The events of September 11, 2001 weakened the
American public’s confidence in the government’s ability to protect our
homeland from terrorist attack. While
international terrorism is principally a Federal responsibility, in light of
new realities, states must do more
to prepare to combat all types of terrorism.
Florida’s economic prosperity depends heavily on travel and tourism, and
it’s citizens and visitors have the right to feel and be safe. It is important that Florida’s government
leaders take immediate steps to ensure that this State is safe from and
prepared to respond in the event of a terrorist attack.
Accordingly, on September 14, 2001, Governor Jeb Bush
formally directed the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) and the
Florida Division of Emergency Management (DEM) to immediately complete a
comprehensive assessment of Florida’s capability to prevent, mitigate, and
respond to a terrorist attack. Under
the State plan, FDLE is the lead agency for crisis management and DEM is the
lead agency for consequence management.
The Governor directed these agencies to consult with all involved
parties and recommend improvements for strengthening the state’s anti-terrorism
strategy. Governor Bush further
directed that the Assessment examine our capabilities regarding training
programs, equipment, and execution protocols, focusing particularly on
preventing/mitigating a terrorist attack.
The Governor requested a report be completed within ten working days.
To meet these goals four primary workgroups were formed
around the State’s existing emergency support functions: Emergency Services, Human Services, Critical Infrastructure, and Public
Information & Awareness. Using
the existing networks of law enforcement, firefighters, emergency medical services,
and selected private sector partners, these workgroups collected information
about Florida’s existing capabilities and capacities.
An Assessment Tool was developed and deployed to collect
critical information not already available at the State level. Outstanding response was received from
Sheriffs, Police, Fire/Rescue, Emergency Medical, and State agencies, as well
as critical private sector industries.
Although this was not a scientific survey, the returned instruments
provided valuable insight into the status of Florida’s anti-terrorism
preparedness.
Subject matter experts were asked to join the workgroups to
review and analyze the information and develop recommendations for
strengthening Florida's safety and security framework. Subject matter experts included sheriff,
police, and fire and emergency services professionals as well as private sector
partners critical in maintaining public and government services. Recommendations of this group were reviewed,
validated and approved by the chief executives of State, County, and Municipal
agencies with emergency responsibilities in Florida.
The primary recommendations for strengthening Florida’s
anti-terrorism preparedness are outlined in this report. It is noted that these recommendations will
add value not only in strengthening the State’s anti-terrorism strategy, but
also to our overall public safety issues.
It
is noted that references to anti-terrorism in this document refer to both
domestic and international threats to the safety of Florida’s citizens and
visitors.
Governor
Bush’s Charge
Review and make recommendations for improving the existing emergency response framework, and strengthen Florida’s Anti-Terrorism Strategy regarding:
· Equipment
· Training
Programs
· Execution
Protocols
1.
Validate and build on existing State Comprehensive Emergency
Management Plan
2.
Strengthen Florida’s anti-terrorism preparedness and
prevention
3.
Maximize involvement of federal, state, and local
government, as well as appropriate private sector entities
4.
Implement recommendations for improvement using existing
regional FDLE/DEM model
I. Emergency Services
Law Enforcement
1. Implement REGIONAL ANTI-TERRORISM TASK FORCES (RATTF) in each of
the seven FDLE/DEM regions. Florida’s
preparation for and response to threats and acts of terrorism must be
regionally designed and implemented.
Otherwise, our effort will be fragmented and ineffective, and the
associated costs will soar.
«
Organize RATTFs on the Incident Command System Model to
be led by FDLE, a Sheriffs Office, or a Police Department. RATTFs will be responsible to a statewide,
multi-agency oversight board, consisting of representatives from FDLE, Florida
Sheriffs, and Florida Police Chiefs. Duties include coordination of training, law enforcement
disaster response teams, monitoring terrorist groups, collection and
dissemination of intelligence and investigative information, participation in
subsequent criminal investigation in the event of an attack.
«
Cross-designate all law enforcement personnel assigned
to the task forces, similar to the narcotics task forces.
«
Charter RATTFs to work with federal task forces to
ensure a seamless effort in preventing, predicting and responding to terrorist
attacks.
Long Term
«
Authorize the
establishment of the RATTFs in Florida Statute.
2. ENSURE
all response personnel receive appropriate training. TRAINING is critical to
the safety of law enforcement personnel and the efficient and effective
handling of terrorist incidents.
Without proper training, the tragic effects of the initial incident
would, in fact, worsen and become further complicated.
«
Ensure Basic Awareness Level training is provided for
all first responders. The curriculum
should be included in both the basic law enforcement recruit academy and
mandatory in-service retraining.
«
Conduct recurring Incident Command System Training for
supervisors.
«
Schedule and provide enhanced training for bomb
response.
Long Term
«
Implement mandatory Weapons of Mass Destruction Operations
Level training for tactical response teams such as SWAT or Emergency Response
Teams.
« Provide enhanced Unified Command Training for interdisciplinary unit response.
« Conduct, annually, a full-scale functional exercise to validate training and maintain a state of readiness.
3. Identify and obtain
appropriate equipment for all response efforts. EQUIPMENT is essential to ensure immediate, effective, and safe
response.
«
Equip all responding law enforcement personnel with the
necessary types of Personal Protection Equipment needed for each of the varying
duties to be performed at the scene of any incident. Training is of limited benefit without this type of equipment,
especially in cases of biological and chemical contaminants.
«
Identify specialized field equipment necessary to
support a major incident scene, such as generators, portable lighting, and
robotic equipment as identified in the FDLE Mutual Aid Resource System (MARS).
Long Term
«
Identify and upgrade mobile command post vehicles and related
equipment to provide for on-site command and communication.
«
Identify and/or purchase specialized response
vehicle/vessels/aircraft (i.e., armored vehicles, and offshore patrol boats).
«
Extend MARS database to other public safety network
users and expand it to include their information, while maintaining existing
confidentiality.
4. Enhance retrieving, storing
and sharing of vital intelligence and investigative information. INTELLIGENCE and investigative information
is critical to the prevention, response and subsequent investigation of a
terrorist attack.
«
Expand utility of anti-terrorism data through creation
of a dedicated statewide anti-terrorism database maintained by the FDLE Office
of Statewide Intelligence (OSI) and make available to all Florida law
enforcement agencies for their respective regions.
«
Share anti-terrorism intelligence and investigative
information gathered in Florida by Regional Anti-Terrorism Task Forces with
federal terrorism task forces.
«
Provide a clearinghouse and analysis function for
terrorism intelligence, to include a comprehensive document security protocol,
through the Office of Statewide Intelligence.
«
Encourage cooperation between Public Health components
and the Regional Anti-Terrorism Task Force in combined criminal and
epidemiological investigations.
«
Identify all government and public databases and
methodologies that contain information needed in the anti-terrorism efforts.
«
Provide funding for the Regional Anti-Terrorism Task
Forces to obtain intelligence and investigative information from informants.
«
Obtain full access to Banking Secrecy Act data for
analysis and comparison related to terrorism and other criminal investigative
efforts.
5. Coordinate COMMUNICATION command and control between responding
agencies. A compatible communication
system is essential to the efficient and effective response and recovery
efforts during terrorist incidents.
«
Ensure
compatibility of the state law enforcement 800 MHz system with local government
entities (law enforcement and emergency response agencies).
«
Establish complete redundancy for emergency radio
communication and information systems.
« Adopt Legislation and/or Public Service Commission rule to
require commercial cellular telephone carriers to provide prioritization of
frequencies to public safety users during critical incidents.
«
Integrate Law
Enforcement, Fire, and EMS systems for cross-disciplinary communication.
«
Disburse federal
funds consistent with priorities outlined in Assessing Florida’s Anti-Terrorism Capabilities.
6. Enhance early warning, response and recovery
capabilities through PROVEN AND EMERGING TECHNOLOGY for Public Safety agencies.
«
Enhance investigative capability for
cyber-terrorism/computer network security.
«
Contract with a private vendor for single point of
access to public sources of information (i.e. drivers license information,
motor vehicle registration, etc).
«
Integrate Automated Fingerprint Identification System
technology with regulatory databases to promote more effective screening of
applicants, employees, and licensees.
«
Expand CJNet to be accessible to other public safety
entities (i.e., county OEM, EMS, Fire/Rescue).
7. ENHANCE and
EXPAND prevention/regulation/statutory remedies to combat terrorism.
¨
Expand wiretap and
surveillance capabilities ensuring that they incorporate new technologies (i.e.
wireless communications) and conform to federal law.
¨
Identify and/or train
language experts for use in wiretap and surveillance activities.
¨
Create a mechanism by
which dissemination of otherwise public records can be postponed when
disclosure could adversely affect an on-going criminal investigation.
¨
Examine need for
regulation of certain industries (i.e. flight training schools, hazardous
material transportation companies).
Long Term
« Expand Public Records Exemptions for records related to:
¨
Anti-Terrorism
Prevention
¨
Anti-Terrorism
Intelligence
¨
Security Plans
¨
Response Plans
¨
Vulnerability
Assessments
¨
Law Enforcement
communication devices including assigned telephones and pagers.
¨
Arrest booking
documents and information that if released may compromise an on-going
investigation.
« Create a mechanism to allow information generated and
maintained by regulatory agencies to systematically generate and disseminate
notifications to FDLE’s Office of Statewide Intelligence of matches against
suspect lists.
« Provide immunity from liability for those making good faith
reports of “suspicious activity or persons” to law enforcement and for the good
faith maintenance by law enforcement of such information and intelligence.
« Require background checks and employment standards for
individuals working or having regular access to ports of transportation.
« Consider options to enable law enforcement to detain for a reasonable
period of times those individuals suspected of terrorist activities or
involvement.
8.
Implement
short and long term recommendations regarding issuance of driver licenses and
identification cards.
« Implement measures to eliminate the inadvertent issuance of
fraudulent driver licenses. The Florida
Driver License is a universally accepted form of identification and driver
license records (photos, applications, and transactions) contain a wealth of
information that supports the investigative process. The integrity of documents and proof of identity is crucial to
the protection of citizens, business community and law enforcement. The driver license issuance process must be
enhanced to ensure reliability and validation of identity (specific recommendations
have been approved).
«
Acquire equipment for driver’s license issuance to
create a record of companion documents used to establish identity.
«
Provide a high level
of identity security and enhance
the forensics aspects of investigative activities through use of layered
biometrics technology, such as facial recognition, fingerprint and iris
scanning. When applied to programs such
as driver license issuance, biometrics provides a competent method to ensure
the integrity of the issuance process.
9. EXAMINE federal issues that if addressed would improve State and National
anti-terrorism efforts.
«
Encourage
Immigration & Naturalization Service to tackle lack of resources and
improve responsiveness to requests for assistance.
« Provide authority for local and state law enforcement to act
under INS/federal law and to locally detain those individuals believed to be in
violation of immigration laws until federal agents can assume control.
« Explore the creation of a reporting window for foreign
nationals currently in the United States to submit for fingerprinting,
photographing and determination of legal documentation. Apply the new standards to all entering
foreign nationals.
« Identify a means for sharing classified intelligence
information relative to potential threats with appropriate state officials.
« Participate in state task forces and supply relevant
intelligence information.
« Supplement Sky Marshal program with experienced and
cross-designated local law enforcement officers.
«
Consider
development of Sea Marshal program for protection of cruise ships and vessels
transporting critical and/or sensitive cargo.
Long Term
« Automate interface between INS databases and FCIC Hot Files
(wanted persons, stolen vehicles, etc) to provide local law enforcement an automatic
response to determine if a foreign national is legally documented.
« Explore possibility of obtaining and storing current
photograph and fingerprints of foreign nationals upon entry into the United
States (utilizing LiveScan type technology).
1. ENSURE
all response personnel receive appropriate training. TRAINING is critical to
the safety for fire and emergency service personnel and the efficient and
effective response to and mitigation of terrorist incidents.
«
Enhance Awareness training for all Emergency Responders.
«
Provide funding for Operations through Technician Level
training.
«
Develop training and capacity for mass casualty
incidents in each are of the state.
«
Adopt the use of the Incident Management System
«
Construct an Urban Search and Rescue training facility
for statewide utilization.
«
Establish Mass Casualty training for all EMS and health
care agencies and facilities.
«
Conduct, annually, a full-scale functional exercise to
validate training and maintain a state of readiness, maximizing reality-based
scenarios.
2. Identify and obtain
appropriate equipment for all response efforts. EQUIPMENT is an essential component with training to ensure
safety, effective response and mitigation.
«
Begin acquiring Personal Protection Equipment needed to
perform the varying duties at the scene of any incident. Training is of limited benefit without this
type of equipment.
«
Identify and begin upgrading mobile command post
vehicles and related equipment for on-site command and communication.
«
Identify and being acquiring specialized vehicles and
equipment necessary to support all responding components (i.e., Hazardous
Materials, Urban Search and Rescue, Disaster Medical, and Mass Casualty) at a
major incident scene.
«
Disperse Federal funding consistent with recommendations
in State Plan (Assessing Florida’s Anti-Terrorism Capabilities)
«
Expand the State Working Group on Domestic Preparedness
to include the private and public sector
3. Coordinate COMMUNICATION command and control between responding
agencies. A compatible communication
system is absolutely essential to the efficient and effective response and
recovery efforts during terrorist incidents.
« Develop plan to integrate Law Enforcement, Fire, and EMS
systems for cross-disciplinary communication.
« Disperse Federal Funding consistent with the priorities
outlined in Assessing Florida’s Anti-Terrorism Capabilities.
« Upgrade state Emergency Medical System’s communications
capabilities consistent with emerging technology
« Establish complete redundancy for emergency
communication and information systems.
« Seek Legislation and/or Public Service Commission rule to
require commercial cellular telephone carriers to provide prioritization of
frequencies to public safety users during critical incidents.
«
Expand
CJNet to be accessible by other public safety entities (i.e., county OEM, EMS,
Fire/Rescue).
II. Critical Infrastructure
« Identify priority assets and related infrastructure and
venues.
« Designate high consequence and/or unique essential service.
« Design and implement corresponding deployment plans to
ensure asset protection.
« Develop Physical Security Plans.
«
Expand the standard assessment format, as utilized by
the State Working Group for Domestic Preparedness and as established by the
Department of Justice Training Manual for statewide use by all entities.
«
Mandate participation in an assessment process by
specific industries that deal in or transport hazardous materials.
«
Require State agencies that have regulatory
responsibilities to ensure that vulnerability assessments are completed by
those industries they regulate.
« Develop agency specific essential
service resumption plans including human resources, information systems and
facilities.
4. Exempt certain
information on private infrastructure assets from public disclosure.
« Pursue statutory revision of Chapter 119, Florida Statutes,
to provide and strengthen exemptions allowing for government and business
operations to protect their critical information pertaining to physical
security plans, and disaster recovery plans.
« Pursue an aggressive public awareness strategy to alert
businesses and governmental entities of credible terrorist threats. Establish mechanisms to counter misinformation
that may lead to mass hysteria resulting in the loss of vital government
services in the form of unnecessary calls for service.
«
Begin
creation and implementation of:
¨
Anti-Terrorism
and Security Training
¨
Emergency
Plans
1. ENSURE all response personnel receive appropriate training. TRAINING
is critical to ensure the safety of all responders to an incident and to allow
for the continuity of operations for the Human Services Branch.
« Begin implementing training in all Emergency Support Function
components relating to response to Weapons of Mass Destruction incidents.
2. Identify and obtain
appropriate equipment for all response efforts. EQUIPMENT is an essential
component with training to ensure that all responders are equipped to handle
the variety of situations that could arise in a bio-terrorist event.
« Allow mobile staging units provided during emergency
response activities to expand beyond animal control to include protection of
citizens from contamination.
« Enhance current diagnostic capability for biological events
through the acquisition of a facility and appropriate equipment.
3. Provide ability to state and local agencies
to fully implement special needs shelters
« Transportation during evacuation (special needs for elderly
population)
« Continuity of health care
« Supplies
4. Enhance PROTOCOLS AND IMPLEMENTATION
PLANS to ensure security and provide for the needs of victims, volunteers and
responders.
« Develop and implement a system to include security background
checks (including FDLE intelligence files) for certain persons who access a
restricted area during an impacted scene.
« Develop and implement a system to issue credentials and
identification badges during the response to a terrorist incident.
« Explore the feasibility of conducting background checks
(including FDLE intelligence files) on vendors and their agents.
« Enhance security measures for safeguarding food, water and
ice inventories at feeding sites.
«
Seek clarification
from FEMA as to previous denials and then direct new strategies to allow the
Department of Elder Affairs to qualify for FEMA funding.
« Modify the Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan to
incorporate the coordination of Mental Health and Family Well Being activities
into the mission of the same Emergency Support Function.
« Establish a standard to identify the risks for responding
individuals/teams as it relates to disease exposure. Establish the terms and
conditions under which those persons would be at risk.
« Ensure that copy of valid driver license is obtained on all
truck drivers and maintain record on drivers and companies.
« Coordinate leasing of trucks, forklifts, etc. with
Department of Emergency Management Logistics section.
« Seek amendments to Federal Regulations to allow the use of
USDA commodities for feeding of responders, in addition to victims.
« Require an approved and finalized disaster plan for Exotic
animal ownership and licensed parks.
« Obtain needed veterinary/ medical supplies such as field
operating equipment, medicines, and tents, many of which could be obtained
through the surplus market from hospitals, government agencies (including the
military) and universities.
IV. Public Information and Awareness
« Continue all hazard public awareness campaigns that would
include public service announcements, training courses, and printed materials.
2. Utilize PUBLIC ALERT and NOTIFICATION systems to inform
citizens. Informing citizens is
essential for saving lives and reducing injuries of all Floridians and visitors
in the event of a terrorist incident.
« Use existing notification systems such as the Emergency
Alert Systems (EAS) or the NOAA Weather Radio to provide immediate alert and
notification of the event to the public. It is the responsibility of local,
state, and federal governments to continuously provide information to the
public to protect its citizens, visitors and infrastructure and issue
protective action public instructions, specifically related to evacuation,
shelter, and re-entry.
« Install a back up EAS capability at the Florida Department
of Law Enforcement headquarters. Alternate monthly tests from the State
Emergency Operations Center, the Department of Law Enforcement and the Primary
EAS stations.
« Identify and train state agency communications directors and
public information officers to ensure the dissemination of fact-based emergency
information.
« Identify a coordinator who will manage the Florida Emergency
Information Line operation in conjunction with Emergency Operations Center
staff. Identify ways to increase capacity during large emergencies.
«
Implement procedures
to establish a multi-agency Joint Information Center within the State Emergency
Operations Center (EOC).
4. Broadcast public
instructions to the general population regarding protective actions to be
taken.
« Develop standard procedures to ensure the Governor and
public officials can broadcast emergency information from pre-identified
locations across the state.