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On October 23, 2008, The George Washington University’s Homeland Security Policy Institute (HSPI) hosted the second event in its Presidential Transition Roundtable Series – “A National Approach to Prevention, Preparedness and Response: Shaping Expectations, Enhancing Capabilities.” The panel discussion featured leading experts in the field: Michael Balboni, Deputy Secretary for Public Safety for the State of New York; William Bratton, Chief of the Los Angeles Police Department; George Foresman, former DHS Under Secretary for National Protection and Programs; and Michael Hickey, Chairman, U.S. Chamber of Commerce National Security and Emergency Preparedness Task Force.
Congressional Quarterly coverage 1 of event (Registration required)
Congressional Quarterly coverage 2 of event (Registration required)
America has yet to achieve a genuinely national approach to prevention, preparedness and response. The roundtable considered how best to integrate the capabilities and efforts of all levels of government, the private sector, and the not-for-profit sector.
Foresman observed that we are not truly prepared for a catastrophic event in the United States, whether natural, man-made, or cyber. Of the four pillars of preparedness, we are strongest on response and recovery, but need to shore up our prevention and protection capabilities. He noted that the system for managing disasters is broken, and reforming it will be a fundamental challenge for the incoming Administration. The different levels of government in this country were not designed to be interoperable, but rather, are independent levels of government that interoperate. Moving forward, the United States must figure out how best to marry up anti-crime, counter-terrorism and other efforts, so as to achieve a more robust preparedness posture overall.
Foresman emphasized that building a culture of preparedness is crucial, and this means engaging and galvanizing the American public. In response to a question from HSPI Senior Fellow and Task Force Member David Heyman about “engaging the public without scaring the public,” Foresman noted that it is important for the next Administration to “take some time to listen to lessons learned from this Administration” in terms of public messaging. He added that there is at least a 100-day window where the next Administration can help shape expectations for preparedness and response to future national crises.
The private sector is also instrumental to a national approach sustained by enhanced capabilities. Hickey noted that resilience “starts at home” with the individual corporation, and is multi-layered. Looking to the future, he suggested that a wide range of partners should come together, including the National Governors Association and the National Emergency Management Association, in order to take a regional approach that will enable effective response to crises.
Former U.S. Attorney General Edwin Meese, an HSPI Steering Committee Member and the lead for the 1980 transition efforts of then President-elect Reagan, raised the issue of the role of the National Guard. In response, Foresman stressed the importance of training and equipping the Guard for its 21st century mission. Balboni noted that New York State now has a rapid reaction force staffed by National Guard troops and based in Hamilton, which will allow for onsite arrival in one hour. In the context of this discussion, HSPI Director Frank Cilluffo cited the need for pre-arranged mutual assistance between, among and across States in the form of emergency management “compacts.”
The panelists offered a few simple, concrete pieces of advice to the next Administration. Bratton suggested that getting the right people in the right positions is of first and foremost importance, while Foresman suggested that incoming individuals with key leadership roles should participate in exercises designed to enhance their crisis decision-making abilities. Balboni accentuated the need to exert real leadership – to make tough decisions in tough times, while Hickey encouraged the next Administration to bring the private sector into prevention, preparedness and response efforts in an ever-more integral manner.
To meet prevailing challenges, Bratton also called for a “convergent strategy” that weaves together community policing and counterterrorism strategies under the “guiding philosophy” of intelligence-led policing. For maximum operational effectiveness, a supporting culture, capability and awareness of the “first preventer” role of local police must be created. Strategic relationships must be forged and an “international consciousness” attained, with both grounded locally. Collaboration with a wide range of partners, including academia and the private sector, is necessary. Building and leveraging intelligence at the State and local levels also means resourcing their law enforcement authorities.
Balboni, in turn, emphasized that “disconnects” still exist seven years out from 9/11. Spending continues on fusion centers meant to remedy the pre-9/11 failure to “connect the dots,” but creating an infrastructure does not solve the problem. We have yet to define what a “successful” fusion center looks like, and further national discussion is needed with regard to privacy concerns. Intelligence products and information flows are not yet standardized, and we are still relying on a “leap of faith” that the individual who hands out information actually knows who needs it. In sum, he argued for a homeland security system and strategy that is scaleable and flexible, tailored to current needs (rather than fighting the last war), and that does more with less given the economic constraints that prevail. An all hazards, all crimes approach is needed. Cilluffo reinforced this idea, observing that fighting terrorism and fighting crime “is not an either/or proposition.”
HSPI’s Presidential Transition Roundtable Series seeks to foster thoughtful dialogue in order to generate actionable recommendations designed to meet the most vexing challenges the United States faces today. The findings of the Series are expected to supplement and complement the work of HSPI’s Presidential Transition Task Force.
