US has made good progress in building capabilities, implementing preparedness cycle, FEMA says.
The United States dramatically improved its preparedness through building capacities to fulfill national priorities while also successfully implementing preparedness plans and procedures in fiscal 2007, according to the first-ever report on federal preparedness by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
The Federal Preparedness Report (FPR), dated Jan. 13, was released publicly by the Federation of American Scientists on Jan. 26. Its goal, as required by the Post-Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act of 2006 (Public Law 109-295), is to "provide a snapshot" of preparedness levels for planning, organization, equipment, training, exercises and evaluation nationally.
The report, presented to Congress by former FEMA chief David Paulison, stressed that future snapshots would give Congress more information on the practical results of preparedness planning.
"For example, because of limited availability of data, many of the analyses in this edition of the FPR focus on the outputs of homeland security partner programs. Future versions will highlight the practical outcomes -- the tangible effects that occur on the ground," the report said. "In subsequent editions, FEMA will also integrate the products of initiatives such as the State Preparedness Reports (SPRs) and the Catastrophic Resource Report into a unified presentation of preparedness called the National Preparedness Report."
The report cites progress in eight national priorities for building capacity, as outlined in the Post-Katrina Act, noting accomplishments in each of the areas over the previous five years.
Specifically, states and cities received more than $1 billion in homeland security grants since fiscal 2004, thereby expanding regional collaboration. More than 96 percent of states and almost all federal agencies are compliant with the National Incident Management System (NIMS), while FEMA developed the National Response Framework (NRF) to support it.
Meanwhile, US states each have set up Basic Hazard Mitigation Plans under the National Infrastructure Protection Plan (NIPP). More than 90 percent of high-priority sites have set up Buffer Zone Protection Plans, according to the report.
Authorities have established 57 intelligence fusion centers within 45 states, which used some of $1 billion in grants to boost information sharing. Seventy-five urban areas successfully achieved regional interoperable communications with the support of $2.8 billion in homeland security grant funds since fiscal 2004.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has deployed 527 biological monitors in urban areas, 1,062 radiation portal monitors at land ports and seaports, and more than 21,000 personal radiation detectors throughout the country to strengthen chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosive (CBRNE) detection, response and decontamination. DHS also has provided CBRNE training to 2,014 law enforcement officials.
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has supported state efforts to strengthen medical surge and mass prophylaxis capabilities by developing pandemic response plans, improving surge capacity and hospital preparedness for mass casualties; and building partnerships to improve surge capacity.
Finally, Citizen Corps Councils have reported coverage of 78 percent or more of the US population in their efforts to account for those who could contribute to strengthening community preparedness, with the assistance of $140 million in homeland security grants.
DHS along with state and local governments have implemented a preparedness cycle, the report added, standing up preparedness plans and procedures with a focus on planning; organizing, equipping and training; exercising; and evaluating and improving.
Planning has gone very well overall, according to the report. FEMA has "successfully built the core national doctrine and plans necessary to unify efforts" nationwide with NIMS, NRF, NIPP and the National Strategy for Homeland Security, the report said.
Organizing, equipping and training also have experienced substantial achievements with more than $22.7 billion in investments to date to build capabilities and to develop standards. DHS is currently developing a Homeland Security National Training Program, the report added.
Exercising has gone very well with the completion of a National Exercise Program, which validates all homeland security activities at all levels of government. DHS was involved in almost 600 exercises since fiscal 2005.
Evaluating and improving has been the weakness of the four categories in the preparedness cycle, the report concluded. DHS has poorly coordinated and duplicated some efforts to track and assess preparedness. FEMA vowed to combine these efforts into a national comprehensive assessment system, as mandated by the Post-Katrina Act.
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