It’s been nearly four years since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001 rattled the nation and prompted the concept of “homeland security.”
And while the reality of that day may have settled nervously in the back of our nation’s consciousness, local and state agencies, along with their legislators, continue striving to prevent and prepare for a crisis situation here in Maine.
Maine’s task force on Homeland Security released its second interim report last month. Their observations and recommendations are being drafted in the form of legislation amendments before the Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee chaired by local Sen. Bill Diamond, D-Windham.
Maine takes an “all-hazards” approach to Homeland Security to provide training and resources in case of an emergency whether it be the result of a terrorist attack or a natural disaster, Diamond said. Due to the slow response to the Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf Coast, states across the nation are beginning to adopt a similar philosophy.
The future of communication
The security report reveals “a serious gap” in the ability of Maine’s first responders to communicate between all levels of government.
To this end, the state is looking to reserve several radio frequencies to be used strictly for emergencies.
Many first responders often complain that, during times of emergency, radio traffic gets “jammed,” and the Windham Fire Department received a $54,000 homeland security grant to buy new radios for just this reason.
While this is a valuable step in ensuring emergency communication, Cumberland County Sheriff Mark Dion hopes the state will look beyond to what he sees as the future of day-to-day and emergency communication: IP Mobile Net. The Mobile Net is a closed network of law enforcement databases where police could share information and communicate via instant messaging.
When Cumberland County Sheriff’s deputies traveled to Louisiana after Katrina, they found a “communication breakdown” that had deteriorated to such a point that officers were being directed as one might see in an “old western,” Dion said.
Officers were told to “go west and help who you can” with no control or knowledge of the fellow officers’ whereabouts and no way to communicate back to headquarters.
“As police officers, we know that you’ve got to concentrate your resources if you want to get anything done,” Dion said.
IP Mobile Net would allow officers to communicate instantly and tap into hard information on vulnerable locations such as floor plans, aerial photos, and any data needed to make “a good decision.” Currently, fire and police departments in Portland, Windham, Standish, and the Sheriff’s department are hooked into this database.
“Disaster or crisis situations are too technical and too complex to rely on voice communication,” Dion said. “We’ve got to rely on data.”
Training
While Homeland Security funding has dramatically reduced in recent years from $24 million to $7.13 million, state police continue to train in specialty teams in case of biological, chemical or nuclear attack.
Every sworn officer of the force is trained and outfitted with protective gear in case of a crisis, specialty teams now have advanced night vision apparatus, encrypted communications, a total containment vessel for its bomb squad in case of a “dirty bomb” scenario, a remote control robot for suspicious items and a mobile command unit in case of a crisis situation.
But the key, says Craig Poulin, chief of the Maine State Police, is to piece together the seemingly random bits of information collected by officers and prevent an attack, rather than merely handling the chaos that results from an attack.
“The world is awash in a sea of information, and it’s making sense of it that counts,” Poulin said.
To this end, officers are trained to be aware of potential threats on a daily basis. Maine has several unique challenges such as its extensive border with Canada, coastline, and sparse population base, he says.
“Maine has a challenge. We have 1.2 million people spread out,” Poulin said. “It’s like a medium-size city spread out over a heck of an area.”
Despite this, one of Maine’s strengths is its interaction among agencies. In states with small populations like Maine, agencies can get to know each other on a face-to-face and first-name basis.
While Maine accomplishes much with $7.13 million it now receives in federal funding, Poulin had the opportunity to address members of the U.S. Congress last week to make sure Maine doesn’t get left on the “backburner” in terms of Homeland Security dollars.
Poulin said he still gets chills when he reads the 9-11 Commission talking about how two of the Sept. 11 hijackers slipped through security at the Portland Jetport.
“That ought to be a chilling reminder that some of the preliminary activity took place here in Maine.” Poulin says.
Water Supply
One potential threat here in the Lakes Region is the area’s reliance on Sebago Lake for its fresh water. The Portland Water District, which controls the watershed, has instituted further restrictions on the land surrounding its intake pipes and patrols regularly to protect the supply.
Hundreds of thousands of dollars have been spent on tighter security of the water source including fences, gates, alarms and security personnel.
Boats and pedestrians are prevented from approaching within 3,000 feet of these pipes, but more than 1,700 acres have been opened for public use.
The water district strikes the balance between use of the land and restriction of access to this potentially terrorist target to use average citizens as their watchdogs for potential danger.
“We do have a lot of eyes and ears out there,” said Michelle Clements, spokesperson for the district. “By keeping people aware, we do get a lot of calls when people see something suspicious.”
If anything were to happen, the water is closely monitored to maintain that what is pumped out from the Sebago Lake is safe to drink.
Amendments
If amendments to Homeland Security legislation are approved, Diamond’s Criminal and Justice Safety Committee would be granted oversight of Homeland Security funding here in Maine.
In response to the threat of a pandemic flu this year, funds given to the Centers for Disease Control would be mutually coordinated with funds received by the state emergency management agency.
And the governor would be granted authority to transfer up to $3 million dollars from state reserves into a “Disaster Relief Fund” in case of Katrina-scale event or a repeat of 1998’s paralyzing ice storm.
In the case of a massive medical emergency, certified health professionals would be granted immunity for legal action while treating disaster victims.
Schools would be advised to create awareness of disaster programs in the classroom and the state will create new public service announcements to keep homeland security and the potential dangers of the post-911 world in mind.
These amendments to Maine’s security legislation are still in discussion and, meanwhile, the task force on Homeland Security will continue to review Maine’s strengths and weaknesses.
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