Regions Expand Role
in Homeland Security

By Kelly Novak, Research Manager, NADO Research Foundation

Each time the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) raises the security threat level from yellow to orange, local and state governments must respond by increasing security. And each time local governments respond, they take on the added costs of keeping more first responders, like police and firemen, on alert and developing emergency response plans.

Rural localities are already operating on tight budgets, limited revenue resources and limited technology. Regional development organizations (RDOs) are assisting rural localities in overcoming the cost-challenges. Two areas where RDO roles are expanding are in water and transportation security.

Water Protection and Security

Regional organizations are helping local water systems with costs associated with protecting source waters, such as the drinking water supply, to meet new security standards. According to the federal Public Health, Security and Bioterrorism Act (signed into law June 2002) each community water system is required to complete vulnerability self-assessments and integrate the assessments into comprehensive emergency response plans.

Cost-wise, the American Water Works Association (AWWA) officials have estimated that an additional $450 million is required for the 7,500 smaller to medium sized water systems to conduct vulnerability assessments and training. Thus, the number of RDOs already administering Clean Water Revolving Funds, Regional Water Planning (Sec. 504), Safe Drinking Water Revolving Funds, Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) monitoring and other watershed planning is expected to rise. The NADO 2002 Regional Development Organization Survey revealed that 22 percent of America’s RDOs are already administering these water source-related programs.

Many regional organizations have the capacity to assist and are getting involved. For example, Region II Planning and Development Commission in Huntington, West Virginia, has already administered pre-disaster mitigation planning for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), owns and uses GIS for emergency planning and water/sewer infrastructure improvements and administers a safe drinking water revolving fund. Michele P. Craig, Executive Director of Region II commented, “Like the majority of regional planning commissions, we have the relationships and partnerships in place. We already work on inland port security and are starting to be engaged in the vulnerability assessment process, but budgets will have to increase to keep us involved.”

The Aviation and Transportation Security Act that became law in November 2001 developed a series of objectives and authorities to improve transportation security and oversight. Many of the new objectives are now expanding the manner in which RDOs administer transportation planning for rural and small metropolitan areas and the partnerships involved.

The NADO survey showed that 49 percent of responding RDOs are metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs) or regional planning organizations (RPOs). Their roles as MPOs and RPOs have spurred them to be more involved in local emergency planning. A 2002 National League of Cities survey of 725 city officials revealed that city officials had increased their coordination with MPOs and Council of Governments by 33 percent.

Regional development organizations are also expanding intelligent transportation systems (ITS) projects to enhance national security. For example, Whatcom Council of Governments in Washington, as an Intermobility and Trade Corridor partner, conducted research to support the deployment of ITS for commercial trucking border crossings into and from Canada and a registered traveler program.

Securing regional airport perimeters has also been a transportation planning-expansion area for RDOs, considering that there are over 3,500 regional airports in America. Improved security at these regional airports does make them smaller, and a more convenient alternative to larger metro airports, expanding marketability.

For more information contact:

Michele Craig at Region II PDC 304/529-3357, or email mcraig@citynet.net

Hugh Conroy, Whatcom COG at 360/676-6974 or visit www.eccog.org/projects/its.html

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), through the Office for Domestic Preparedness (ODP), is providing $600 million in financial assistance directly to each of the nation’s states and units of local governments through the fiscal year 2003 State Homeland Security Grant Program. “Top priorities for the grant program will be needs assessments, equipment, training, exercise support, and technical assistance,” DHS Secretary Tom Ridge said.

Visit the Department of Homeland Security Web site at www.dhs.gov/dhspublic/ or the Office of Domestic Preparedness (ODP) Web site at www.ojp.usdoj.gov/odp or call 800/368-6498 for information about state allocations. For information about local funding opportunities contact your state ODP. State ODP contact information is available at 202/305-9887.

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