NGA Regional Bio-Terrorism Conference

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NGA Regional Bio-Terrorism Conference

• Boston, Massachusetts
• January 12-13, 2004

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Strengthening the Bonds Between Homeland Security
and Public Health

• George Estel
• Health Policy Advisor
• New York State Office of Public Security

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Office of Public Security

• Established by Governor Patakis Executive Order
  on October 10, 2001
• Mission Develop and Direct a Comprehensive
  Statewide Strategy to Counter Acts of Terrorism
  in New York
• Coordinate the Federal Department of Homeland
  Security, State and Local Agencies on
  Counter-Terrorism Issues
• Enable New York State to Prevent, Respond to and
  Recover from Acts of Terrorism

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OPS Operating Divisions

• Intelligence / Analysis
• Operations
• Legal
• Information Technology

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New York States Counter-Terrorism Zones
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What are the current major threats?

• General Aviation
• Weapons of Mass Destruction
• Conventional Explosives
• Agro-terrorism / Food security
• Chemical Industry
• Fraudulent Documents
• Cyber-Terrorism

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How prepared are we?

• To detect and deter
• Increased collaboration on prevention strategies
• Enhanced information sharing within the law
  enforcement community and our non-law enforcement
  public and private partners
• To respond and recover
• Focused planning and readiness efforts on RBC and
  other mass casualty events
• Enhanced first responder capability through new
  equipment, training and exercises.

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Detect and Deter

• Remains primary focus of OPS
• Built on collaboration and information sharing
• Bi-weekly security meetings
• 22 State Agencies and Authorities
• Task Force Development for specific issues
• CBERN
• Training and Exercises
• Food / Animal Security
• Fraudulent Document
• Public Security Advisory Dissemination
• Counter-Terrorism Network
• Information Sharing Analysis Centers
• State Agency Secure Websites (i.e. PHAN)
• Private Sector Secure Websites (GNYHA)

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Respond and Recover

• Revising Comprehensive State Emergency Management
  Plan to Include Terrorism
• Functional Annexes (i.e. Law Enforcement /
  Security)
• Individual Agency planning (i.e. Public Health)
• Training and Exercises
• WMD funded exercise and evaluation program
• CDC funded Public Health exercises
• National Response Plan
• National Incident Management System
• Incident Command System

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Existing Levels of Coordination

• For Prevention
• OPS facilitated collaborative efforts have
  promoted greater partnership and information
  sharing.
• Between and among Federal, State and local law
  enforcement officials
• Between law enforcement community and other state
  agency or authority assets with law enforcement
  responsibility (Environmental Conservation, Port
  Authority, Mass Transit Authority, Division of
  Military and Naval Affairs)
• Non-law enforcement public and private partners
• Has proved particularly effective when changes
  occur in the nations Threat Alert Status
• Northeast Regional Homeland Security Directors
  Consortium (Maine to Delaware, Ont. Que. N.Brun.)

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Existing Levels of Coordination

• For Response and Recovery
• Various task forces have helped focus and
  coordinate multi-agency efforts
• Chemical and radiological concerns
• Bio-terrorism planning efforts are proceeding
  along quite effectively
• Hospital preparedness efforts have also improved
  markedly
• First responder training needs (300,000
  traditional professionals)
• Exercise and evaluation process in the beginning
  phase of implementation
• Previous threat alert status changes have
  tested response

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Unmet levels of coordination

• Multi-stage response around shared metropolitan
  areas.
• Should we consider a plan similar to the one for
  the National Capital Region
• Private sector activities
• Partnering in prevention
• Resource for emergency response activities
• Federal response action in the event of a
  terrorist incident
• TOPOFF exercises
• Implementing NIMS
• Federal Readiness standards under development

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Obstacles / Challenges to Preparedness

• Stove piping of effort
• DHS policy on WMD funding dispersal to localities
• NIMS development and implementation
• Integration of prevention efforts into normal
  work activity
• Need to rebuild emergency management
  infrastructure
• Public complacency