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Homeland Security: Preparing for the Worst
Aired June 30, 2003 - 15:08 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: Meantime, back here in the United States, a new study of the nation's homeland security precautions concludes that the U.S. is dangerously unprepared for a terrorist attack. CNN's Kathleen Koch has more on the report and the debate over how much money is needed to prepare for the worst.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Hazmat suits, breathing equipment, radios...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They're on their way.
KOCH: ... some of the essential items first responders are missing that a new report says leaves the U.S. dangerously unprepared to handle a catastrophic attack.
WARREN RUDMAN, CFR TASK FORCE CHAIRMAN: If we were to be attacked by biological or a chemical weapon in the near future, we would not be prepared in most American cities to save tens of thousands of American lives.
KOCH: The Council on Foreign Relations task force met with police, firefighters and medical officials around the country and concluded an additional $98 billion needed to be spent over the next five years on preparedness.
DR. JAMIE METZL, CFR PROJECT DIRECTOR: We don't have enough protective suits, we don't have enough equipment to detect and to respond to a potential WMD attack.
KOCH: Even fire departments just outside the nation's capital say they need more tools.
CHAUNCEY BOWERS, PRINCE GEORGES COUNTY POLICE DEPT.: I would say additional equipment in the areas of communication, hazardous materials, radiological.
KOCH: Other shortfalls, only 10 percent of fire departments have personnel and equipment to respond to building collapses. Most public health labs lack basic equipment and expertise to respond to a chemical or biological attack. Some critics blame the Bush administration for not putting its money where its mouth is.
SEN. CHRISTOPHER DODD (D), CONNECTICUT: The administration, for some reason, seems to believe they can talk about homeland security and then continue to cut the funding, the support. KOCH: The federal government now spends about $5.5 billion a year on first responders. A homeland security spokesman says the study's requested funding is "grossly inflated."
GORDON JOHNDROE, DEPT. OF HOMELAND SECURITY: And we know we need to do more, but we think that the billions of dollars already in the systems and the billions of dollars to come is the appropriate amount of money.
KOCH: The study recommends the department come up with minimum emergency preparedness standards and guidelines for first responders. It also says money should be spent in the most vulnerable densely populated areas where critical infrastructure is present.
(on camera): The toughest task remains finding the money and federal, state and local coffers to pay for the emergency preparations. Study authors warn if action isn't taken, the next terrorist attack could be even more devastating than 9/11.
Kathleen Koch, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired June 30, 2003 - 15:08 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JUDY WOODRUFF, CNN ANCHOR: Meantime, back here in the United States, a new study of the nation's homeland security precautions concludes that the U.S. is dangerously unprepared for a terrorist attack. CNN's Kathleen Koch has more on the report and the debate over how much money is needed to prepare for the worst.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KATHLEEN KOCH, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Hazmat suits, breathing equipment, radios...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They're on their way.
KOCH: ... some of the essential items first responders are missing that a new report says leaves the U.S. dangerously unprepared to handle a catastrophic attack.
WARREN RUDMAN, CFR TASK FORCE CHAIRMAN: If we were to be attacked by biological or a chemical weapon in the near future, we would not be prepared in most American cities to save tens of thousands of American lives.
KOCH: The Council on Foreign Relations task force met with police, firefighters and medical officials around the country and concluded an additional $98 billion needed to be spent over the next five years on preparedness.
DR. JAMIE METZL, CFR PROJECT DIRECTOR: We don't have enough protective suits, we don't have enough equipment to detect and to respond to a potential WMD attack.
KOCH: Even fire departments just outside the nation's capital say they need more tools.
CHAUNCEY BOWERS, PRINCE GEORGES COUNTY POLICE DEPT.: I would say additional equipment in the areas of communication, hazardous materials, radiological.
KOCH: Other shortfalls, only 10 percent of fire departments have personnel and equipment to respond to building collapses. Most public health labs lack basic equipment and expertise to respond to a chemical or biological attack. Some critics blame the Bush administration for not putting its money where its mouth is.
SEN. CHRISTOPHER DODD (D), CONNECTICUT: The administration, for some reason, seems to believe they can talk about homeland security and then continue to cut the funding, the support. KOCH: The federal government now spends about $5.5 billion a year on first responders. A homeland security spokesman says the study's requested funding is "grossly inflated."
GORDON JOHNDROE, DEPT. OF HOMELAND SECURITY: And we know we need to do more, but we think that the billions of dollars already in the systems and the billions of dollars to come is the appropriate amount of money.
KOCH: The study recommends the department come up with minimum emergency preparedness standards and guidelines for first responders. It also says money should be spent in the most vulnerable densely populated areas where critical infrastructure is present.
(on camera): The toughest task remains finding the money and federal, state and local coffers to pay for the emergency preparations. Study authors warn if action isn't taken, the next terrorist attack could be even more devastating than 9/11.
Kathleen Koch, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
