"This move will make New Hampshire a safer place to live and work," Benson said. "By having a single entity responsible in the event of a disaster, we eliminate communication and chain-of-command issues that can bog down emergency response. It will provide better coordination between the state and first responders, our police, fire and EMS workers, who are so critical to mitigating danger in the event of a catastrophe."
In addition to the safety improvements, Benson pointed out the potential for cost savings and improved efficiency as a result of the change. By moving these responsibilities to the Department of Safety, new opportunities for grant consolidation will result in saving the state money by eliminating duplication and overlap. Currently, Safety receives funding from the federal Department of Homeland Security, while Health & Human Services gets federal grant funding through the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
"I have been told this is the first attempt to coordinate these functions nationally," Benson continued. "This is innovative thinking that will ultimately benefit New Hampshire taxpayers while improving the safety of our citizens. The collaboration between these two Department is exactly the type of change I will continue to work to implement to make the state as user friendly and efficient as possible."
Health and Human Services Commissioner Nick Valias praised the initiative and stated that "this new climate of collaboration will pave the way for a necessary proactive role in homeland security preparation and planning." Assistant Commissioner of Safety, John A. Stephen, pointed out that the action will serve to eliminate redundancy, duplication and overlap, while at the same time increase the efficiency of the state's homeland security operations. "This effort truly embraces the 'all hazards' approach to emergency planning." commented Stephen.
