Feds Don’t Meet New York City Security Needs

“In New York City, we have closed five firehouses, we have fewer firefighters on the streets at any given time than we did on September 10, 2001...”

A new Congressional survey of local officials and emergency responders in New York City and other communities across the country portrays an overwhelming sense of disconnect between the federal government and the men and women on the front lines of homeland security. The House Democratic Task Force on Homeland Security, led by Congressmember Carolyn Maloney (D–Queens/Manhattan), recently released its report on the survey which provides an outline of the situation—an overwhelming majority of respondents have never been contacted by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), have not been given specific information about protecting their own communities and do not have adequate resources for homeland security. Overall, only 16 percent of respondents said the federal government is doing all it can. The full report and results are available at: http://www.house.gov/maloney/issues/Homeland/Survey.pdf).

"In New York City, we have closed five firehouses, we have fewer firefighters on the streets at any given time than we did on September 10, 2001, and firefighters have told me they are less prepared today than they were on 9/11. That should never be the case in the number one terrorist target city," Maloney said. "This survey shows that nationwide, local governments an emergency responders in many communities are looking for help, just like they are in New York. Too many cities are merely treading water in the new age of homeland security. Instead of reaching out a helping hand, the federal government is letting them drown."

"Our federal government continues to send first responder dollars to secondary responders," said Baltimore Mayor Martin O’Malley, chair of the U.S. Conference of Mayors Homeland Security Task Force. "America’s mayors have asked for timely, direct and adequate funding, and what we have gotten has been neither timely nor direct nor adequate."

House Democratic Caucus Chairman Bob Menendez (New Jersey) said: "While this Administration spends tens of billions of dollars in Iraq because of the president’s lack of a post-war plan, our security needs at home are getting shortchanged. Cities and towns of all sizes lack the information, direction, communication they need from the federal government, and don’t have the funding they need to protect their citizens. More than two years after 9/11, it’s time for this Administration to get its act together. We hope this survey will spur the Administration and this Republican-controlled Congress to start coordinating with our cities and towns, and start making the investments we need to protect our families—now. We all owe the American people nothing less than total dedication and commitment in this effort."

"First responders have been telling us repeatedly that they do not have the training, equipment and communications they need to respond to a catastrophic terrorist attack," said Rep. Jim Turner (Texas), Ranking Member on the Select Committee on Homeland Security. "The PREPARE Act, H.R. 3158, cosponsored by 147 Democrats, will provide our first responders the tools they need to fight the war on terror."

Baltimore Mayor Martin O’Malley and Elizabeth, New Jersey Mayor Christian Bollwage both spoke about federal assistance to communities across the country from the local perspective. The House Democratic Task Force on Homeland Security and a number of members of Congress have been distributing the survey in communities across the country since July.