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Cities focus on overcoming weaknesses

By Mike Fish
CNN.com

ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- The attacks of September 11 have touched off a storm of inspections and analysis by cities, including those rated Less Prepared in a CNN.com analysis of the 30 largest cities.

Falling into the category were Boston, Detroit, Las Vegas, Milwaukee, New Orleans and Philadelphia. It's worth noting that half of them have either a new or an interim emergency management director. But most, if not all of the cities, have taken significant strides to heighten preparedness in recent months.

Chemical and bioterrorism exercises have been conducted. More funding has been made available for training and equipment. In some cases, federal law enforcement and troops have even lent a hand.

BOSTON

The experts assisting in the CNN.com analysis rated Boston worst among the 30 cities in the transportation category, based on a series of statistics evaluating gridlock and congestion on main highways and arterial streets. The city is in the midst of a massive road and tunnel project that should ease some of the problem.

• One year later: Security tighter, cities stretched • Despite top rank, New York keeps preparing • Survey: Cities fear biological, chemical attacks • A huge government reorganization for homeland security • Federal government responds to terrorism • Cities responding to 9/11 'wake-up call' • Archive Select A City Atlanta Austin Baltimore Boston Charlotte Chicago Cleveland Columbus Dallas/Fort Worth Denver Detroit Houston Indianapolis Jacksonville Kansas City Las Vegas Los Angeles Memphis Miami Milwaukee Nashville-Davidson New Orleans New York Philadelphia Phoenix San Antonio San Diego San Francisco/San Jose Seattle Washington, DC

Boston is also in line for federal domestic preparedness funding to assist in the purchase of equipment and training. The city also has plans for a new emergency operations center. All told, officials say the projects could approach $20 million.

Officials also report that the fire department, in particular, has stepped up its training to deal with anthrax threats since September 11.

"I don't think we are any less prepared or any more prepared than (New York)," said Bob Calobrisi, who took over in January as director of the city's emergency management agency. "I think we're basically the same. They, of course, are a lot bigger than Boston."

DETROIT

The city didn't fare quite as badly in transportation as Boston, but its only above average rating among the four categories was in hospital/medical.

In recent months, however, Detroit officials have updated their emergency operations plans to better deal with weapons of mass destruction and bioterrorism. They're also working with the state to develop the Metropolitan Strike Team, a unit specializing in bioterrorism. An additional $140,000 in federal grant money is also anticipated.

"A lot of what we're doing is related to bioterrorism," said John Abbo, the interim director of the emergency management agency.

Because of the city's border with Windsor, Canada, the National Guard has continued since September to monitor people crossing the three bridges into Detroit. The U.S. Coast Guard has also patrolled the rivers and waterways.

LAS VEGAS

The city was hurt in the CNN.com assessment, in part, because Nevada is one of the few states without a public health veterinarian or an epidemic intelligence officer ("disease detective") sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention -- both of which experts say could play a role in the early detection of a biological attack. Las Vegas also was the only city among the 30 surveyed not to have finished its federal preparedness training.

On March 21, the city is set to complete the Department of Justice program with a biological tabletop exercise. "That fits nicely into our greatest planning concern here," said Tim McAndrew, director of the city's Office of Emergency Management. "Should somebody come in here and disperse a biological agent it could (spread) not just all over this country but the world because people travel here from all over."

A significant upgrade since September is the involvement of the major resorts and casinos in preparedness planning. Prior to the terrorist attacks, McAndrew describes them as "mildly involved" with the Local Emergency Planning Committee.

"They have become formal members of the committee," he said. "Between 9/11 and now, we have brought the resort and hotel community into the loop for our disaster preparedness and planning. They have stepped up security something fierce at a good number of the larger resorts."

For one, as a precaution, cars are now routinely searched before valet parked at most resorts.

MILWAUKEE

The city performed much better than most in transportation, but that was its only standout category. A knock heard against cities like it is they are not faced with enough weather-related emergencies or major events to test their preparedness -- but this summer Milwaukee plays host to the baseball All-Star Game.

"That has already caused us to do additional planning and training," said Ed Marchewka, director of the county emergency agency.

Since September, county and city emergency officials have conducted a series of preparedness workshops for more than 3,000 government employees. Marchewka said it would have been unheard of in the past for the workers to be freed for the 90-minute sessions. In addition, he's been assured by the state that funds are available for any training programs he deems necessary.

A lingering issue, though, is getting the mostly private hospitals up to speed.

"With the hospitals, there is cost factor involved," he said. "They're not going to put (decontamination) rooms in that are never going to be used. The trauma center on county grounds put in a decon room, but the rest are looking for ways to do the funding."

NEW ORLEANS

Like Nevada, Louisiana is one of the few states that does not employ a public health veterinarian and also lacks a CDC-sponsored epidemic intelligence officer. Nor has it received some key federal preparedness program assistance, including an advanced communications system and another CDC bioterrorism grant.

The city, though, has usually performed well handling public events such as Mardi Gras and the Super Bowl. Both are again on the calendar for early February, but this year New Orleans' Super Bowl efforts are being assisted by the FBI and Secret Service. Federal authorities have been meeting with city officials three times a week since early December.

Because the Super Bowl has been pushed back a week to February 3, it falls in the middle of the two-week Mardi Gras celebration. Federal authorities are expected to set up a separate command post and ostensibly be responsible for activities in and around the Superdome.

"They will come in and establish a perimeter several hundred feet around the dome, and we'll subordinate ourselves to their command within that perimeter," said Terry Tullier, a deputy fire superintendent and interim director of the city's office of emergency preparedness. "Keep in mind, we have the entire city to protect outside that perimeter. On Monday after the Super Bowl, they are going to shut down the command center and the Feds will be on a plane out of here."

PHILADELPHIA

Much like Boston, Philadelphia had a difficult time recovering from the low grade it scored in the category that looked at gridlock potential and traffic flow, and its only outstanding score came in hospital/medical.

Philadelphia, however, is generally assumed to be among the better-prepared major cities. The city is thought to have also benefited significantly from the planning and training that went into its hosting the 2000 Republican National Convention. It had another test in December while hosting the annual Army-Navy football game, which was attended by President Bush and key military figures.

"The Army-Navy game was big for us," said Mike Nucci, director of the city's emergency management agency. "There was a whole other thing done for the President and those kind of people, but we had (decontamination) teams and stations on every level of Veterans Stadium. We had about 800 police involved in that operation, between the stadium and the hotels they were staying at downtown. It was massive thing.

"We felt and the Feds felt that that could have been a very nice target. Security was great. They ran everybody through metal detectors going into the place, including the teams."

Since September 11, the city's fire and police departments have also done additional bioterrorism training and officials have worked with the hospitals, particularly to improve reporting of a potential outbreak. The five-county region anticipates receiving an additional $4 million in federal funds over the next three years to assist with training and the purchase of equipment.