Contact: Esther Bowring or David Weaver,
240-777-6530
For Immediate Release: March 11, 2002

Duncan Observes 9/11 Six-Month Anniversary;
Previews FY03 Homeland Security Budget and Releases
Second Round of Federal Funding Requests

Flanked by police officers, firefighters, and public health workers, Montgomery County Executive Douglas M. Duncan today observed a moment of silence to recognize the six-month anniversary of the tragic terrorist attacks on the Pentagon and World Trade Center. As Duncan thanked public safety and health workers for their dedication over the last six months, he pledged to increase the resources available to them to enhance the County's emergency preparedness.

Duncan previewed his homeland security budget for next year, highlighting plans for a variety of new and enhanced programs to further strengthen public protection in the wake of September 11. Duncan also released a second round of federal funding requests for new public safety measures.

"The world we knew prior to the events of September 11 no longer exists," said Duncan. "We have had to face the new reality that heightened preparation is now a way of life for those of us living in the Washington metropolitan area. My fiscal year 2003 operating budget - coupled with the assistance we've received and hope to receive from the federal government - will make our community safer by enhancing security and improving our public health system to meet the challenges of today while doing all we can to prevent future terrorist attacks."

Duncan's budget provides continued funding for the new emergency preparedness and security enhancements that he implemented in the immediate aftermath of September 11. New funds for the Bioterrorism Team, at $410,000 this year, will become an integral part of the County's annual budget to help public health officials better respond to incidents of terrorism or other significant emergencies.

Security at public facilities will be enhanced by providing full-year funding for six new security officers, adding a new canine unit for bomb security, hiring a new security planning manager, and adding security cameras in selected parking garages. Funding is provided for expanded security after hours in schools and other public facilities. Funding for security enhancements for Montgomery College, the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, and the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission are also included in the budget.

Duncan is recommending $2 million for phase one of a new Integrated Justice Information System that will facilitate the exchange of important data about criminals and criminal activity between the appropriate county, state and federal agencies.

In addition, Duncan is submitting a request for federal funds, totaling more than $16 million, for additional homeland security measures. Duncan is seeking $500,000 for a surveillance system that will track hospital and emergency services data and school absences on a real-time basis, allowing rapid detection of unusual occurrences that could be related to biological or chemical terrorism.

The federal funding request also includes $750,000 for a tone and voice alert system for firefighters, emergency medical workers, disaster volunteers and public health personnel, and a "blast fax" communications system to alert physicians and nurses, hospitals, civic associations and other organizations.

About $4 million in grant funding is being requested to hire 32 new police officers to serve as educational facilities officers. One officer would be assigned to each police beat to coordinate emergency management plans and maintain strong communication links with every educational facility within that beat. This includes public and private schools, as well as colleges.

An additional $1.8 million is requested to purchase another set of equipment for the County's Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) Team to enhance the team's ability to respond to multiple incidents.

"I want to thank our Congressional delegation for their help in securing the federal funds we have received so far," said Duncan. "I am now asking for further assistance as we seek more money for homeland security and efforts to make our schools and other educational facilities even safer."

In a memorandum sent today to Council President Steven A. Silverman, detailing the request for federal resources to fund the educational facilities officers, Duncan said, "While public and private schools in our County remain safe and secure for students and employees, we nonetheless must be prepared for the new challenges that confront us."

Duncan is also seeking federal funds for other projects, including $1.17 million for enhanced bomb squad and HAZMAT equipment, such as vehicles, protective suits, communications systems and cameras. Funds are also being sought for a $767,000 Bioterrorism Response Center that will take advantage of the County's proximity to biomedical and intelligence assets, including NIH and FDA, to provide local police, emergency rescue and public health workers with state-of-the-art bioterrorism response capabilities.

A $5.7 million request for an emergency radio system for Ride On will enhance the bus fleet's security and communications system. The existing radio system will be improved, and the computer-aided dispatch/automatic vehicle location (CAD/AVL) system will be upgraded.

Mass decontamination and casualties equipment will include large capacity water trucks, decontamination tents, radiological detection devices, and other items at a cost of $1.46 million.

Duncan also announced the formation of a panel to design an appropriate memorial for the 11 Montgomery County victims of the September 11th attack on America. The Panel, chaired by former County Councilmember William E. Hanna, Jr., includes family members of those who lost their lives as well as County government and community leaders.

TO: Steven A. Silverman, President, Montgomery County Council

FROM: Douglas M. Duncan, County Executive

SUBJECT: Educational Facilities Officers

The purpose of this memo is to inform you of my request for federal resources to support Educational Facilities Officers in the Police Department. As you know, since the tragic events of September 11th, we have had to address many new realities. While public and private schools in our County remain safe and secure for students and employees, we nonetheless must be prepared for anticipated new challenges. The federal funds will enable us to have an additional cadre of police officers to focus on improving emergency preparedness and ensuring that public and private schools' emergency management procedures are seamlessly coordinated with Police, Fire and Rescue, and the County emergency management structure.

The Educational Facilities unit will be composed of 32 officers who will be assigned to geographic beats across the County. The officers' primary role will be to provide increased communications, planning, security, and procedural links and enhancements. Officers will be responsible for the Montgomery County Public Schools, private schools, and Montgomery College campus that reside within their geographic beat.

Attached is a six-year projection of the estimated cost for the Educational Facilities Officers. The Police Department will be working collaboratively with MCPS, Montgomery College, representatives of the private schools, and other interested parties to implement this initiative. My staff and I will be pleased to provide additional information should you have any questions.

Attachment

cc: Charles A. Moose, Ph.D., Chief of Police
Jerry D. Weast, Ed.D., Superintendent, MCPS
Charlene R. Nunley, Ph.D., President, Montgomery College
Michael L. Subin, Chair, Education Committee, County Council

The key Homeland Security projects for which we are seeking federal funds are:

Public Health Syndromic Surveillance System: We are requesting $507,000 in FY03 federal appropriations to enable local hospitals and their emergency services to report targeted syndromic indicators to a central location daily where data are gathered and analyzed on a real time basis. The effort will demonstrate the usefulness in detecting in a timely manner unusual health occurrences indicative of possible biological or chemical terrorism. Schools reporting student absences would also be included in the data.

Tone Alert Communication System and Blast Fax Communications: We are requesting $750,000 in FY03 federal appropriations to provide tone/voice alerting system for firefighters/EMS, disaster volunteers and public health personnel.

Educational Facilities Officers: We are requesting $4 million in grant funding for the hiring of 32 officers assigned to educational facilities. These officers will coordinate emergency management plans and maintain strong communication links with every educational facility-public and private-within each beat.

Enhanced Bomb Squad and HAZMAT Response Capabilities: We are requesting $1.17 million in FY03 federal appropriations to replace and expand existing equipment including vehicles, protective suits, and communication and camera equipment.

Bioterrorism Response Center: We are requesting $767,000 in FY03 federal appropriations for initial planning and development of a Bioterrorism Response Center. Our proximity to biomedical and intelligence assets, including NIH and FDA, put Montgomery County in a unique position to serve as a national model for bioterrorism preparedness. The Center would marry our own local government's expertise in police, emergency rescue, public health and public information with expertise from neighboring jurisdictions, federal agencies, private companies, and other organizations to provide a state-of-the-art and fully integrated capability in bioterrorism response.

Second full cache for Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) Team: We are requesting $1.8 million in FY03 federal appropriations to establish an additional full inventory of equipment for the USAR team to enhance their ability to respond rapidly and expand their capability of handling multiple national or local incidents.

Emergency Radio System for Ride-On: We are requesting $5.7 million in FY03 federal appropriations to enhance the security and communications infrastructure of our bus fleet. Federal funding would be directed toward improving our existing radio system, and upgrading our computer aided dispatch/automatic vehicle location (CAD/AVL) system.

Mass decontamination and casualty capability: We are requesting $1.46 million in FY03 federal appropriations for equipment essential in such an event (e.g., large capacity water trucks, decontamination tents, radiological detection devices, etc.).