Subject: [NEXTEL-1] First responders falling short

From: [email-masked]
Date: Thu, 03 Jul 2003 16:07:09 -0400

First responders falling short
BY Margaret A.T. Reed
July 2, 2003

Although lives depend on them, first responders nationwide are drastically
unprepared to handle any form of chemical, biological or nuclear attack.

Furthermore, the resources needed to train and equip first
responders exist, but the necessary funding does not.

A report released June 29 by the Council on Foreign Relations' Independent Task
Force on Emergency Responders made those conclusions and urged swift action to
ensure that emergency personnel are ready to work effectively when a disaster
strikes.

"If the nation does not take immediate steps to better identify and address the
urgent needs of emergency responders, the next terrorist incident could have an
even more devastating impact than the Sept. 11 attacks," according to the report,
titled "Emergency Responders: Drastically Underfunded, Dangerously Unprepared."

The federal budget to fund emergency responders stands at $27 billion, and state
and local governments are expected to spend $26 billion to $76 billion during the
next five years. The task force claims that an additional $98.4 billion in
federal, state and local funding is necessary to adequately prepare emergency
responders.

The council used the most reliable data available for their budget estimates;
however, they recommend that government officials come up with a better, more
precise method for assessing future costs.

"I noticed that this morning the Department of Homeland Security thinks the number
is overstated," former Sen. Warren Rudman, chairman of the task force, said June
29 on NBC's "Meet the Press." "Well, maybe it is by some amount, and maybe it's
understated. The one thing we do say, which is critical...is there must be a
national study by the Department of Homeland Security on what the minimum needs
are."

Many of the weaknesses revealed on Sept. 11, 2001, have yet to be addressed. For
example, the average fire department has
only enough radios to equip half the firefighters on a shift and breathing
apparatuses for only one-third, according to the report. Also, only one-tenth of
the fire departments are capable of responding to the collapse of a building.
Time and lives were lost on Sept. 11 because the radios of various first responder
groups did not operate on the same frequency. The council estimates that $6.8
billion in additional funds are needed to ensure dependable, interoperable
communications for first responders in the future.

"If you ask me what are the most important things right now for American cities, I
would tell you communications and equipment to deal with chemical/biological
warfare," Rudman said. "We would like radios that work, and we don't have them."

The council also calls for $10.4 billion to update emergency 911 systems.

http://www.fcw.com/fcw/articles/2003/0630/web-first-07-02-03.asp

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