DHS: State disaster response plans lacking

The Homeland Security Department and state and local agencies still have insufficient plans for handling catastrophic events and should develop clearer guidelines, according to a new evaluation of the nationwide response plan.

Many of the conclusions from the review, commissioned by President Bush in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, concern eliminating ambiguities in disaster planning. Among the recommendations in the report issued Friday by DHS, was the suggestion that federal officials better define the term "special needs," as varying explanations lump those who are not proficient in English with people with disabilities.

Another urged the disabled and their service or health care providers to help officials nationwide develop a contingency plan for people with special needs.

While the report, conducted with the aid of the Transportation Department, called for improvements in federal coordination with state and local agencies, a DHS spokesman said it did not influence the process of allocating homeland security grants to cities and states. The $1.7 billion in such grants awarded this year represented a 32 percent decrease over 2005.

A fact sheet accompanying the report stated that "while states and urban areas are strongly encouraged to review the findings and develop corrective actions, [this year's] grant awards will not be adjusted based on the findings of the Nationwide Plan Review."

There is "no exact timeline," for when the areas the report highlighted for improvement will be fixed, said DHS spokesman Jarrod Agen.

One of the 24 conclusions presented in the report said local, state and federal "planning staffs were small, undertrained and lack standardized training, education and development." Another called for local, state and federal officials to plan for "surge capacity" for catastrophic events, so a disaster of magnitude like Katrina does not thrust governments into the position that New Orleans officials faced after last August's hurricane.

The review said state and local officials should have a clearly defined command structure to prepare for catastrophic events, issue timely warnings and improve communications systems. Additionally, according to the fact sheet accompanying the 174-page plan, "significant weaknesses in evacuation planning are an area of profound concern" for state and local agencies.

DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff touted the report, compiled with the help of more than 1,000 state, local and federal homeland security officials, as an effort "to improve plans, train, educate and develop planners" to arm them for the upcoming hurricane season, among other potential disasters. It was completed over two months this spring and entailed reviews of more than 2,700 emergency plans and related documents.