Strengthening Homeland Security -- Crisis Awareness

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Date Posted: 19:56:23 04/23/02 Tue
Author: Important
Subject: Strengthening Homeland Security

For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
January 24, 2002

Strengthening Homeland Security

President Bush's budget for fiscal year 2003 -- the federal government's first post-September 11 budget -- almost doubles spending to secure the homeland. The FY 2003 homeland security budget provides substantial increases in areas that require immediate attention: enhancing first responder programs, securing America's borders, combating bioterrorism, strengthening intelligence sharing, improving transportation security and supporting other national defense related initiatives. This significant increase in resources from $19.5 billion to $37.7 billion reflects the President's unwavering resolve to achieve a more secure homeland.

First Responders -- America's Frontline Soldiers

Police officers, firefighters, and emergency medical teams are America's front-line soldiers in the event of a terrorist attack. With the right training and equipment, these first responders have the greatest potential to save lives and limit casualties. America's current capabilities for responding to a terrorist attack vary widely across the country. Even the best-prepared States and localities lack adequate resources to respond to the full range of terrorist threats this country faces. Many areas have little or no capability to respond to terrorist attacks using weapons of mass destruction.

Facts About First Responders

- There are over 1 million firefighters in the United States, of which approximately 750,000 are volunteers.
- Local police departments have an estimated 556,000 full-time employees including about 436,000 sworn law enforcement personnel.
- Sheriffs' offices reported about 291,000 full-time employees, including about 186,000 sworn officers.
- There are over 155,000 nationally registered emergency medical technicians.

President Bush proposes to spend $3.5 billion in fiscal year 2003 to dramatically enhance the homeland security response capabilities of America's first responders -- a greater than 10-fold increase in Federal resources. This initiative will:

- Give the first responder community critically needed funds to purchase equipment, train their personnel, and plan.

- Provide states and localities with the flexibility they require to ensure that the funds are used in the local areas where they are needed most.

- Establish a consolidated, simple, and quick method for dispersing federal assistance to states and localities.

- Foster mutual aid across the nation so that the entire local, state, federal, and volunteer network can operate seamlessly together.

- Create an evaluation process to make sure that all programs are producing results and to direct the allocation of future resources.

- Involve all Americans in programs to make their homes, communities, states, and nation safer and stronger.

The President's First Responder Initiative will be administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) through a streamlined mechanism designed to speed the flow of resources to the States and localities.

These new funds will sustain first responder activities, including:

Planning. Allocates approximately $105 million to support state and local governments in developing comprehensive plans to prepare for and respond to a terrorist attack.

Equipment. Provides about $2 billion to allow State and local first responder agencies to purchase a wide range of equipment needed to respond effectively to a terrorist attack, including personal protective equipment, chemical and biological detection systems, and interoperable communications gear.

Training. Allocates approximately $1.1 billion to train firefighters, police offices, and emergency medical technicians to respond and operate in a chemical or biological environment.

Exercises. Designates about $245 million to support a coordinated, regular exercise program to improve response capabilities, practice mutual aid, and assess operational improvements and deficiencies.

Strengthening America's first responder community will make our country not only safer, but also stronger. Nearly two million first responders put their lives at risk regularly to save lives and make our country more secure. Hundreds of firefighters, police officers and emergency medical workers gave their lives on September 11 as they worked to save others. The President's First Responder Initiative will help these brave Americans do their jobs better.

Building on existing capabilities at the federal, State, and local level, the First Responder Initiative provides an incentive to develop mutually supportive programs that maximize effective response capability. Through joint planning, clear communication, comprehensive coordination, mutual aid at all levels and increased information sharing, America's first responders can be trained and equipped to save lives in the event of a terrorist attack.

Building first responder capabilities will have immediate and widespread benefit -- making the Nation safer from terrorist attacks and bolstering everyday response capabilities.

Harnessing the power of citizens will help make local communities stronger. Every American can contribute to winning the war on terrorism. The Presidential Task Force on Citizen Preparedness in the War Against Terrorism has outlined ways all citizens can work to make their homes and communities more prepared.

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