Fusion Centers, Information Sharing Top State Homeland Security Priorities, Survey Says

For the state-level homeland security community, fusion centers and information sharing were two top priorities in 2009, according to the National Governors Association’s (NGA) State Homeland Security Advisors Survey that was released in late February.

“I think information sharing in general — especially in light of the focus on Web 2.0 and the use of the Internet and Web sites — has really emphasized the need for streamlining fusion centers, keeping fusion centers, and that has grown in interest over the years,” said Carmen Ferro, senior policy analyst in the NGA’s Homeland Security and Technology Division.

The survey respondents were composed of the homeland security directors designated by each governor in all states, territories and Washington, D.C. — 47 participated in the NGA survey.

Key findings from the 2009 survey include:

• more than half of states have moved their homeland security operations within another cabinet-level department, according to respondents;
• more than half of respondents have positioned their state’s primary fusion center under the homeland security director’s command;
• communications from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to the states continued to improve in 2009; and
• a majority of respondents think the DHS should improve the grant allocation process and work with Congress to permanently restore allowable management and administration funding to 5 percent.

Another trend was the re-emergence of pandemic influenza preparedness, which wasn’t listed as a priority in the 2008 survey. “The trend with that is more interesting in that it’s kind of ebbing and flowing based on what’s happening in the media, which isn’t surprising, but it continues to be a priority,” Ferro said.

Communication between the states and the DHS continues to improve, according to the survey, with 98 percent of the respondents reporting satisfaction with the information they received from the feds. The use of social media and social networking has increased that communication, Ferro said, because of the ability to post new updates on Web sites and use the networks to develop relationships. The NGA also works to bridge the communication gap by communicating with the DHS and then delivering that information to the states.

“I think even just the NGA on its own has been sort of imperative to getting that relationship better and better over the years,” Ferro said. “And the homeland security advisers have been even more proactive since the council’s been created with what they would like to from the DHS and they continue to communicate that.”

The survey also revealed that states are changing their citizen preparedness efforts. The 2008 survey reported that states “overwhelmingly rely” on the DHS’ Ready.gov campaign for citizen preparedness. However, the 2009 survey reported that states are implementing multiple tools to communicate with citizens, including:

• 100 percent use radio announcements to deliver messages to residents in disaster-affected areas;
• 98 percent also use TV announcements; and
• 90 percent post the information on their agency’s Web site.

In November, the face of the state-level homeland security community may change greatly with the 37 gubernatorial elections. Ferro said following the election, a large number of new homeland security advisers will enter office, and although she couldn’t comment on any trends those changes may bring, she expects the new officials will have a heavy influence on next year’s survey.

She emphasized that the states must continue to communicate, and the NGA helps to facilitate that. “We try to get those advisers to all talk to each other, and we’ve been very successful at that, which goes right back into improving communication with the feds even. Because once you get everybody on the same playing field, you can really get a lot accomplished.”

[Photo courtesy of Pfc. Nicole Brown/U.S. Army.]