Homeland Security officials are impressed with Rhode Island's preparations for a catastrophe on the scale of Hurricane Katrina.

01:00 AM EDT on Monday, June 19, 2006

BY AMANDA MILKOVITZ
Journal Staff Writer

Rhode Island came out strong in a federal review of how well the nation could handle a catastrophe like Hurricane Katrina.

In a thick report that specifically analyzed Rhode Island's emergency preparedness, a Department of Homeland Security review team found much that it liked.

Robert J. Warren, the executive director of the state Emergency Management Agency, gave the Journal a copy of the 102-page report of the team's analysis the day that Homeland Security released a report on its findings nationally.

President Bush stood in Jackson Square in the ruined city of New Orleans in September and ordered the review of emergency plans in every state, major urban area and U.S. territory. States had to conduct their own assessments, and then review teams paid visits to determine whether the nation was prepared for another catastrophe on the scale of Hurricane Katrina.

The short answer: Most aren't ready.

Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Vermont were the only New England states whose plans met with approval, along with Florida, Maryland, Mississippi, New York, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas.

Rhode Island's basic emergency plan and its plans for mass care and evacuation were scored as acceptable by the visiting team. Homeland Security also singled out this state for having "best practices" for integrating volunteer organizations, such as the Amateur Radio Emergency Services and Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Services, into its emergency plans.

Rhode Island was also praised for its public education program on hazard mitigation and on outreach to businesses, residents, and visitors, particularly its planning concerning "special communications populations," including people with disabilities, non-English speakers and households where children are the most proficient English speakers.

Rep. James R. Langevin, who serves on the House Committee on Homeland Security, said he was pleased that the state EMA was recognized nationally.

"These accolades demonstrate the EMA's commitment to the safety of all Rhode Islanders by ensuring all our residents know exactly what to do before, during and after an emergency," Langevin said.

Governor Carcieri said he hoped to see Rhode Island become a national example for emergency planning.

"This national report shows how far Rhode Island has come in upgrading its preparations for any type of catastrophic event," the governor said in a statement Friday. "Thanks to the hard work of everyone at the Emergency Management Agency, we have made tremendous progress over the last few years. In fact, we are more prepared to deal with a terrorist event or a major hurricane today than at any time in Rhode Island's history."

Some of the highlights in Rhode Island:

The coastal evacuation plan with online routes (at www.riema.ri.gov) and maps of areas that would be inundated by a storm surge.

Work compiling information on elderly and special-needs residents who would need help evacuating. This database will be maintained by the state Department of Health.

The state's DMAT team, deployed during The Station nightclub fire and Hurricane Katrina, which has the equipment and personnel to set up a 100-bed shelter for triage.

About 400 people trained in behavioral health who can serve as counselors during disasters, such as The Station fire and Hurricane Katrina.

Communications systems linking every hospital.

Using the railways to distribute critical medical resources. The state has a medical cache that the Coast Guard can lift by helicopter and distribute to a loading zone near the railway for distribution.

State law requiring generators in nursing homes and assisted-living facilities.

The team also found areas where Rhode Island needs to improve:

Documenting its agreements with other agencies. The state is relying on different agencies for assistance in various plans; the team wrote that the EMA should formalize the agreements.

Developing a plan for warning the public of emergencies. Rhode Island has the means, but no formal plan, for getting the word out to the public, special facilities or the summer tourists, the team found. The state needs to have pre-scripted warnings to go out over reverse 911 and the electronic highway billboards to inform the public on emergencies.

Some of the findings are already outdated.

The Rhode Island EMA has written new plans for removing debris left from a massive hurricane and for distributing food and water to devastated communities, as well as approving more hurricane shelters. The state Department of Transportation has completed a preliminary study of traffic on the evacuation routes; the results are expected to be released soon.

Meanwhile, some projects that were recommended or applauded by the team have been postponed indefinitely, because state or federal funds have not come through. The governor's $20-million proposal for a site for a new emergency operations center, E-911 system, and state computer center was eliminated from the budget approved by the House Finance Committee recently. The state EMA has renovated space at its headquarters for an emergency operations center, for $232,000, completed on June 1, and plans additional work to be completed Aug. 15.

And the federal government slashed in half Rhode Island's share of Homeland Security funds, to $7.8 million, which means postponing a statewide communications system and a plan to regionalize emergency operations centers. The review team had praised both ideas.

"While our state EMA is making strides and working hard, it is evident from the report's findings that more needs to be done nationwide," Langevin said. "I agree with the report's assessment, too, that the federal government should not only provide leadership and policies but also must back up its mandates with appropriate funding."

amilkovi@projo.com / (401) 277-7213