Put preparedness front and center

In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, a Deseret Morning News editorial (Sept. 3) asked, "Where are the leaders?" A valid question and one that over the coming weeks if not years will undoubtedly be the subject of many great debates, in-depth analyses and the subject of several blue-ribbon committees and commissions. However, another question also demands answers. How well-prepared were the local leaders to lead in this time of crisis?

As one who has had a role in responding during times of natural and man-made disasters, nothing is more important than how well government is prepared, equipped and trained to respond to the chaos and changing dynamics that always exist during these times of crisis. The goal of any disaster response is not to eliminate chaos but rather to overcome it quickly and restore order as soon as possible. This can only be done by continuously preparing those responsible for responding with sufficient budget, resources, facilities, equipment and training well before the disaster occurs. Given the budgetary demands on state and local governments today, it is not surprising that emergency preparedness, absent an imminent or recent disaster, takes a back seat to many other community issues.

It is only after a Katrina or 9/11 do these questions surface and fingers look for places to point and budgets are temporarily increased. Government emergency preparedness is not something that can only be a priority for the few weeks and months following events like Katrina, it is a long-term commitment that takes both budgetary will and leadership, not just during the crisis response, but during the years available before the disaster strikes.

As the chief of police of Salt Lake City and recognizing the importance of being prepared, last year I reorganized the police department to establish a Homeland Security/Emergency Preparedness Unit within the police department. Since that time, this unit has been working to prepare the police department and its personnel to respond to all types of disasters to include coordination with other city, county, state and federal disaster agencies. Additionally, utilizing federal Homeland Security grant funding, the police and fire departments together with the city administration have been developing a citywide interoperable and redundant communications system that can coordinate with state and other local communication systems during times of emergencies. While these are positive steps and represent just some of the preparations, there is still much to be done.

The city needs a well-equipped, hardened emergency operations center to manage and coordinate resources and services that are necessary to restore order after major disasters such as the significant earthquake that is widely predicted for the Wasatch Front. The city's Emergency Management Office needs an annual stream of funding over and above its salary budget to assist in building the city's disaster response capabilities. Finally, our capabilities need to be regularly exercised to test and measure our abilities under extreme conditions. I do not know how well the New Orleans' political leaders and emergency responders prepared for their disaster, but I am sure that someone will ask the question.

I hope that when the time comes in the city of Salt Lake, and it will, the answer will be: The city, its leaders and first responders were well-prepared, equipped and trained.

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C.F. "Rick" Dinse is the chief of police in Salt Lake City.