Remarks by Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge at the National Emergency Management Association Conference

Release Date: 09/15/04 00:00:00

New York, NY
September 15, 2004
(Remarks as Prepared)

Thank you David for that introduction.  I’m honored to be here today with all of you to close out what I’m sure has been a productive and successful meeting of our nation’s national emergency management leaders.  Your timing of NEMA’s annual conference could not have been more appropriate.  As honored members of the Color Guard for Saturday’s 9/11 ceremony at Ground Zero, you faced a powerful reminder of the tragic day that has shaped every day since.  

A day that called on each of you and NEMA as a whole to take on the difficult responsibility of preparing your states and citizens to counter the threat of terrorism.  And while you were reminded of how your mission has evolved, Hurricane Ivan has brought its own reminder this week that Mother Nature is still a devastating force with which to be reckoned.  The men and women of NEMA stand resolutely on the front lines to help our country withstand both the destruction of storms and the schemes of terrorists.  

Your fellow citizens rely on your decision making, knowledge, and – often times – your courage and bravery to keep them safe.    And for all that you do I thank you.  Your mission is strikingly similar to ours at Homeland Security, and so it is not surprising that NEMA has been such a steady and constant partner in much of our emergency planning and operations work.  

At Homeland Security we are grateful for the dedication and expertise that you have brought to so many projects including the National Incident Management System, implementation of Homeland Security Presidential Directive Number Eight and the National Response Plan.  

And we look forward to further partnership opportunities in the future; especially as the National Homeland Security Consortium continues to take shape.  I want to thank NEMA for its leadership in establishing this group.  

The Consortium has clearly evolved from our days back at the White House and provides a necessary forum for state and local leaders, emergency officials, and private organizations to all come together and work together – sharing ideas and best practices.  

Together, we can collaborate on innovative solutions and policies, and in doing so we strengthen our homeland defenses, we close existing gaps and we make it more and more difficult for the terrorists to slip through.  

It’s been said that the men and women charged with our homeland’s security must be right more than a billion times per year…the terrorists only once.

It is something that all of you in the emergency management community can relate to – natural disasters, emergencies, and hurricanes do not take days off.   Neither do the terrorists. That is why you work so hard – with training workshops and conferences like this one – to be prepared for all emergencies, whether wrought by disaster or design.

At the Department of Homeland Security, we are constantly working to improve our emergency preparedness, response, and recovery efforts.

And we are doing so on two tracks: first, building and maintaining an operational capacity in emergency response and recovery, second, increasing the overall preparedness of the country.  Each is a vital element of the work of our Department, each is critical to our nation, and each is making our country – and citizens – more secure than we have ever been.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency is at the center of our operational emergency response efforts.  Many of you have worked hand in hand with these fine men and women who now call the Department of Homeland Security home.  So you know as well as I do, that FEMA represents the best of the federal government.

Like you, I’ve seen their work first-hand, and over the past month in the wake of three devastating hurricanes…Charley, Frances, Ivan…FEMA and many Homeland Security employees have worked tirelessly to assist Americans caught in the path of these storms.  

I know that Craig Fugate down in Florida has worked just as tirelessly and indeed the entire NEMA organization through your Emergency Management Assistance Compact has provided valuable resources and manpower to aid both FEMA and the state of Florida during this crisis. Your assistance has been absolutely critical, and we thank you.    

Over the past year and a half since joining Homeland Security, FEMA has worked to adapt their traditional response and recovery expertise to include terrorism.

And in the process, they are building and improving our operational capacity, so that we are even better able to meet the dual threats of nature and man.   I’m pleased to say that we are making great progress. The Federal Government has improved communication – and coordination – with our partners at the state and local level.

For instance, amid the disasters wrought by these recent hurricanes, as well as Hurricane Isabel, the Space Shuttle Columbia recovery, and last year’s August blackout, the hard work of early preparation meant faster deployment of resources and manpower – so that assistance was available and ready to turnaround at a moment’s notice.

In addition, thanks to secure communications, expanded security clearances for our partners, and the shared language of the Homeland Security Advisory system, we have created a constant two-way flow of information between the federal government and our state and local partners.  

This kind of coordination is crucial during an emergency.  

And so is having a plan, which is why working together we are developing the National Response Plan to integrate all of the current federal response capabilities under a single “all hazards” system for prevention, preparedness, response and recovery.

Before September 11th, every state, every city, and even individual response teams had their own procedures for emergency incidents.  We learned that a patchwork of individual efforts – no matter how brave – was not enough.  So the Department consulted with all stakeholders – federal government agencies, state, local, and tribal officials, as well as first responders to develop one plan.

This working blueprint will enhance current federal capabilities and unify the team that will be charged with responding to potential attacks or disasters. The National Response Plan will provide a comprehensive roadmap for everyone to follow.

We also introduced the National Incident Management System so that those involved in emergency response understand what their role is – and have the tools they need to be effective. NEMA has played a significant role in the development of both our National Response Plan and NIMS, and your unwavering support and informed input has been instrumental in putting these two crucial incident management pieces in place.

This integrated system makes America safer – across our entire nation and throughout every neighborhood – by establishing a uniform set of processes, protocols, and procedures that all emergency responders…at every level of government…will use to conduct response actions.

For the first time, all of the nation’s emergency teams and authorities will use a common language, and a common set of procedures when working individually – and together – to keep America safe.  Of course, a plan is nothing without the people to execute it. And many of you will play a vital role should we ever have to put our plan into action.

In this case, and so many others, advanced planning and preparation are instrumental to ensuring safety and security. Terrorists can – and will – strike without warning. During a crisis, there is not time to prepare, only to react.  

That is why, every day, we are constantly working to improve the overall preparedness of the country.  Homeland security must be a priority in every city, every neighborhood, and every home across America. And our priority is to help make that happen.

Because if our communities are to rise to new levels of preparedness and security, each individual American must choose to make emergency planning a part of their life.  That, of course, is the goal of our Ready campaign – the flagship of our citizen engagement efforts – which encourages all Americans to have a family emergency plan, put together a supply kit, and stay informed about possible threats.  

If you ask people in South Florida about preparedness, they already know about buying supplies, keeping extra batteries handy, and having a hurricane evacuation route planned.

Preparedness is already part of their lives…and the daily lives of many Americans. Now we must encourage citizens to apply these principles to the threat of terrorism.  

That is why we named September National Preparedness Month.  More than 80 organizations, including NEMA, and all 56 states and territories have committed to spreading the word to all Americans to make emergency preparedness a priority.  

In order to be fully prepared as a nation, everyone must play a role.  However, we know we also rely heavily on your work as emergency managers and of course the skills of our dedicated first responders.  

That is why this Administration has been unwavering in our support to the first responder community – training half a million emergency responders and allocating more than $8 billion to ensure that the men and women who rush to the scene when disaster hits have everything they need to do their job.  

Yet in the end, whether a first responder, emergency manager, homeland security worker, or a citizen, we are all in this together.  

On Saturday, while you stood at Ground Zero, I stood in a Pennsylvania field near Shanksville, and it struck me that an attack designed to rip our nation apart only served to bring us closer together.  

Now, I know that Americans still have our differences, but at our core we are ever connected as a nation and as a people by our love for freedom and our belief in the ideal of liberty that America represents.  

And it is the singleness of purpose and fidelity that arose on 9/11 that we must hold to – for it is only by working together – united and committed to each other – that we can triumph over the enemies of freedom and provide a safe and secure future for our children and many generations to come.  

Thank you.  

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