Decision to buy vans splits regional security panel

Two Chevrolet Suburbans, equipped with the latest in communication technology -- tools that can communicate with just about anyone, anywhere in case of a disaster.

The price tag: up to $300,000 each.

In the first year of the new Homeland Security "regionalization" concept in Missouri, these are the items the local Regional Homeland Security Oversight Committee has recommended the majority of its $1,040,357 state allocation be spent on. The decision was one that divided the 13-member committee -- seven for, six against.

"These are great, but we only got two, and one will be in Cape Girardeau and one will be in Kennett," said Jamie Burger, a member of the oversight committee who represents county commissioners across the region. "This Suburban is not going to end up in New Hamburg if we have a major disaster; it's going to stay in Cape Girardeau.

"I think it was ridiculous. I was strongly opposed to this idea, and I don't think we have the interests of the citizens in mind."

But others on the committee think the communications vehicles will take care of the biggest problem the area has in disaster response -- being able to communicate freely with agencies other than their own.

"Any time you have a major incident, history has shown that communications is always a problem, or the lack of adequate communications, and that's been repeated time and time again over the last several years," said Cape Girardeau Fire Department chief Rick Ennis, who represents fire departments on the committee. "That is why interoperability communications has become a big issue with Department of Homeland Security and their funding priorities."

Before this year, this kind of split in how to divide up homeland security money for the region wouldn't have been a problem. In past years each jurisdiction identified its own priorities and applied for grants with the State Emergency Management Agency, which administers the State Homeland Security Grant Program. But this year a new concept determines how those funds are distributed: "regionalization."

Under regionalization, the state is split into 10 regions that mirror the regions used by the Missouri State Highway Patrol. For each region an "oversight committee" is selected of representatives from 13 disciplines: directors of emergency management, police chiefs, sheriffs, fire chiefs, county health officials, homeland security response teams, city and county public works departments, mayors and city administrators, county commissioners, private industry and public utilities, emergency medical services, 911 services and volunteer groups like the Red Cross and Salvation Army.

The committee can recommend funds be spent in four areas: measures against agroterrorism, strengthening communications between responding agencies, mass care and resident protection, and volunteer organizations and donations.

These committees meet to make suggestions for allocations of the funds given to their region. And among the 13-county Southeast Missouri region, those representatives had different spending priorities.

Burger supported an alternative proposal to spend the funds that were allocated for the two Suburbans: providing a 30-by-8-foot trailer for each county filled with items like food, water, portable lighting, a generator and communication equipment. The idea -- to provide each county with something they can have at the ready to assist people in case of disasters. The price tag: about $56,000 each with all the supplies.

"We thought it made sense for each county to get this," Burger said. "They always tell us we'll be on our own for 48 to 72 hours in the event of a major disaster."

Cheryl Klueppel also supported the idea of equipping each county with trailers. As director of the Southeast Missouri chapter of the American Red Cross, Klueppel said her top priority is providing quick care for people affected by disasters.

"Our response in time of disaster is to provide immediate emergency assistance, so when we have the opportunity for putting resources into a community to prepare that community for a time of disaster, of course that's a good opportunity," Klueppel said. "One of our responsibilities is mass care, and we saw that as a high priority to put resources into the community."

The idea of trailers for each county was defeated by the same margin the Suburbans were accepted: 7 to 6.

Lt. Ken Dicus, a member of the Homeland Security Response Team and the Sikeston Department of Public Safety, said any time such diverse groups are brought together to make a decision, the results will be controversial. But he still thinks the committee's recommendation will be the best use of one-million-plus homeland security dollars coming to Southeast Missouri.

"When it's all said and done everybody's going to do what's best for the region," he said.

Minutes of the meeting and an account of how each committee member voted were not readily available.

However, those who wanted trailers for each county may get some of what they're asking for. Dicus said $39,000 was appropriated for mass care and a committee has been set up to determine how to spend those funds, some of which may go to fund trailers across the region. Fewer trailers will be funded, but without the ability to communicate between responding agencies, those trailers would be rendered less effective, Ennis said.

The two SUVs will be capable of setting up their own local communications networks and will allow local agencies to communicate easily with state and even federal response teams.

"We believe you have to have interoperability communications before you can have mass care," Ennis said.

But the spending proposals remain just that -- proposals. The recommendations still have to be approved by the state, which will take place some time during the first quarter of 2007, said State Emergency Management Agency spokeswoman Susie Stonner.

msanders@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 182