Survey paints grim picture of preparedness
By MIMI HALL
USA TODAY
Copyright 2006 Gannett Company, Inc.
All Rights Reserved
WASHINGTON — Eight in 10 cities say their emergency responders still can’t communicate with each other or area towns, 44% have not created or updated their evacuation plans, and nearly three-quarters say they’re not prepared to handle a flu pandemic outbreak.
A survey of 183 cities by the U.S. Conference of Mayors set to be released today paints a grim picture of the nation’s disaster preparedness nearly five years after the 9/11 attacks and nearly one year after Hurricane Katrina.
“Does the public want to hear this? I don’t think so,” says Dearborn, Mich., Mayor Michael Guido, a Republican and head of the mayors’ group. He says cities need more money from Washington but also must do more on their own — sign mutual-aid agreements with area towns, plan to share equipment in emergencies and line up companies ahead of time for tasks such as debris removal.
The survey includes cities in 38 states, ranging from Bothell, Wash., population 30,150, to New York City, 8 million residents. The report does not list each city’s answers.
Among the findings:
- Most cities say they have not received enough money to get police and firefighters the radios and equipment they need to be able to talk with each other in a crisis.
- More than 4 in 10 cities say they have not created or updated evacuation plans since last year’s Gulf Coast hurricanes.
- The Federal Emergency Management Agency, criticized for its slow response to Katrina, got mixed reviews on how much confidence cities have that the agency would respond quickly after a major disaster. On a scale of 1 to 10, the average response was a 5.2.
The Homeland Security Department has doled out more than $18billion in grants to states and communities since 2003, including more than $2 billion for improved communications. Still, “we’re not where we need to be nationally” to be ready for catastrophes, says preparedness chief George Foresman. He said most cities have bought equipment but need more emphasis on training and exercises.
Elizabeth, N.J., Mayor J. Christian Bollwage, a Democrat, says cities “have been left to do it on their own, (and) the property taxpayers of this country do not have the resources to fund national security.”