Perspective on Preparedness: Taking Stock Since 9/11

The Perspective on Preparedness:Taking Stock Since 9/11 is basically a rehash of many things we already know about disaster preparedness here in the United States.  It struck me that in some respects it is like Pete Rose writing an autobiography and leaving out the parts about gambling and betting on baseball.  Only the good stuff, with some missing segments--especially when talking about the Stage 2 Review by the Department of Homeland Security that ripped preparedness out of FEMA until the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina reversed that errant decision. 

 

Read this excerpt from the Conclusion: 

"Our analyses and proposals reveal the centrality of the preparedness process to the goals of efficiency, sustainability, cost-effectiveness, and measurability. With clearer national-level goals in place, the derivative objectives for individual capabilities can be better defined and their development coordinated among all necessary stakeholders. More uniform usage of common capability types and visibility into a national resource inventory, coupled with improved assessment methods will ease the challenge of aggregating the complex landscape of nationwide preparedness data into authoritative conclusions about progress made, and at what cost in time and
resources. Through proposed enhancements to the high-level policy and guidance process, those conclusions can be integrated with global intelligence, including futures analysis, in order to determine new preparedness priorities."

Clear as mud--right? 

 

Here is some other random thoughts and comments on this document and preparedness:

• I don't suppose we will see a document like this on the topic of mitigation anytime soon.  While "response" gets most of the attention and preparedness is next, mitigation is normally not even mentioned. 
• Did you know that there are 1,000 advisory councils "helping" the Federal government with everything from soup to nuts?  All that advice--is anyone really listening?  DHS alone has 27 advisory councils.
• The report states that there are 67 preparedness grant programs totaling nearly $10B (FFY08) across seven departments and one agency.  No wonder we are uncoordinated!  I'm still in favor of Block Grants for homeland Security.  We should be able to do better than this.
• Measuring preparedness remains the Holy Grail that is still being sought.  Monty Python and a bunch of consultants are willing to continue seeking it--for a price anyway.

In the Message from the Task Force section at the beginning of the report it claims that, "The Report reflects members' consensus opinion about where Bold, innovative improvement ideas are offered in conjunction with carefully considered refinements to the existing preparedness landscape."  Let me just say that based on my experience "bold action" is not achieved by consensus opinion.  Consensus opinion waters down the degree of risk and innovation that a group wants to take.  The safe middle of the road path is the one normally taken by a group.

 

My March-April Eric's Corner will be on Operational Readiness.  Operational readiness is typically defined by what you are doing during the preparedness cycle of planning, training and exercising.  More on that to come!