REGION

Emergency readiness is reassessed

By Peter Schworm, Globe Staff Correspondent, 12/2/2001

ARLBOROUGH - As communities scramble to revamp disaster policies and procedures to confront terrorist threats, emergency planning conversations between state and local officials have taken on a grim urgency and sharpened resolve.

Even emergency leaders, who gathered Wednesday in Marlborough to discuss ways to bolster local and state readiness, are stunned by the scope and pace of the change since Sept. 11.

''Who would foresee, one year ago, we would be here discussing civil defense and terrorism,'' said Steve McGrail, director of the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency.

Emergency officials said that Massachusetts, which began conducting antiterrorism exercises at the local level in 1995, has been ahead of the curve on terrorism readiness for several years, and downplayed recent criticism on the lack of certified emergency plans in many communities. At the same time, MEMA leaders sought to bolster public confidence that state and local officials will react to disasters with speed and foresight.

''We can't be perfect; we can't always be right on the dime,'' said Mike Philbin, MEMA's planning director. ''But there's a reasonable expectation from the public that leaders will take appropriate action when needed to protect them.''

Officials stress the need to extend antiterrorism plans from the state level to communities on the front lines, and pointed to an increased demand for civilian antiterrorist training.

''The recent terrorist events mean we must incorporate today's all-hazards approach to emergency management in local communities,'' McGrail said.

MEMA is helping communities throughout the state update their comprehensive emergency management plans, which in 1998 began including terrorism preparation. State officials acknowledged that overhauling procedures can be a cumbersome, time-consuming, and expensive process, but stressed that response times and overall effectiveness relate directly to preparedness and even small, remote towns are not immune from disaster.

''I guarantee you, in your lifetime, an emergency will happen in your town,'' said John Tommaney, MEMA's operations manager.

In coming months, MEMA will increase efforts to help local officials craft current emergency plans, with particular focus on securing the safety of elderly and disabled residents. With the emergence of greater risks, officials said, the burden of immediate disaster response falls to local authorities.

''State and local officials need to prepare to be self-sufficient for 24 hours before significant federal assistance arrives,'' Philbin said.

One of the goals of comprehensive planning, emergency officials said, is to prepare for multiple simultaneous disasters.

''Unfortunately, in this business, you often aren't going to have just one isolated problem to deal with,'' Tommaney said. ''There are a lot of secondary concerns after the primary event.''

Although some officials expressed concern about the costs of boosting emergency preparation, MEMA officials said state disaster relief has risen in recent years. While the federal government has declared 13 disasters in Massachusetts since 1991, two more than the state during the same span, the state has declared five in the last two years.

''The state is clearly recognizing the need to step in on local disasters that don't trigger a federal response,'' said Christine McCombs, MEMA's disaster recovery manager.

In the same way that local officials seek to comfort skittish citizens during disasters, emergency leaders reassured local officials that the state would help them fulfill their expanded responsibilities. ''It can be overwhelming,'' said Joan Roche, MEMA's training director, ''but you won't be left out there alone.''

This story ran on page W1 of the Boston Globe on 12/2/2001.
© Copyright 2001 Globe Newspaper Company.