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Red Cross, DHS Stress Personal Disaster Preparedness
Written by
Lesly Hallman
, Staff Writer, RedCross.org, with Photographs by Bonnie Gillespie, Staff Photographer
Tuesday, July 20, 2004 — The American public understands that personal preparedness for all types of disasters is a key to homeland security, but many have difficulty finding out exactly how to prepare for a terrorist attack or a natural disaster, according to a new American Red Cross/Wirthlin Worldwide survey released Tuesday.
The American Red Cross, the George Washington University Homeland Security Policy Institute, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and the Council for Excellence In Government convened “Public Preparedness – A National Imperative,” a symposium of recognized leaders in disaster preparedness, response and recovery. The survey was released during the symposium.
Red Cross President and CEO Marty Evans released survey results showing the public continues to underestimate the need for preparedness. |
Most agree that preparedness for future terrorist attacks is important, but many don’t know what their role is and have not taken the initiative to find out, said Red Cross President and CEO Marsha J. Evans at a symposium on public preparedness today.
Of the American Red Cross survey respondents, 67 percent said it was very important for all Americans to take steps to prepare for a catastrophic event. Eighty-two percent said that if they were better informed about the steps needed to learn more and get prepared they would take them.
“Whether we are responding to a natural disaster or a dirty bomb, the basic human needs remain the same,” Evans said. She emphasized that the public needs to know how to take care of itself in the event that the Red Cross or others are unable to provide immediate help.
“All our plans rely on individuals—our neighbors, our co-workers, our families,” said Evans. “It’s as if we’ve recruited a secret army and they haven’t gotten their orders. It’s such a secret, in fact, that the troops don’t even know they are expected to serve.”
Evans urged attendees to first identify the barriers to preparedness, and then develop ways to knock them down. “It’s our job to get all of these people to use their heads and be prepared, because every one of those unprepared Americans is a potential barrier to the effectiveness of our response to any disaster,” she said.
During the symposium participants broke out into working groups focusing on preparedness before a disaster, and how advance preparation can mitigate circumstances during and after a disaster. Each of these groups agreed on a few fundamental principles:
Panelist included federal and state government leaders involved in the development of policies related to terrorism response, including former Virginia Governor Jim Gilmore, chair of the congressionally mandated Gilmore Commission which recommended the establishment of the Department of Homeland Security. The group underscored the cultural changes that need to take place in the United States to deal with current realities.
Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge echoed those sentiments in his speech during the symposium. “We can’t secure America from Washington D.C. We need partners all around to keep our country secure.” He stressed the need for partnerships among groups brought together by shared vigilance, readiness, and communication as the only way to achieve seamless protection. He stressed that preparedness is a choice that every citizen must make and it is the job of each of the partners to make that choice an easy one to make.
“Our goal is to achieve seamless protection—a nation knit tightly together by shared vigilance, readiness, and communication,” said Ridge. “Nowhere is this more important than in the area of emergency preparedness.”
Evans and Ridge both stressed personal preparedness as the strongest element of national security.
To help the public learn more about preparedness, Ridge said that his department will continue working with the Red Cross and others to ensure that at least half of the population has created a disaster plan by the end of the year.
In a report released in May by the Council for Excellence in Government, 50 percent of respondents said they believe that the next terrorist attack that occurs will be close to where they live or work, but most have not taken the basic steps to preparedness like developing a disaster kit or a communication plan at their home or office.
Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge urged personal preparedness as the key to national security. |
“That communications gap is a key finding,” said Council President and CEO Patricia McGinnis. “There is a high level of concern, but a low level of preparedness. An engaged public is imperative to homeland security, but today this is an untapped resource.”
The Council made several recommendations to the government based on its findings, including designating September as Homeland Security Preparedness Month.
The Red Cross will work with symposium attendees to draft recommendations for use in the National Strategy for All Hazards Preparedness, tentatively scheduled for release in September, being developed by the Department of Homeland Security.
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