Emergency responders-- drastically underfunded, dangerously unprepared : report of an independent task force sponsored by the Council on Foreign Relations.

Format:

Book

Contributor:

Metzl, Jamie Frederic.

Rudman, Warren B.

Clarke, Richard A. (Richard Alan), 1951-

Council on Foreign Relations.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Terrorism--United States--Prevention.

Terrorism.

United States.

Civil defense--United States.

Civil defense.

Emergency management--United States.

Emergency management.

Physical Description:

xi, 62 pages ; 22 cm

Place of Publication:

New York : Council on Foreign Relations, [2003]

Summary:

Two years after September 11, 2001, the United States is drastically underfunding local emergency responders and remains dangerously unprepared to handle an attack on American soil, particularly one involving chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, or catastophic conventional weapons. If the United States does not take immediate steps to better identify and address the urgent needs of emergency responders, the next terrorist incident could be even more devastating than those of September 11. The Council-sponsored Independent Task Force on Emergency Responders met with emergency responder organizations across the country to assess what would be required to achieve a minimum effective response to a catastrophic terrorist attack. The presently unbudgeted needs total $98.4 billion over the next five years, according to the emergency responder communities and budget experts. Although the Task Force argues that additional funding for emergency responders is urgently needed, the report also stresses the importance of developing national preparedness standards to ensure the most efficient and effective use of limited resources. The Task Force credits the Bush administration, Congress, governors, and mayors with taking important steps since September 11 to respond to the risk of catastrophic terrorism. It does not seek to apportion blame for what has not been done or not been done quickly enough. Rather, the report is aimed at closing the gap between current levels of emergency preparedness and minimum essential preparedness levels across the United States.

Contents:

Task Force Report 7

Budget Estimates 13

Recommendations 15

Task Force Members 25

Emergency Responders Action Group Members 28

Appendix A National Estimates for Homeland Security Emergency Responder Funding 31

Appendix B Excerpt from The National Strategy for Homeland Security 42

Appendix C Homeland Security Presidential Directive-5/HSPD-5 53.

Notes:

Task force chair: Warren B. Rudman; Senior Advisor: Richard A. Clarke; Project Director: Jaime F. Metzl.

Includes bibliographical references.

ISBN:

0876093349

OCLC:

53061219