October 6, 2003

HOMELAND SECURITY FUNDING ISN'T REACHING MOST CITIES, REPORT FINDS
By James Aldridge

Even after the recent two-year anniversary of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, American cities by and large are still not equipped to handle a terrorist attack or natural disaster.

That's because the majority of the funds from the Department of Homeland Security earmarked for local communities still have yet to be received at the city level, according to a new survey released by the U.S. Conference of Mayors.

San Antonio the 10th largest city in the U.S. still has not received its $5.1 million allocation in federal homeland security funding.

San Antonio is looking to use its allocation to, among other things, purchase specialized hazardous material (hazmat) suits in order to protect first responders in the event of an attack involving weapons of mass destruction.

First responders are the firefighters, police patrol officers, and emergency medical personnel first called on the scene of an emergency.

The city would also like to use part of the money to pay for detection and decontamination equipment. Each day those funds are delayed, it puts local business owners and residents at risk in the event of a major emergency.

Still waiting

Some $1.5 billion was authorized this spring by Congress to fund new equipment to help first responders effectively respond to emergencies. However, 90 percent of cities surveyed say that they have yet to receive their share of that funding.

And among those cities awaiting funds, only 37 percent say they received notification that the funds are forthcoming.

However, even though San Antonio is expecting to receive its $5.1 million allocation, the money represents only a fraction of the money needed to address the city's wish list to adequately defend the community.

Emergency managers in San Antonio have no exact figures on how much it would cost to adequately protect the region. However, that figure is in the "hundred million-dollar category," according to official sources.

Ultimately, if the needs are fully funded, long-term plans could include making significant upgrades to transportation monitoring and possibly monitoring stations throughout the area to detect biological, nuclear, and/or chemical agents. "It's a major undertaking."

One thing the Department of Homeland Security has not provided local communities is help in paying for personnel costs, which can be exorbitant as cities increase staffing levels especially during times of heightened security.

The new homeland security funding will only help the city protect local residents further from a terrorist attack or natural disaster.

In the meantime, cities are coordinating individuals, businesses, and communities throughout the region to contribute to protecting the home front.

Officials with the Department of Homeland Security could not be reached for comment.

Critical

The U.S. Conference of Mayors has been critical of the Bush administration for failing to deliver funds to protect the home front.

The nonpartisan organization has been working since 9/11 to track the distribution of federal homeland security dollars.

With input from officials in 168 cities in 50 states, the U.S. Conference of Mayors' Homeland Security Monitoring Center released its first Mayors' Report to the Nation last week. City Policy Associates in Washington, D.C., prepared the report on behalf of the association.

Most of those homeland security dollars, according to the report, are being "held hostage" at the state level until the funds can be disbursed to local communities. The national organization had wanted Congress to make grant funds available to cities directly.

Terrorism expert Saul B. Wilen, president of San Antonio-based International Horizons Unlimited, says the homeland-security funding for cities is being shifted to other fronts on the war on terrorism, he explains.

"These (funds) were allocated a year ago ...," he says. "Local areas have been put behind the 8-ball. The system is not working."

He adds unlike the federal government, which can engage in deficit spending, state and local governments throughout the country are being forced to cut expenses to shore up budget shortfalls.

"Our local responders should be given the funds ... and they should be received in a timely fashion," Wilen says. "We're beating down the morale reserve of our first responders."