**Talking Points**

**Eric Holdeman**

**Director**

**King County (WA) Office of Emergency Management**

**A Local Perspective**

**Emergency Management and Homeland Security**

**October 4, 2005**

What is needed to make our state more disaster resistant:

-   FEMA as an independent, Cabinet Level Agency with an experienced
    "emergency manager" as the Director.

    -   FEMA was perceived by the new administration as an overblown
        entitlement agency.

    -   The agency was allowed to atrophy. 500 positions in a 2,500
        person agency are currently unfilled.

    -   Project Impact was killed because it was seen as a
        Clinton/Democratic initiative that was purely a marketing
        scheme. In reality it saved lives in the Nisqually Earthquake in
        the City of Seattle. If it was so bad, why are some local
        governments locally continuing their Project Impact efforts?

    -   FEMA must retain the disaster preparedness function (planning,
        training, exercises). The Secretary Chertoff stage two proposal
        takes that function and gives it to a entirely new organization
        that has yet to be established.

    -   This is critical because the Department of Homeland Security
        (DHS) has shown no ability to coordinate across their
        directorate level divisions.

    -   Hazard Mitigation Program Grants (HMPG) need to be restored to
        previous levels. The Mitigation Act of 2000 allowed for an
        expansion of funds to 20% of post disaster costs, if state and
        local jurisdictions had produced mitigation plans. Funding from
        the administration has been reduced overtime to being at only
        7.5%. Congress had restored it to 15% in previous years from the
        President's proposed budget.

-   FEMA should not be part of DOD!! We have a federal system of
    government that is civilian led.

    -   The military does not have a clue on how civilian governments
        respond to disasters.

    -   The active duty military is stretched thin already with its
        military missions.

    -   The current operations tempo of the active duty and reserve
        components is wearing out people and equipment at a high rate.

    -   The failure to respond to Katrina was due to a failure in DHS to
        orchestrate federal resources in a timely and efficient manner.

    -   Resorting to "another" military option is neither wise nor
        practical.

-   DHS has been stacked with DOJ personnel/leadership

    -   There has been zero interest in an all-hazard approach.

    -   Look for "any" emergency management experienced leadership in
        DHS!!

    -   They talk all-hazard, HPD-8 calls for an all-hazard approach,
        but the funding and actions don't match the rhetoric.

    -   Look at the debate for allocating funding to states. The risk
        based proposal is [all about terrorism]{.underline}, and
        [nothing about the all-hazards]{.underline} risks that exist.

    -   This is a top-down leadership driven national effort with a
        "going through the motions" of state and local coordination.

    -   DHS will be talking about how they have added "capabilities"
        with a terrorism approach, therefore there is improvement across
        the board for "all-hazards."

    -   While the above is "somewhat" correct, it would also be true
        that having an earthquake emphasis would add capability for
        counter terrorism, [but they don't accept that
        argument]{.underline}.

    -   DHS does not have regional offices to coordinate their programs,
        and no plans to establish regional offices.

    -   If DHS moves disaster preparedness to another directorate from
        FEMA, there will be [no one regionally or locally]{.underline}
        with whom to coordinate planning, training and exercising. All
        wisdom and direction will only emanate from the beltway, which
        has been the case for the last four years.

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-   Homeland Security Funding was reduced by one third in FFY05. What we
    need is for federal funding to remain stable and allow a balanced
    approach to all-hazards preparedness. This flexibility in using
    federal resources can best prepare the nation for any disaster.

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-   It appears that DHS is moving towards a "systems approach" to
    analyzing and describing to congress the readiness of the nation for
    terrorism.

    -   This is going to be another huge time suck of state and local
        resources to collect data and report it to DHS.

    -   DHS wants the information so they can roll it all up into charts
        and graphs for briefing congress on the readiness of the nation.

    -   In reality this process will add zero value to protecting
        people, property and the environment in states, counties and
        cities that are impacted by disasters.

-   The Federal Government does not know how to partner with state and
    local governments

    -   They talk partnership, but when it comes time to
        collaborate---they want their way.

    -   Relying on the RAND Corporation and other consultants to
        determine national policy will establish a skewed system that is
        un-executable at the state and local level.

    -   The FFY05 UASI Grant required "everyone in the nation to do an
        "Improvised Explosive Device" (IED) exercise. King County had
        spent a year preparing for and conducting an IED exercise in
        March 2005, yet we were going to be required to do another one,
        no matter what we had practiced regionally already.

    -   The IED Exercise requirement is a good example of the nut roll
        we've been put through on numerous occasions by DHS

        -   In November/December DHS mandates an IED Exercise in their
            FFY05 guidance

        -   We are required to produce a regional IED Plan before doing
            the exercise, but must follow a planning template that will
            be provided by DHS until March 2005. We cannot do anything
            to plan or conduct the exercise until we get the planning
            template

        -   The template is delayed and promised in April, then May,
            then June. In July DHS is planning on eliminating the IED
            exercise requirement, but the London Bombings make them
            rethink that notion. In August we are informed "verbally"
            that the IED requirement is "off the table" and a new
            requirement will be established, but they don't know what
            that is.

        -   They expect to have guidance to locals by December 2005 (one
            year after being awarded the funds, 15 months from when the
            grant funds expire.

    -   Look at the TOPOFF Exercises

        -   These are more "demonstrations" than exercises.

        -   The private sector has yet to be integrated appropriately
            into the exercise

        -   Media are excluded from participating "in" the exercise.

        -   TOPOFF 2 (T2) King County was not allowed to orchestrate the
            exercise to benefit our regional preparedness needs.

-   Pandemic Flu is the greatest threat to our nation and DHS has been
    doing nothing to prepare our all-hazards response system for its
    eventuality, other than looking at bio terrorism. Department of
    Health and CDC have carried the load, but the impacts of a pandemic
    will have cataclysmic impacts to people and our economy. It could
    trigger a worldwide economic depression.

-   For Homeland Security Grants we need to:

    -   Establish HLS Block Grants

    -   Simplify and streamline program rules, including eligibility
        rules and especially reporting requirements.

    -   King County OEM has gone from spending 75% of our staff time on
        disaster preparedness in 2001 to only 25% of our time in the
        first six months of 2005. The other 50% is now spent on HLS
        grant administration.

    -   The FFY05 grants were awarded in December. King County was only
        able to sign our contract with Washington State in order to be
        able to expend funds in July 2005.

    -   Specifically we need DHS to:

        -   Collapse five category budgets (planning, training,
            exercises, equipment, administration) into one single budget
            with approved project spending levels. Managing five
            separate budgets per grant is inefficient and time
            consuming.

        -   Increase the management/administrative allowance **currently
            at 3% which means we are taking funds and staff time from
            other all-hazard resources, i.e. EMPG (\$186K for three
            years) to fund HLS grant administration**; eliminate the
            distinction between HLS planning vs. administrative staff.
            The time devoted to accounting for the distinction is
            wasteful.

        -   Allow for the flexibility to fund all-hazards projects

        -   Manage grants from regional offices rather than from D.C.
            and improve coordination and customer service,
            [or]{.underline} give states more authority to administer
            grants with minimal federal oversight.

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-   What has DHS done right?

    -   The new National Response Plan (NRP) does look to establish an
        integrated approach to how federal, state, local and the private
        sector responds to disasters.

    -   The National Incident Management System (NIMS) will help in
        bridging the various response systems that exist across the
        nation. It brings the Incident Command System (ICS) to the fore,
        and will eventually (responders East of the Mississippi River
        are still fighting it) improve the nation's ability to respond
        as a coordinated whole.

    -   Funding has been provided to build up the capability of the
        nation to respond to Chemical Biological, Radiological, Nuclear,
        and Explosive (CBRNE) events

    -   Emergency managers have a better working relationship with law
        enforcement than ever before. Example: the FBI is now the
        principal federal agency with which the King County Office of
        Emergency Management works, replacing FEMA as the coordinating
        body regionally.

    -   The Target Capabilities List (TCL) and Universal Task List (UTL)
        are good at describing the ideal conditions. They should be made
        available as tools to assist state and local jurisdictions in
        their planning, not as sticks to beat them with over
        non-compliance.

    -   The 15 Exercise Scenarios are good tools for worst case
        planning. However, some jurisdictions might have dam failure as
        a worst case, and they should be allowed the flexibility to
        use/add other "worst case" scenarios based on their local needs.

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-   If I was FEMA Director, my emphasis would be:

    -   Building local and regional all-hazard (which includes
        terrorism) disaster resilient communities.

    -   This goes beyond just government, public and private
        organizations must be part of the solution

    -   Focus of FEMA would be on building up FEMA Regional capability
        and empowering the FEMA Regions to provide leadership and
        facilitation at the state and local levels to improve the
        nation's capability to prevent (mitigate) and respond to
        disasters.

    -   FEMA staff would be directed to be coordinators and facilitators
        of improved disaster preparedness.

    -   Public education would play a key role in preparing the nation
        for disasters.

    -   FEMA Regions would be charged with coordinating closely with all
        federal agencies within their geographic region to incorporate
        them into state and local exercises, to improve a seamless
        response during actual events.

    -   I would advocate for an expansion of Emergency Management
        Performance Grant (EMPG) funding that is flexible enough to do
        the above.

    -   Funding for the expansion of the EMPG can come from the current
        appropriations for HLS (SHSP and UASI).

    -   In FEMA National Office I would fill current vacancies with
        qualified and experienced staff.

    -   Leadership positions would be filled with emergency managers
        with local, state or federal (FEMA Regional) experience.

    -   There would be an emphasis on "catastrophic" disaster planning.
        If you are ready for the worst case, then you will be ready for
        lesser sized events.

    -   The national exercise scenarios would be used and state and
        local jurisdictions would have the flexibility to choose the
        exercise of their choice.

    -   Reestablish disaster mitigation as an area of emphasis for the
        federal government. It will over time reduce the impact of
        disasters on people and property. Federal funding is needed to
        provide this emphasis.

    -   The Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) Teams must be fully funded at
        between \$30-45M per year.

-   In Washington State we need legislation to:

    -   Establish a California like Standardized Emergency Management
        System (SEMS). Perhaps taking the current HLS regions that are
        administrative only in nature, and making them operational for
        disasters.

    -   A funding mechanism for state and local emergency management
        similar to the State of Florida's. They use a small fee (\$2-4)
        on all property tax policies to fund.

    -   The establishment of state emergency management regional offices
        to assist counties and cities in developing individual and
        regional integrated approaches to emergency and disaster
        preparedness.

    -   Fund a state seismic safety research and preparedness program
        that works in concert with USGS that is appropriate for the
        2^nd^ most vulnerable state in the nation to seismic issues
        (earthquakes, volcanoes, and tsunamis).

    -   A realistic public education program. The State's entire
        all-hazards public education budget for the last biennium was
        \$33K.

    -   Repeal of the RCW 38.52 law that prohibits evacuation planning
        for nuclear attack events.

    -   That allows citizens to have life saving medications on hand for
        a minimum of seven days (current medical insurance polices do
        not allow people to have such levels of medications on hand).
        This is a death sentence for children on insulin in any
        significant disaster.