Protecting Rural America

The residual effects of September 11 have made Americans realize that America is not as safe as once thought. With the establishment of federal and state offices of homeland security, Americans are preparing for terrorism in all possible forms. Activities range from stockpiling medications, creating emergency response plans and being mindful of potential targets of terrorism like nuclear plants and public water supplies.

What does this mean for state and local governments? According to the National Governors Association (NGA), state costs associated with funding homeland security measures for the first year alone are estimated to be $4 billion — $3 billion for bioterrorism preparedness and emergency communications and $1 billion for guarding critical infrastructure. Vermont Governor Howard Dean cited new security responsibilities as significant problems for states already facing budget shortfalls. “Since September 11 it has become apparent that our emergency response and security networks were woefully under funded. Governors were requested to assist in the security of our nation’s borders, airports, nuclear power plants, dams and bridges, many of which fall under federal jurisdiction without a defined plan of reimbursement for the costs incurred. For the many states that are currently facing budget crises, spending millions of dollars to purchase gasmasks, communications equipment for first responders and maintaining security at key facilities will require cuts in other state programs.”

The National Association of Counties December 10 County News explained that prior to September 11, 94 percent of counties had emergency response plans. However, most were not prepared for the new type of terrorism and had to scramble to implement new safety measures. This has led to significant costs to counties that were unprepared to cover the costs of new security badges, overtime for security personnel and lost revenues. The largest added expenditure for counties has been public safety, particularly overtime and added person-hours to secure county buildings.

The National League of Cities conducted a terrorism preparedness survey in September 2001. Of all cities surveyed:

• 55 percent said they had a terrorism response or prevention plan in place.

• 83 percent of cities with populations of 100,000 or more had a plan in place.

• 59 percent of cities with populations of 10,000-100,000 had a plan in place.

• 40 percent of cities with population of fewer than 10,000 had a plan in place.

When asked if their city has had terrorism training:

• Of all cities, 48 percent said yes.

• Of cities with populations of 100,000 or more, 85 percent said yes.

• Of cities with populations of 10,000-100,000, 50 percent said yes.

• Of cities with populations below 10,000, 32 percent said yes.

Regional Approaches

Regional development organizations in small metropolitan and rural areas are also preparing their citizens for the worst in terms of terrorism. The South Carolina Appalachian Council of Governments (ACOG) located in Greenville, South Carolina, and an Economic Development Administration (EDA) funded district serving six counties and 42 municipalities, with a population of more than 1,000,000, recently held terrorism awareness briefings and workshops. More than 80 city and county council members, managers and key emergency personnel attended. Three separate workshops were conducted by representatives from the state’s Emergency Preparedness Division, the local office of the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) and the region’s emergency response team.

Did You Know? of cities with a population under 10,000: 60% do not have a terrorism response or prevention plan in place. 68% have never had terrorism training. Source: National League of Cities (2001)

The course provided awareness-level training designed to assist local elected officials in making decisions dealing with potential threats. The materials covered were based upon a US Department of Defense (DoD) lesson plan and included information on terrorist threats, weapons of mass destruction, planned responses, legal issues and liability, intergovernmental planning and South Carolina’s emergency response planning. ACOG also facilitated a seminar on Security of Water Systems, featuring security experts in water safety. Finally, the COG created a manual about homeland security, based on the DoD’s lesson plan.

According to Joe Newton, ACOG’s Director of Governmental Services, “We were already working with emergency services providers, fire departments, rescue squads, and the emergency response teams to create a terrorism procedures manual prior to September 11, which is a standard procedure. However, once September 11 hit, we put together our terrorism awareness course in a hurry. We were able to do this quickly because we already had the contacts through our day-to-day work.”

ACOG is currently focusing on training and preparedness. At some point in the future, they will link their homeland security work with their Geographic Information Systems mapping work. Newton explained, “Working on a regional basis is easier; the counties do not have the capacity to do this type of work. We are just trying to see what kind of role we can fulfill in terms of additional training and coordination and facilitating other homeland defense groups.”

Bob Strother, ACOG’s Executive Director explained, “Responding to the threat of a terrorist attack is uncharted waters for most local governments. By helping our local elected officials respond to a terrorist-related emergency, these seminars were a means of combating the feelings of vulnerability and helplessness we were all experiencing at that time. The seminars showed our local county and municipal leaders what resources were available to them, which agency or agencies could respond to what situations, and how best to coordinate the various efforts at the local level.”

For more information contact: Joe Newton or Bob Strother of ACOG at 864/242-9733 or email strother@scacog.org or newton@scacog.org.

The Department of Justice’s Office for Domestic Preparedness offers technical assistance is responsible for enhancing state and local capacity to respond to and mitigate domestic terrorism. Call 800/368-6498 or visit www.ojp.usdoj.gov/odp; or www.fema.gov

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