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March 30, 2009
By Markeshia Ricks
montgomeryadvertiser.com
By many standards, six years isn't a long time.
That is how long the Alabama Department of Homeland Security has been in existence as of this month.
In that short time, the fledgling department has racked up an impressive resume.
Because of homeland security, the state has a mutual aid system that allows emergency and law enforcement personnel to respond wherever disaster strikes, and it has used technology to create a nationally recognized virtual visualization tool that is the envy of many states. But with a new administration at the helm nationally and a 2010 governor's race on the horizon, officials are looking toward the future.
Jim Walker, the department's director, said his department is the new kid on the government block, but it's tried to establish a foundational legacy that the next person in his shoes can build on.
Walker is a cabinet-level appointee, who serves at the pleasure of the governor and he could be replaced with a change of administration.
"I'm a former Army officer, so I'm looking at the other side of the hill," he said.
On the other side of the hill is a new secretary of homeland security -- only the second secretary in the department's short history -- who serves at the pleasure of a new president that has sought to distance himself from many of the policies of his predecessor.
Walker, who serves on the executive council of the National Governors Association Homeland Security Advisors Council, said he hasn't had an opportunity to meet Secretary Janet Napolitano yet, but he's optimistic about her leadership and what it means for states.
"She's a former governor and I believe she has a keen understanding of what state governments and local governments face," he said.
Lauree Ashcom, a spokeswoman for the Alabama Emergency Management Agency, said the biggest challenge that state and local governments face is continuing to build capacity to respond to natural and man-made disasters as well as potential acts of terrorism.
"Our challenges are the same as other agencies and even the citizenry of Alabama," she said. "We are always looking for more efficient ways to perform our tasks so that we get the most use of the funding we have."
Will Ware, policy analyst for the homeland security and technology division of the National Governors Association, said Napolitano has signaled that she shares many of the same priorities that state directors of homeland security have.
The National Governors Association Center for Best Practices released a survey of homeland security directors earlier this month that found that their top five priorities were: coordinating the efforts of state and local agencies; developing interoperable communications for emergency responders; identifying and protecting critical infrastructure; and developing a state intelligence fusion center and strengthening citizen preparedness.
"In total, Secretary Napolitano has released 12 action directives," Ware said in an e-mailed response. "Some of these -- critical infrastructure protection, state, local and tribal integration, interoperability -- also were cited by state homeland security directors as top priorities in the survey."
Walker said 87 percent of Alabama's ability to respond to any kind of disaster is at the local level, and the funding that flows from the federal government should reflect that.
He said it's easy to dismiss rural America when it comes to domestic disasters because there aren't any big buildings or millions of people to consider.
Walker said that mindset is seen in the struggle at the national level over funding that pits the 50 biggest cities in the country against everybody else. Those struggles often end in rural America getting a lot fewer resources.
"But when you look at it, who is better able to respond in time of crisis ... you have to recognize that rural America is relevant," he said. "There is a place for rural America because we would be able to respond to a city that has been incapacitated."
For a testament to what it means to have a coordinated state and local response, he points to disasters caused by hurricanes like Katrina and Ivan, during which Alabama was able to marshall response teams and equipment while housing more than 10,000 people who evacuated from other states.
No other state has been able to do that," he said.
Walker said when he became director his goal wasn't to take over the responsibilities of any other department, but to use homeland security resources and expertise to empower local and state governments and citizens to respond in times of crisis.
He's taken the same approach to how Alabama uses the funding it receives from the federal government for homeland security activities.
Instead of treating the state's department of homeland security as a granting agency that doles out money to applicants who seek it, stakeholders from every region of the state have a hand in deciding how the money is spent once it gets to Alabama.
And stakeholders aren't limited to law enforcement and emergency management, but also public health, transportation and agriculture.
Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries Commissioner Ron Sparks said much of the training and upgrades in the security of state labs wouldn't have been possible if his department hadn't worked so closely with the state Department of Homeland Security.
"It has been extremely important for us to lay out our priorities and work with other local and state officials," Sparks said. "Alabama has really shined in that regard and we haven't had any turf battles.
"Jim Walker and his agency have respected us, and we've built a system that other states look to as a model."
Walker said he believes the relationships between state departments, local governments and law enforcement will be among the biggest legacy left when someone else is in the governor's office next year.
But he hopes that the next administration will continue to build on the progress of its predecessors.
"We want people to have a sense of personal responsibility when it comes to homeland security," he said.
"You have a vested interest and it's your responsibility to reach out and take care of you family and you community. We hope we've been a stepping stone for empowering people."
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