improve
these plans.
To conclude, I would like to urge a shared investment in
the foundations of preparedness, building this resilient
community I mentioned and its citizenry. The region, the State
of Maryland, and the Nation should look for ways to educate
young people in how to be ready for an emergency. We should
work to engage private businesses in preparedness and for their
support during a response. Maryland is already working toward
those goals. My agency on January 1 will be launching the
Maryland Office of Resiliency. We must educate our citizens and
engage them in their own preparedness. A prepared public will
help to lift the heavy burden placed on emergency workers,
whether during a snowstorm or a terror attack, by keeping
themselves safe.
Thank you.
Senator Akaka. Thank you very much, Mr. Muth.
Ms. Suit, please proceed with your statement.
TESTIMONY OF HON. TERRIE L. SUIT,\1\ SECRETARY OF VETERANS
AFFAIRS AND HOMELAND SECURITY, COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA
Ms. Suit. Chairman Akaka, Chairman Pryor, on behalf of
Governor McDonnell and the Commonwealth of Virginia, I want to
thank you for the opportunity to testify here before you today.
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\1\ The prepared statement of Ms. Suit appears in the appendix on
page 85.
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Virginia shares an outstanding relationship with our
partner jurisdictions and responders in the National Capital
Region. I would like to recognize our outstanding public
servants, the area's first responders, who are among the finest
in the Nation. They responded in an exemplary manner on
September 11, 2001 when Arlington, Virginia, was attacked at
the Pentagon by terrorists, and they continue to respond every
day to the emergencies in this region. We could not be prouder
of them.
Virginia is home to nearly 48 percent of the NCR's
citizens. Our local counties and cities have what is called a
manager form of government as opposed to an elected executive
or a strong mayoral chair. These managers are the appointed
administrative officers and are vested with the authority
necessary to manage the operations of their respective
jurisdictions. Our emergency professionals follow the National
Incident Management System (NIMS) during emergency events. With
the exception of Arlington, highways as well as secondary roads
in Virginia are managed by the State through the Virginia
Department of Transportation (VDOT).
Virginia works with our NCR partners to accomplish
strategic planning and training through multiple organizations,
such as the NCR Senior Policy Group, the Chief Administrative
Officers (CAOs) Homeland Security Executive Committee, the NCR
Emergency Preparedness Council (EPC), the Regional Emergency
Support Function (RESF) Committees--there are 16 of those--and
the Regional Programmatic Working Groups, five, all of which
collaborate to assist the SPG and the CAOs with the evaluation
and the updating of the NCR Strategic Plan. We spend a lot of
time together here in the capital.
NCR preparedness is ongoing. Virginia has recently
completed our updated evacuation plan for Northern Virginia,
and participants in this planning included both local, Federal,
and District partners. Considerable planning has been done to
prepare for both subsequent attacks on the Pentagon, to include
annual exercises with participants from across the region, and
other potential emergencies. NCR health partners have
collaborated on response plans for biological, radiologic, and
chemical events.
NCR decisionmakers coordinate in advance of and during
emergencies through numerous information sharing platforms.
These include e-mail, text alert, conference calls facilitated
via RICCS as well as information sharing tools such as WebEOC,
the Metropolitan Area Transportation Operations Coodination
(MATOC), which is transportation related, and common operating
pictures through VIPER and RITIS. These are geospatial
pictures. The Washington Area Warning and Alert System provides
a ``when all else fails'' means for communications to over 200
facilities.
To facilitate face-to-face decisionmaking, Virginia has
colocated our regional decisionmakers for the Virginia
Department of Transportation, Emergency Management, and State
Police in a 24/7 operations center at the Fairfax, Virginia
Public Safety Tactical Operations Center (PSTOC).
In addition to daily use radios, we have two strategic
radio caches in the NCR. Each cache contains over 500 portable
radios, satellite communications capabilities, and
interoperability devices that can connect NCR jurisdictions as
well as Federal entities.
General preparedness messaging is ongoing. Virginia is
currently engaged in our Winter Preparedness Campaign and
citizens can learn how to prepare for the season by accessing
www.readyvirginia.gov, and this information is available to all
of the NCR residents. For commuters, this is the time to
prepare vehicles and acquire appropriate winter wear. Most
importantly, commuters need to be prepared to stay in place
when travel conditions are projected to be unsafe.
Transportation capacity is always an issue in the NCR. On a
normal workday, the workforce has a staggered commute. In an
emergency, the workforce tends to leave all at once, which
creates gridlock. Staying in place is critical for managing
through current and preventing subsequent emergencies, and
staying in place means that citizens need to plan in advance
for the care of loved ones, know the emergency plans for their
children's schools and care centers, and share their own plans
with care providers and loved ones in advance in case the phone
and cell service in the region is interrupted. These are all
the messages that we are constantly putting out and
aggressively putting out today. Citizens need to monitor
weather and commuting conditions.
The NCR Public Information Officer (PIO) Committee has
established the NCR Virtual Joint Information Center, which
just went live 2 days ago. This is at
www.capitalregionupdates.gov, and this is a single web stop for
the public to access all current NCR event information and to
sign up for text and e-mail alerts.
Emergencies are localized events. The vast geography of the
NCR means it may be sunny in one part of the area but snowing
in another, and that is why bottom-up incident management is
the national standard. Responders and emergency officials on
the ground are empowered with delegated authorities from their
principals to make the public safety decisions necessary to
protect our citizens. This is NIMS. This is the National
Response Framework. All of our responders are Incident Command
System (ICS) trained and that is how we manage incidents, from
the bottom up.
Every incident provides the opportunity for lessons
learned. The events of January and the earthquake have helped
to change policy, and we embrace the new policies that OPM has
committed to enact going forward.
By abiding by the National Response Framework and employing
the National Incident Management System, we are able to
successfully manage our events, and understanding these
systems, avoiding policy decisions that will confuse or
conflict with this doctrine is critical to our ability to
continue to effectively respond to emergencies.
Mr. Chairman, thank you for allowing me to testify today.
Senator Akaka. Thank you very much, Ms. Suit.
Mr. Quander, will you please proceed with your statement.
TESTIMONY OF PAUL A. QUANDER, JR.,\1\ DEPUTY MAYOR FOR PUBLIC
SAFETY AND JUSTICE, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
Mr. Quander. Thank you. Good afternoon, Chairman Akaka and
Chairman Pryor. My name is Paul Quander. I serve the District
of Columbia as the Deputy Mayor for Public Safety and Justice.
In that role, it is my responsibility to provide direction,
guidance, support, and coordination to the District's public
safety agencies to develop and lead interagency public safety
initiatives that improve the quality of life in the District of
Columbia.
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\1\ The prepared statement of Mr. Quander appears in the appendix
on page 91.
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As the Nation's Capital, we share our borders with the
Commonwealth of Virginia and the State of Maryland. In the 68.3
square miles that we call home, there are 40 bridges and
numerous tunnels and overpasses. There are 1,500 miles of
public roads in the city. All three branches of our Federal
Government are located within the boundaries of the city.
Additionally, the District hosts 45,300 businesses, 17 colleges
and universities, and four military installations. According to
the 2010 U.S. Census, the District of Columbia has over 601,000
residents and our population increases every day. New
construction projects continue and signs of growth and vitality
show themselves every day.
Each day, we welcome between 600,000 and 1,000,000 people--
commuters, visitors, and students--into the District on our
roads and our rails. These commuters come into the city from
Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Delaware
every day. Further, the city hosts more than 15 million
visitors annually, according to information gathered from
Destination D.C. and the National Park Service (NPS).
One of the many agencies that I provide oversight to is the
D.C. Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency (HSEMA),
whose mission is to support and coordinate homeland security
and emergency management efforts, ensuring that the District of
Columbia's all hazards emergency operations are prepared to
protect against, plan for, respond to, and recover from natural
and manmade hazards. This is accomplished by developing plans
and procedures to ensure emergency response and recovery
capabilities for all emergencies, coordinating emergency
response allocation for emergencies in disaster incidents,
providing training for all emergency responders, and
coordinating all major special events and street closings.
In addition and in furtherance of this mission, HSEMA also
provides public awareness and outreach programs as well as a
24-hour emergency operations center which has special
capabilities and serves as one of the region's central points
of communication during regional emergencies.
One of the agency's unique capabilities is that it serves
as the Regional State Administrative Agency (SAA), for the
Homeland Security Grant Program for the National Capital
Region. HSEMA has served in this role since 2007. From 2007
through 2011, HSEMA has been responsible for administering more
than $471 million to jurisdictions within the NCR.
Historically, most of the funding has been in UASI which, as
you know, provides funding to address the unique planning,
organization, equipment, training, and exercise needs of high-
threat, high-density urban areas. This funding has provided the
NCR with the opportunity to provide meaningful support to
jurisdictions, allowing us to ensure that as a region we are
addressing our challenges and preparing and equipping the boots
on the ground, our first responders.
As we transition to discuss regional issues, we are not
able to do so without speaking of the collaboration that the
National Capital Region enjoys because of the work of the
Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments. The MWCOG
provides an opportunity for partners from across the region to
discuss and strategize around regional issues. These issues,
from City Council Administrative Homeland Security, Emergency
Preparedness Council, the National Capital Regional Senior
Policy Group, and others.
As a practical matter, the District of Columbia could not
do what it does each day in serving its constituents and
stakeholders if it did not have a strong relationship with
partners within our borders, to include our Federal partners.
Each day, we work with any number of entities from the National
Park Service and the Park Police to the FBI, and Secret
Service, to the Department of Homeland Security and the Office
of the National Capital Region Coordination of FEMA and the
Office of Personnel Management. Effective coordination and
relationship building cannot wait for a crisis. It must be
developed and nurtured on an ongoing basis.
Likewise, we work on a daily basis with our colleagues from
the Commonwealth of Virginia, the State of Maryland, and cities
and counties from each jurisdiction that make up the National
Capital Region. Aside from the regularly scheduled calls that
the Senior Policy Group has to discuss regional issues, the
District's representatives and the Director and Deputy Director
of HSEMA attend monthly meetings.
One of the issues and one of the goals that we have reached
has been mentioned earlier, and that is the MATOC program and
strengthening our multi-agency coordination among
transportation agencies. The District, in our 24-hour, 365-day
Joint All Hazards Center, we have combined our Traffic
Management Center function as an improvement so that we can
coordinate services.
The District and its partners are involved in training and
exercise activities from planning through execution. We have
several members who have a seat on the Regional Exercise and
Training Oversight Panel.
Mr. Chairman, this concludes my remarks and I look forward
to responding to any questions that you may have. Thank you for
the opportunity to present this testimony.
Senator Akaka. Thank you very much, Mr. Quander, for your
statement, and to all of you, thank you very much for your
statements.
Mr. Hunter, you testified before a House Subcommittee in
October that OPM had communication challenges in coordinating
with NCR partners after the August 23 earthquake which resulted
in the delayed announcement on the operating status of the
Federal Government. My question to you is, would you please
further explain these problems and whether they have been
resolved.
Mr. Hunter. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. We initially had
difficulties in our communications capabilities from both our
Government Emergency Telecommunications System (GETS) cards, to
operate on traditional landline phones, as well as our wireless
priority for cell service. Those difficulties were fairly short
lived. As my colleague, Ms. Suit, mentioned, we were able to
obtain some situational awareness through the Washington Area
Warning Alert System during that point in time. We were able to
also make contact with D.C. HSEMA as well as FEMA's Office of
National Capital Region Coordination. So while we did have some
initial difficulties in communication and we are working in an
after-action capacity with FEMA and other agencies to look at
how to strengthen those capabilities, we did have success
through the Washington Area Warning Alert System.
But if I could add, one of the things that we noted in
dealing with the earthquake, as also my colleague, Mr. Muth,
testified, is that in the initial response to any no-notice
event, it is very chaotic. And through the fog, you will need
to take some time to develop some level of situational
awareness. That hampered our capabilities from the standpoint
that we did not have immediate damage assessments, nor were we
fairly certain at the initial onset exactly what had happened.
So it takes time to gather that information and to make that
decision.
One of the things that we noted and we have strengthened in
our D.C. Dismissal Guide Policy is that need for individual
agencies to be able to act when there is an immediate need for
the safety and security of their employees. They have that
authority, and to not wait for OPM's decision when they need to
proceed immediately.
Senator Akaka. Thank you very much.
This next question is for the five other witnesses as a
followup question. It took nearly an hour and a half after the
earthquake for NCR decisionmakers to participate in a regional
conference call. The question is, were other NCR decisionmakers
having trouble communicating, and what lessons were learned
about NCR communication and coordination after the earthquake?
Mr. Beckham.
Mr. Beckham. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Because the August 23
event not only occurred or affected the National Capital
Region, it also impacted other parts of Virginia and Maryland,
as well, and I will leave it to my colleagues to restate this,
but they had responsibilities that were statewide and were
probably or most likely engaged in dealing with their
particular leadership at the State level as well as their
personnel to do the assessments not only in the National
Capital Region, but the other parts of Maryland and Virginia.
As Mr. Hunter did state, there was communication. He
mentioned WAWAS. We also had our WebEOC operational as well as
the fact that all Emergency Operations Centers were able to
talk to each other at that time. The Regional Information and
Coordination Communication System (RICCS), was also operational
and was transmitting messages back and forth to all of the
distribution on that system, including all of us here at the
table, so that we did have our situational awareness and we
were sharing information through that type of media.
The conference call that you mentioned, I believe a page
went out to the COG, which is the manager of the conference
call, and they designated the time when everybody would be
available, and as you mentioned, an hour and a half after the
incident is the time when everybody could get together and
answer any questions or resolve any issues that were occurring.
Senator Akaka. Thank you. Mr. Jenkins.
Mr. Jenkins. We have not looked at that issue. We are going
to look at this issue and a number of others in response to the
Committee's request, including the after action reports and
lessons learned. But we have not looked at that issue at this
point.
Senator Akaka. Mr. Muth.
Mr. Muth. It is interesting. As we are going back through
this, in my mind, I was reminded that it took me a while to
even figure out myself what was going on, as never experiencing
that before. And our initial reaction at the State was to make
sure all those nuclear power plants and other critical
infrastructures were safe and up and running. So that took our
initial attempt probably an hour or longer to even start.
And being that--we have the responsibility for the whole
State, so at no time did we say, OK, let us see what is going
on in the NCR. We were monitoring traffic and everything else
from Maryland's side, as I am sure Virginia was doing, as D.C.
was. But from my office, speaking on my office alone, Emergency
Management, we were not concentrating on the NCR at that point
when that earthquake hit. So it may be that we need to work on
identifying somebody that immediately concentrates on that
piece.
Senator Akaka. Thank you. Ms. Suit.
Ms. Suit. When you say the decisionmakers, we abide by
NIMS, by ICS. The decisionmakers are the boots on the ground
during an emergency. We do not micro-manage the emergency
response from the top down. The decisionmakers had the
authorities necessary, already vested with them, to do what
they needed to do during the initial response. They receive
those authorities through code, through an Executive Order, and
through both our State Virginia Emergency Response Plan, our
Operations Plan--we call it the COVEOP--as well as the Local
Emergency Operations Plan. So the people responding are not
waiting for a decisionmaker on high to say it is OK to do this
or to do that. They are acting. They are doing what they need
to do.
From a managerial level, we have colocated our
decisionmakers for transportation, emergency management, and
safety, public safety, with the State Police at the PSTOC in
Fairfax. That is where I was also located. And so we were
talking face-to-face. And I was also immediately communicating
with the Governor. As you are aware, the earthquake was
centered in Mineral, Virginia, and so we had a lot going on.
I did know it was an earthquake. I went to high school in
San Diego and immediately dove under my desk when an earthquake
started.
Senator Akaka. Thank you. Mr. Quander.
Mr. Quander. When an event takes place like the earthquake,
the event is first local, that local response where we have to
assess the damage and respond immediately to the pressing
issues. Once that is done, then we can inform our regional
partners what issues we face and then we can take a look at the
region, what is happening.
But as Ms. Suit indicated, it is from the bottom up. We
have to respond to the emergency. We have to address that
emergency. Then we take a look at where we are in our
respective jurisdictions and then where are we regionally. How
are we responding. But we first have to put out the fire and
then we deal with the other issues.
Senator Akaka. Thank you. Senator Pryor.
Senator Pryor. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
I would like to start down on this end of the table with
the State and the District people, if I could, Mr. Chairman,
and that is last January we had a snowstorm, and I am curious
from all of your perspectives if that is a fair comparison to
our preparedness in a terrorist event or if that is an apples
and oranges comparison. Mr. Muth.
Mr. Muth. Certainly. I do not think it is a comparison.
First of all, what we experienced, what you experienced, was up
and down the whole East Coast. So it was not the NCR that was
gridlocked. It was the whole East Coast that was gridlocked.
The reason for that was the storm in the morning was ice.
They salted the roads. There was an increase in the
temperatures. We had storms come through in the afternoon that
were not of a frozen type that washed all the salt off. Before
everything had a chance to be reapplied, it refroze again. It
just happened to freeze again right at rush hour. So you had
this perfect storm, no pun intended, that was all coming
together at the same time.
So I do not think a snowstorm and all its inherent problems
that come along with that really can be a comparison to
evacuations in any other term. I think each one is its own and
has to be assessed on its own. That would be my thoughts.
Senator Pryor. Yes, that is why I said it. Ms. Suit.
Ms. Suit. I would absolutely agree. I was on 395 and had
the misfortune of watching the plane go into the Pentagon and
then was in the traffic for about 4 hours making my way out of
the NCR that day.
In the snowstorm, you had the added situation of the
weather. We had people abandoning their vehicles, which is
extremely problematic for our highway personnel, to get up
there, get tow trucks and move those vehicles. I would not
compare the two at all.
What I would say is that we have had an opportunity to
review what took place and to establish new policies, and I
applaud OPM for embracing two things, an earlier decision and
not bringing the workforce in when we have bad weather
projected, but also embracing a strategy of staying in place.
In any event it is safer for the public, for our citizens to
stay in place. If we have a terrorist attack, if we have any
kind of contamination, leaving the building exposes them to
much higher levels of contamination and of unsafe situations
than staying in place, and that is the biggest message that we
need to really get out there with our citizens. Stay. Wait.
Wait for more information. Do no harm. Stay where you are until
we get you more additional information.
Senator Pryor. Mr. Quander.
Mr. Quander. I concur, but I also realize, as we all do,
that disasters are rarely announced, and because of the events
in January, because of the circumstances almost being a perfect
storm, it caused severe problems for us. But we, I believe,
have learned from that. When traffic does not move, citizens
cannot get to where they need to be. They cannot get home. They
cannot take care of their children. They cannot take care of
their other responsibilities. So it has an impact.
Although there may be different reasons, different
scenarios, the result is the same, and we need to learn, and I
think we have learned. We have made changes and improvements.
And I think we have to look at the take-aways from January.
What are we doing differently now? What are the changes? And
that is the significance, I believe.
Senator Pryor. Ms. Suit, let me followup on one thing you
said about stay in place, and Mr. Quander alluded to it there,
and that is the issue--one of the issues would be your children
being in school. I know that what you are saying is staying in
place is rational, it is the right policy and all those things,
but when it is a parent and their child or children, they are
going to try to get to those children, and that is just human
nature and we understand that.
So how should we handle that? Would you recommend, or have
you all considered trying to work with the schools to sort of
have safe places in school, communicate that to the parents,
that if there is some event, they are going to be safe at
school? I mean, what do you do? How does that piece of the
puzzle fit in?
Ms. Suit. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. There are several things
we are doing. One, we utilized the Catastrophic Planning Grant
Funds to do a very, very comprehensive study through the
University of Virginia of citizens in the NCR. It was about,
2,500 or 2,600 citizens who were surveyed for 30 minutes on
their behavior, their projected behavior during an incident,
and the incident was a dirty bomb incident. What we found was
that they will stay in place if they have confidence that their
children are safe.
So through those catastrophic grants, we are now doing a
follow-on phase two pilot program of working with select
businesses in the District and working with them on having a
program in place for their employees to be prepared and
understand things like what is their school preparedness plan?
What is going on with their children? After the earthquake,
when those businesses were surveyed, we found that because of
that pilot program and the ongoing training, their response was
they waited until after 5 o'clock and had the best commute of
their lives.
And so it does work. It takes extra effort. It takes more
intense training. We are already putting out just in our broad
general preparedness messaging, know your children's school
plans. Communicate your plan to family members in advance so
that if phone service is out, they know you are safe and you
are not rushing to get together. But that is huge cultural,
behavioral changes and it will take time.
Senator Pryor. I am going to ask the panel a good question,
but it is kind of unfair how I am going to ask it because I am
going to ask the five of you a question about Mr. Beckham's
shop, and that is basically the question will be is how--
ONCRC's placement in FEMA is designed to help create efficiency
and better communication, more streamlined, et cetera, and I do
not want to ask Mr. Beckham this because I want to hear from
you guys, how is that working? Is it beneficial to you all to
have his office in FEMA where it is and doing the various
functions it does? Go ahead.
Mr. Muth. From my perspective, they were already in place
when I came aboard at the State level, so I have no knowledge
of how it was before that. But my interaction since I have been
there in the just about 4 years has been very positive in that
it provides an immediate conduit, if you will, to other
information that we might need from FEMA within that NCR
region.
So I think they are now where they belong in life, it
really does not matter to me. I think it kind of makes sense
that they are in FEMA and they are dealing directly with us. We
certainly get a lot of information pushed from that office
almost daily on things that are happening and occurring. So I
would have to say, from Maryland's perspective, anyway, it has
been a positive interaction.
Senator Pryor. Anybody else? Ms. Suit.
Ms. Suit. I think we could utilize them more than we do,
and that is probably more on my shoulders, reaching out to
them, having them help us with introductions and coordination
with Federal agencies that we do not have relationships with
already, and we need to push that more within our Virginia
decisionmaking area.
As far as where they are located, the only way I can answer
that is just from my own experience as being a member of a
bureaucracy. Bureaucracies are very chain of command oriented.
They are very rank oriented. And when you are at a certain
level, then your peers work with you based on you being at that
level. I think that if ONCRC was reporting directly to the
Secretary, they would have probably more gravidas with the
other Federal agencies. But I think because of the people at
ONCRC, because of the relationships they have and the
reputation they have, that they have that gravidas personally
while they may not have the optimal amount positionally.
Senator Pryor. OK.
Mr. Quander. I agree with that assessment, but I will go
further. We have had great access and great benefit as a
result. Where the group sits, I am not sure as to the optimum
position. But it has been effective.
As an example, last week, we conducted a tabletop exercise
and Mr. Beckham and his team participated and assisted in
making sure that other Federal agencies, we had business groups
there and it was an exercise that was a severe weather event.
And so we had more than 200 individuals that participated. So
when you have that type of partnership and you actually can
make things happen, it is a benefit.
Senator Pryor. Mr. Beckham, are you satisfied with all
those answers? [Laughter.]
Mr. Beckham. Yes, Mr. Chairman. I would mention, as I said
in my opening statement, yes, we did start with the Office of
Homeland Security when Governor Ridge stood it up right after
September 11. We continue to have access to the DHS Office of
the Secretary through the Assistant Secretary for
Intergovernmental Relations Office, also the Under Secretary of
Management's Office. We report through the Protection and
National Preparedness Directorate, which is run by Deputy
Administrator Manning. However, I must point out, while he has
the administrator function for our office, we also report to
Craig Fugate, the FEMA Administrator, Deputy Administrator
Serino, as well as the Chief of Staff on a regular basis on a
variety of issues, depending on what the issues are.
I am fortunate that--I have been there 2 years--I inherited
a staff that has the legacy and the institutional history of
working in this program and have been able to leverage their
relationships and been able to reach out to the various
partners throughout the National Capital Region, both on the
Federal and on the State level. Players do change with election
cycles and what have you, but they are all committed to the
mission. They have all been experts in--if they did not have
particular expertise, they were not afraid to reach out and get
it, and I think it has made it a beneficial experience.
Senator Pryor. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Senator Akaka. Mr. Jenkins, GAO was instrumental in helping
my Subcommittee to examine the NCR's strategic planning efforts
by providing recommendations to the region during the
Subcommittee's 2005 and 2006 hearings on this topic. Would you
comment on what improvements have been made between the NCR's
2006 Homeland Security Strategic Plan and its current plan.
Mr. Jenkins. There were two 2006 plans. The first one was,
in a word, terrible, and then the second one really tried to
address these six characteristics that I talked about and we
did sort of outline, in broad fashion, roles and
responsibilities. The big difference, I think, in the 2010 plan
is they have taken that foundation and gotten much more
specific in the various areas in terms of trying to identify
the goals, have subordinated objectives that match those goals,
as well as initiatives that would help them achieve the
objectives.
So it is much more structured. It is much more systematic
than it was before. It is much more specific, as well, and they
are, in terms of the initiatives they are taking, they are on
the right track in terms of trying to develop, give
responsibility to somebody and some group for achieving
different objectives and setting measures for how they are
going to achieve those. So I think they have made considerable
progress since 2010.
Senator Akaka. Thank you.
Mr. Jenkins. Since 2006.
Senator Akaka. Thank you.
Mr. Hunter and Mr. Beckham, I am concerned about protecting
Federal employees during emergencies. As we saw with the
earthquake, we must be prepared for unexpected events. In this
area, acts of terrorism are a constant threat, as well. So I am
asking you to please discuss what efforts your offices have
made to prepare Federal employees in the D.C. area for
unexpected emergencies, such as a tornado or radiological dirty
bomb. Mr. Hunter.
Mr. Hunter. Thank you. First, we at OPM conducted a press
conference just last week to roll out our new procedures, our
new D.C. Dismissal Guide, and, in fact, FEMA was a partner with
us at that press conference as well as the District of
Columbia. So we provided information through the press
conference itself, but we also did a webcast for Federal
employees, as well, and the focus of the webcast is just not to
lay out the new policies associated with our new D.C. Dismissal
Guide but also to reiterate to our Federal employees that this
really is a partnership, that we need their assistance to make
this work, from developing a family plan to making sure that
they have telework agreements in place and that they have found
alternative ways to come and go into the city.
So in addition to the press conference itself and the
webcast, together with Steward's group and the Office of
National Capital Region Coordination, we have worked through
the Joint Federal Committee during the course of the last year
to do some training exercises for emergency managers and to,
again, to have them take that information back to Federal
employees.
We are participating with FEMA on NCRC in developing a web-
based training program, as well as a Federal preparedness
brochure in the coming year.
Senator Akaka. Thank you. Mr. Beckham.
Mr. Beckham. Just to elaborate on what Dean just said, in
the Federal Preparedness Program, it is an initiative in
partnership with him, that OPM has started in our office, and
the main focus of that initiative is to get DHS employees to
have individual and family preparedness efforts underway and
maintained and exercised so that if they have responsibilities
in their employment, in their Federal employment, they do not
have to worry about their family members, their children or
adult day care or adult care issues that they may have.
The hope is that once we get the program up and running and
we reach out to DHS, we would envision having it extended to
the entire Federal family so that they can go through this web-
based training and be able to identify those types of issues
that they need to shore up in their own personal lives so that
they cannot only take care of themselves, but make sure that
their families are safe, as well.
Senator Akaka. Thank you very much.
Mr. Hunter, as has been discussed, OPM recently announced
sheltering in place as an operating status option to protect
the Federal workforce during severe weather events or
emergencies. The term ``shelter in place'' may suggest that
employees would need to stay in their offices for a prolonged
period of time. Would you please discuss how OPM intends the
sheltering in place to be used.
Mr. Hunter. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. We implemented the
shelter in place option to our D.C. Dismissal Guide to add an
additional option to our tool kit. There has been much play
about how we would invoke that during a snow emergency, but I
would like to emphasize that it really has a broader role, and
we have talked about terrorism capabilities here, but
particularly for chemical, biological, nuclear, radiological
types of threats, this could be an option that we would put in
for a longer-based capacity.
It is also important to note that individual agencies
typically have their own building based shelter in place plans
as a result of, or incorporated into their Occupant Emergency
Plans.
So, again, the intent is for this to be used really in
extreme circumstances along the lines of chemical or biological
threats. But we do see that there could be a very short-term
utility for a snow event. But I would also want to caveat that
with, again, it would be our intent to have people home before
we got to those extreme circumstances.
We would lean forward very proactively the day before a
storm, perhaps, to announce an unscheduled leave, unscheduled
telework policy whereby we bring less people into the city in
the first place. We would perhaps follow that up if a storm
occurred during the day with a staggered departure with a final
departure time, for instance, having people leave no later than
3 p.m. And after that point in time, if in consultation with
our colleagues in the emergency management capacity and law
enforcement, if there was a need for us to request people to be
off of the roads so that the transportation entities could keep
the roads clear in a snowstorm, we would do that, but again, it
would be on a very temporary, short-term basis.
Senator Akaka. Thank you very much.
As a followup question to Ms. Suit, you use the phrase
``staying in place'' rather than sheltering in place. Is there
a difference between Virginia's policy and OPM's revised
policy?
Ms. Suit. No, and actually, OPM at the recent Emergency
Preparedness Council meeting also was more apt to use the
phrase ``stay in place.'' I think the media has co-opted that a
bit into the sheltering in place. Sheltering in place is not as
well received with the public and we find from a standpoint of
a public message and crafting public messaging, sheltering in
place does not have the same comfort level with the public as
staying in place. Staying in place has more of a temporary
connotation, an hour, 2 hours, 6 hours, long enough for the
emergency to pass. Sheltering in place does insinuate in the
mind of the public longer times.
Now, I will say this. In the event of a radiological event,
and we just had a report released on Monday from our working
group here in the NCR on radiological and nuclear detection
issues, we had a huge study that was done and this is brand new
information, and that study does go into great depth as far as
the number of hours and possibly days to stay in place, or
shelter in the event of going beyond 6 hours, in place and how
much more lives that will save by staying where they are as
opposed to getting out and becoming exposed.
And so this is all information that we are obtaining and
acquiring, greatly in part because of the grants that you all
have given us. They are working. They are informing our
policies going forward and now we will take this information
and incorporate that in the future into our strategic plan and
additional things and investments that we make in the NCR and
messaging going forward.
Senator Akaka. Thank you. Senator Pryor.
Senator Pryor. Thank you.
Let me start with Mr. Beckham. I know it is hard enough to
try to coordinate with all the various governmental entities
that you have to deal with, and I know you have a myriad of
them in this region that all need to interface and interconnect
somehow, and it sounds like you are doing a great job there.
But my question is, are you also trying to coordinate with the
business community?
Mr. Beckham. Yes, sir, and as was pointed out again in some
of the testimony, first of all, talking about the Emergency
Preparedness Council, the Director of the Metropolitan
Washington Board of Trade sits on that council and represents
the business community and their interests and their points of
view. I cannot speak to how he disseminates the information
from the Preparedness Council, but I do know that they have
monthly meetings and I actually attended one when I first got
here and they bring that information out to their membership.
Another group we meet with, while not necessarily business,
is the Consortium of Universities. We meet with the emergency
managers and the preparedness officials with that organization
and attend some of their training and exercises, and they are
very engaged in those efforts that we have going here in the
National Capital Region.
We also worked with the Golden Triangle Business
Improvement District (BID), which is in the center of the
District, and used the work that we are doing with them as a
model to hopefully reach out to the other BIDs around the
District and use that to have them do some of the Occupant
Emergency Planning and make sure that they have their
workforces coordinated if there had to be a release for
whatever reason and that they do not put additional stress on
the transportation assets of the National Capital Region.
Senator Pryor. Great. That is great.
Mr. Hunter, let me ask you a similar question. When OPM
does the various things that you do, when you set your policies
and all that, do you consult with the business community to try
to coordinate with them in any way?
Mr. Hunter. As Mr. Beckham mentioned, during our policy
revision this year, we coordinated our policy with the
Washington Board of Trade and members associated with the
Emergency Planning Committee. We recognize that the private
sector often follows our lead from how they develop their own
policies, so we did coordinate that policy in conjunction with
the EPC and COG.
Senator Pryor. OK. And do you do just the policy
coordination, or do you also, when you have to make a decision
that day on whether something closes or whatever and you
actually make the call, do you try to coordinate with them at
that point, or do they just key off of the decisions that you
are making?
Mr. Hunter. They key off the decisions. They are typically
not involved in the COG calls.
Senator Pryor. Yes. The reason I was asking is we talked a
minute ago, one of the witnesses talked about sort of a phased
leaving of the city or coming into the city or whatever effort
during or after an event, probably, and I just did not know if
you try to coordinate with the business community, because if
you look at their numbers, Even though government is a huge
industry here in this area, the private sector is quite a bit
larger with a lot more people in this area.
Let me ask about the ready.gov program. On the ready.gov
Web site, it talks about make a plan and try to have a plan for
yourself. What is the experience with that? Are people making
plans? And if there is something going on, whether it is an
earthquake or a snowstorm or whatever it happens to be and
maybe the communication is not real clear in the beginning and
everybody is unsure about really what is happening, are they
sticking with their plan? Do we know? Mr. Beckham, maybe you
might be best for this.
Mr. Beckham. Obviously, ready.gov is a program that was
rolled out nationally as well as in the NCR, but to the
statistical request that you have, we would have to get back to
you with the effectiveness of that program at this point.
Senator Pryor. All right. Let me ask you about this, as
well, then. The August earthquake, like September 11, 2001, and
other types of incidents like that, not just in this area but
elsewhere, in those type of events, often the region's
telecommunication system is just very quickly congested. It is
not inoperable, but it is just so jammed that it is not--not
very many people are able to get on it, or, I should say, a lot
of people are not able to get on it. Do you feel like the D.C.
area has sufficient capacity in an emergency to keep all the
lines of communication open or are we going to continue to see
sort of a clogged telecom capacity here?
Mr. Beckham. I understand that there was some overloading
of the cell phone system here in the National Capital Region,
but one of the messages that we are going to push out, and we
are pushing out, is many folks use text messaging and Twitter,
which require less bandwidth. I am not an expert on this----
Senator Pryor. Right.
Mr. Beckham [continuing]. But we are going to push out that
if you want to get in communication with folks, using Twitter
or text messaging capacity, you will have a better success rate
of pushing your message forward.
There was some congestion, as I mentioned, in the cell
phone towers, but I think about an hour to an hour and a half
or so after that, it began to reduce and it was back to a near-
normal state.
Senator Pryor. Yes. One of the things we did on our
Subcommittee--Mr. Chairman, that would be on this half of the
table over here--but one of the things we did on our
Subcommittee is that we had a hearing on social media and the
impact that social media has in these events now. I thought it
was very interesting. When you look around the country at some
things that have happened recently, whether it is ice storms or
tornadoes or whatever it may be, floods, people are wanting to
communicate and really have that two-way communication all
instantaneously which can be an amazing asset in a situation
like that. So the people, if they have access to the bandwidth
they need, et cetera, they are going to respond and they are
going to participate and they are going to communicate and that
is a very good thing.
Did you have something you wanted to add?
Ms. Suit. Just two things. Going back to your original
answer about the plans, there was a survey that was done of the
New York area after Katrina and we found that they went from 17
percent to 19 percent, only a 2-percent rise in the number of
families that had an emergency plan. We expected that it would
have gone up higher because of Katrina. So that is a little bit
of information. I mean, it is the New York area, not the whole
Nation, but it gives you a little information.
What we have also found is that by doing the more intense
work directly with the business community like we are doing
through the Catastrophic Planning Grant, we raise that to 80 to
90 percent of the participants of that training. So the more we
can use those Catastrophic Grant funds and other grant funds as
well as our own investments to go into those kinds of more
intensive, direct training programs, the more we see success in
that area.
And as far as bandwidth, bandwidth is finite. I mean, right
now, we have the big issue taking place right here that I am
sure you all are weighing in on with the D Block. Our public
safety responders desperately need that extra bandwidth for
public safety, and then the ability also to allow the private
sector to lease back some of that space for use. But it is
finite. The more you have smart phones and people downloading
videos and doing games, that all uses up that same space and it
cuts us off. And people have a natural tendency to go straight
to the mobile phone when they want to communicate as opposed to
defaulting to text messaging, which uses up much less space.
And finally, it used to be we all had landlines at home.
Now, even at home, you are going over the Internet for the most
part with your communications. So the culture has changed and
we have to change with it in how we respond from a policy
standpoint.
Senator Pryor. I do not know the difference in the numbers
in New York versus New Orleans, but one of the things I learned
in Katrina, again, as part of the Committee's work after
Katrina, was that a lot of folks, a very high percentage of
people down there, do have a plan because this is kind of
ingrained in them from the beginning that you live in this
certain area and it is prone to X, Y, and Z happening. It is
going to vary region to region, and just given the experience
and the expectations in that area.
Mr. Chairman, thank you. That is all I have.
Senator Akaka. Thank you.
Mr. Hunter, I have been a strong supporter of increasing
the use of telework in the Federal Government and I applaud
OPM's efforts to implement my Telework Enhancement Act. As you
stated, building a strong telework culture is important to
making sure that government operations continue during
emergencies. Will you please elaborate on how OPM is working to
make sure agencies have integrated telework in their continuity
of operations plans.
Mr. Hunter. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. In updating our
policy, our D.C. Dismissal Guide Policy, we provided additional
information on incorporating telework. But I also want to point
out that we have been working with the interagency community,
both FEMA, GSA, the National Archives and Record
Administration, to work toward an update of Federal Continuity
Directive 1, to provide additional guidance on not only the
training of employees for telework but also testing those
capabilities and exercising them on a frequent basis.
And we also have some encouraging news from the Employee
Viewpoint Survey that we recently have received the results
from that has showed us that in the National Capital Region, we
have about 18 percent of people, Federal respondents, that
indicated that they are teleworking at least once a week, and
47 percent have indicated that they have the capability to
telework at least some of the time. So we see that this has
very positive implications for us on the emergency planning
side.
Senator Akaka. Thank you very much for that response.
My last question is for the panel. A recent Washington Post
editorial argued that the reluctance of area jurisdictions to
cede power in decisionmaking to a central authority has
hampered the NCR during a crisis and could exact a terrible
price in the future. There is no one entity or person with the
ability to make regional decisions when an emergency involves
multiple NCR jurisdictions, and the multiple authorities have
complicated communication among decisionmakers and the public.
So what I would like to ask you is how do you respond to these
concerns and how will you make sure that there is a seamless
response to the next regional emergency? Mr. Muth.
Mr. Muth. Thank you. First of all, we have--I am not sure I
agree with that editorial. We have very robust mutual aid plans
that are used every day, in and out of the Capital and Maryland
to Virginia and vice-versa, that are very well versed and very
robust.
The resources that we are, I assume, we are talking about
are resources that belong to local governments or State
Governments, and to say that somebody would have overall
authority to strip those from a State or a county and reassign
those would be an interesting concept, to say the least. I
think you might be infringing on the States' rights there.
I think we have a very refined Incident Command System, as
Terrie and others have mentioned today, and that allows for
that expansion of the Incident Management System, if necessary.
So where if we have something on the border, we do not
necessarily worry about whose it is. We just go and do it and
then we work on that Incident Command System as it grows.
So is there one regional person in charge? No, there is
not, and that is because you have independent governments that
are involved in this whole thing. That does not mean that the
governments cannot all work together in an emergency, and I
think they absolutely would. I think there is still a long way
to go to refine that and to make that operational and just not
from the planning stage, because that is where it is right now.
But I think it is there, and I still have to reiterate,
going back, that Montgomery and Prince George's County are
responding into D.C. every day and vice-versa and it works
seamlessly. Nobody knows about it because it works seamlessly
and it is there. It does not change just because there is an
emergency. It is still the same system, the same process, et
cetera.
I think the only area where it may be worth looking at a
little bit more is the non-traditional first responder
equipment and getting more into public works, snowplows and
those types of things, which generally are not thought of as a
mutual aid response, in and out continuously.
But the last thing I will add to that is that we all at
State and local governments have very finite resources. Those
are already taxed and engaged in whatever we are dealing with
statewide, NCR being one of our parts of the State. And so
there is no cache of equipment sitting somewhere like there is
with radios to say that in a regional emergency, we will bring
this cache of snowplows together and operators. It is all
equipment that is used every day and it is already being used
during an event.
So I think the process needs to be working down the line,
but if Washington calls for assistance from us, we are going to
jump in and help Washington if at all possible. That is the way
we do it every day and we will continue to do that. Thank you.
Senator Akaka. Thank you.
Ms. Suit. Mr. Chairman, I would answer that by saying that
there is not one central decisionmaker in any disaster, any
emergency situation. We use NIMS. We use ICS. The writer of
that article needs to go online to FEMA's Web site and take
ICS-100, and then they need to follow that on and take NIMS-
700. They need to learn ICS and incident management and how the
National Response Framework is designed. It works.
It worked at the Pentagon on September 11, 2001. When that
plane hit the Pentagon, I was able to get a cell phone call
out, one call out to the Governor. At that time, it was
Governor Gilmore. I got the call out to his office. I said, I
am on the highway. I have just watched a plane go into the
Pentagon. By the time we hung up, Arlington County fire trucks
were already at the Pentagon. Jim Schwartz, the Assistant Fire
Chief, took incident command of that situation at the Pentagon.
That is how ICS worked.
It was not mandated then. It was not required for grant
usage then. Now, it is required. Now, we make sure everyone is
NIMS compliant or they cannot receive a dime of Federal
Homeland Security money. That doctrine works, and folks that
criticize that bottom-up response do not understand it. They
need to go in. They need to learn how we do emergency
management. The Governor's office becomes involved with
messaging, with guidance, with issuing emergency declarations,
but we never manage the emergency on the ground from a central
decisionmaker's office from on high. That is not how
emergencies work.
And I would further say that the District is not unique.
NCR is not unique. When we are dealing with a hurricane in
Hampton Roads, we are dealing with the evacuation of the North
Carolina Outer Banks up through the Virginia highway system. We
are dealing with the largest Naval base in the world. We are
dealing with one of the largest ports in this country and
working with the Coast Guard on whether or not to shut down
that port and when to move bridges and when to allow people to
evacuate. It is always unified, working together in these
decisionmaking cross-cutting manners with our Federal partners,
our local partners, and our intrastate and interstate partners.
So NCR is not unique in that. But if we all work through
the National Response Framework and we understand it, and we do
not make policy changes to confuse it, we will be OK.
Senator Akaka. Mr. Quander.
Mr. Quander. From the District's perspective, a centralized
decisionmaker is not the point. It is an operational issue. It
is from the bottom up. It is using the system, the NIMS system
that we have, and we operationalize it. That is how you address
the issues.
One of the things that--the Mayor announced today that the
District has undertaken and has completed a system of cabling,
fiber optics, that will increase the capability within the
District of 100 gigabytes bandwidth. It will be the largest
usage or availability of bandwidth anywhere in the world, more
so than Silicon Valley, more so than in New York, anyplace in
the country, anyplace in the world. So agencies will be able to
tie into a greater resource that will be available--that is
available now. We did not have that in the past. We have that
now. So we will be able to communicate more by using some of
the electronic means and less on cell phones when we are able
to communicate and get our messaging out.
One of the other things that we are doing, again, not from
who makes the decision but what we are doing, we spoke about
developing family plans. We spoke about teleworking. We spoke
about public awareness. We spoke about involving the business
community. These are the things that we need to do to make sure
that when we know that we have to act, we will know how to act,
and that is where our focus really needs to be, not on who
makes the call. That is really not the focus. It is following
the plan, bottom up, using NIMS, and that is where we are going
to see our greatest success. Thank you, sir.
Senator Akaka. Thank you very much, Mr. Quander.
Any other comments? Mr. Beckham.
Mr. Beckham. Yes, sir. I concur with my colleagues and just
want to mention that Secretary Suit mentioned that under the
ICS system, it is designed for the smallest incident all the
way up to the very large incident. ICS is designed not only for
cross-functional purposes, but for cross-jurisdictional
purposes and it can always expand into a unified command, which
would bring in all of those decisionmakers, again, as I
mentioned, whether it is function related or jurisdictionally
related.
Senator Akaka. Any other further comments? Mr. Jenkins.
Mr. Jenkins. Mr. Chairman, I would just make one sort of
fundamental point when I read the Post editorial, is that if
you look at the NCR itself, the NCR is not an operational
entity. It is a coordination entity, and there could be issues
in how they coordinate and how they make decisions, but as the
other witnesses point out, part of the problem with having a
single person in control is that it assumes that the NCR is an
operational entity in and of itself, which it is not.
Senator Akaka. Mr. Hunter.
Mr. Hunter. Just to add to what my colleagues said, I think
what is equally important rather than having a single
decisionmaker is to make sure that we are all operating with
the same set of facts or from a common operating perspective. I
think that is really key and I applaud the District of Columbia
for some of their efforts with COG to look at how we are going
to implement the concept of Regional Information Center and how
we might share that type of information.
Senator Akaka. Thank you very much.
I would like to thank all of our witnesses for being here
today and for your excellent responses. It is clear that the
NCR has improved its emergency coordination considerably since
September 11, 2001. However, serious challenges still remain. I
look forward to working closely with my colleagues in the
Senate and with the NCR stakeholders to improve regional
coordination and make sure that the millions of residents and
visitors to the NCR are safe. This has been, I feel, a good
hearing and thank you again so much for your contributions.
The hearing record will be open for 2 weeks for additional
statements or questions other members may have.
This hearing is adjourned.
[Whereupon, at 4:14 p.m., the Subcommittees were
adjourned.]
A P P E N D I X
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