D.C. Still Unprepared, Panel Told

Nearly five years after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, the Washington region still lacks a strategic plan to guide preparations for any future attacks or to effectively spend hundreds of millions of homeland security dollars, federal and local officials told a U.S. Senate panel Wednesday. ( Read More)

Washington Post staff writer Eric M. Weiss was online Thursday, March 30, at 1 p.m. ET to field your questions and comments.

The transcript follows.

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Eric M. Weiss: Good afternoon! I'll be happy to take your questions on homeland security and regional preparedness.

And thank you for your interest. You are helping me to accomplish today The Post version of hitting for the cycle: Article in the paper, talk on the debut of Washington Post Radio, TV interview on Channel 8 and now this web chat. The only thing left is to file a blog entry (after lunch). Welcome to the frontiers of journalism.

Now to your questions

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Washington, D.C.: Should one morning of increased security on Metro really be the big news it was yesterday? Shouldn't heightened security be a policy, not something special and newsworthy? I traveled to London recently and saw policeman on the Tube actually walk thru the car as it proceeded between stops. He obviously had a careful eye out and actually asked people if their nearby suitcases belonged to them. His behavior seemed to be part of his routine patrol. If I see a Metro officer in DC, he or she is usually standing around chatting in a Metro station. I have never seen a Metro officer walk thru a moving car, carefully eyeballing passengers. Do they actually do this? Do we really have to wait for an attack on our public transportation before we get as serious as the Brits?

Eric M. Weiss: Interesting question. But we need to remember that British have been looking for bombs in luggage, garbage cans, parked cars and the Tube for many years while they fought the Irish Republican Army.

But even they do not feel adequately protected. I was listening to the BBC earlier today (When Washington Post Radio was on a station break, I swear)and there was a discussion about how little improvements since the recent train bombings.

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Washington, D.C.: This is so disturbing ... it reinforces my belief that I need to move away from here as soon as possible -- hopefully before the next disaster strikes.

It seems that we, as citizens, are essentially unable to protect ourselves? Is there -anything- we can do to assure our safety?

Eric M. Weiss: Security officials advise that you set up enough supplies to be self-sufficient at least for the first 72 hours. During Katrina, we saw what happened when people were not prepared and counted on the government to help.

Help will come, but it is likely to take a while. So put some water, batteries etc. aside.

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Washington, D.C.: Generally speaking, was the panel surprised by the findings?

Eric M. Weiss: No. Senators knew that the strategic plan for the Washington region was not ready. It was supposed to be ready last September. Officials say it will be ready by this August at the earliest.

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Arlington, Va.: With all that needs to be done, what kind of timeframe on improvements to this situation is this city looking at? What are the first steps to be taken?

Eric M. Weiss: Local officials say they have not been sitting on their hands waiting for the report. They have continued making their own response plans, coordinating with their neighbors and buying equipment such as extra firefighter gear, compatible radios. They say they have made a great deal of progress since 9/11.

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Stanton Park: The Feds actually sued D.C. when local leaders tried to put some common sense into protecting citizens from unprotected railcars full of highly volatile chemicals from passing through neighborhoods and literally within a stones throw of internationally known targets. Studies estimate that tens of thousands would die within minutes should a terrorist target these easy-target railcars. And such a visual target - Americans by the tens of thousands literally convulsing to death on the steps of the Capitol and the US Mall.

And our port and chemical plants, both federal responsibilities, are dismally protected.

So I'm not really sure how senators can honestly say that the Feds would do any better than the locals have done.

Eric M. Weiss: I'm not sure if any of the senators were proposing that the federal government would take over planning. What they want is for the feds to help coordinate the local response and make sure there is as little duplication of effort as possible and the best communication.

During 9/11, in the Trade Center towers, office floors were sweeped for survivors and the injured multiple times by multiple agencies, wasting resources and precious time.

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Virginia: What is the likelihood that August will be the date when it's ready?

Eric M. Weiss: The Government Accountability Office estimates a September or October timeframe is more likely.

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Washington, D.C.: Who, exactly, is involved in all of this planning? How's the communication between everyone?

Eric M. Weiss: All the officials who testified yesterday praised each other for their cooperation, and the fact that Virginia, Maryland and the District offered joint testimony could be seen as a step in the right direction.

But the Washington region has so many independent players, jurisdictions and cultures, so it is difficult to get past the mission statement phase and get to the meat of divvying up responsibilities and resources.

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Anonymous: In your piece Lockwood said..."The consensus process around the details takes much longer to do,'' he said, but "if you do it right, it's going to last.'' In the private sector a strategic plan is worthless if it is not flexible and updated regularly. The strategic plan we would have had on Sept. 10, 2001 would not have been any help on Sept 11 - because our leaders insisted NOBODY IMAGINED TERRORISTS WOULD FLY PLANES INTO BUILDINGS. Any new Strategic plan should be imaginative, rigorous and realistic AND should be reexamined every year. I see another narcissistic exercise in self delusion here.

washingtonpost.com: Area Still Unprepared for Terror Attacks, Senate Panel Is Told (Post, March 30)

Eric M. Weiss: I think Lockwood was talking about getting the initial plan right; there are plans to constantly update it.

By the way, the District updated its evacuation plan after the Katrina fiasco. Officials are using demographic, economic and motor vehicle data to figure out where folks live who might need help to evacuate. And they are lining up buses to help people get out more quickly. So they are paying attention.

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Washington, D.C.: Hi there,

Thanks for an important topic.

I just recently got myself prepared for five days without help. This includes food, beverage, medicine, toilet paper, etc. Part of having a plan is communicating a plan to the people who would be in harm's way. So why do we as a city not communicate to our citizens to prepare their homes and provide a checklist? Also, how about offering resources for those who cannot afford to go drop $100 on "what-if's"?

Eric M. Weiss: Go to dcema.dc.gov or dhs.gov and click on the numerous preparedness guides there. One need not build a bunker for the entire neighborhood at first; start with a coupla gallons of water and a flashlight.

Some reporters who have to jump on breaking news stories keep a "go bag'' packed with stuff needed for a few days. Do that. Then maybe buy a battery powered radio.

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Washington, D.C.: When the plan is ready, what does that mean? How's it implemented? What's the timeframe on that? How will life in D.C. change? Thanks.

Eric M. Weiss: The Capital Region Homeland Security Strategic Plan would set out goals, timetables, cost estimates and performance measures that would guide the region in building the most effective, comprehensive and cost-effective emergency response system.

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Fairfax, Va.: Do you know if each county is making up contingency plans? Fairfax has basically told its residents 'you are on your own' - - do you agree with this stance?

Eric M. Weiss: Oh, come on Fairfax, go easy on your hard-working public officials. go to http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/oem/to find out what they suggest Fairfaxers really do during an emergency.

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Washington, D.C.: The fact that the metro area is not prepared and not working well together should be a surprise to no one who lives around here. Do you think that being called out by Congress will actually get some things going?

Eric M. Weiss: As Thomas Lockwood, the DHS director for the Washington region pointed out yesterday, this ain't the easiest place to coordinate. (Lockwood didn't use the word "ain't.")

Everyone has to deal with 12 jurisdictions, two states and the District of Columbia, all three branches of the federal government, more than 2,000 nonprofit organizations and numerous regional business and civic groups. Nearly three dozen police departments operate in the District alone.

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Washington, D.C.: What is the city supposed to be spending the homeland security dollars on?

Eric M. Weiss: The region has divvied up $188.24 million in federal grants on these priorities:

$10 million for intelligence, $42 million for interoperable communications, $11.55 million for law enforcement investigations, $5 million for mass care planning, $3.67 million for mass prophylaxis, $6.3 million to plan for a wave of mass casualties, $15.22 million for "planning,'' $11.5 million for WMD/Hazmat response and decontamination,$26.25 million for critical infrastructure protection, $21 million for citizen protection and preparedness, $21 million for logistics and distribution and $9.45 million for explosive device response.

And I knew all that by memory...

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Arlington, Va.: Can you talk about the metro system? Whenever I ride it, I feel like it's very vulnerable.

Eric M. Weiss: Wherever people gather in large numbers in enclosed spaces makes for a good target. But that's life. But if everyone who takes the Metro would look around for anything or anyone suspicious, that would be a lot of human security cameras.

More info on Metro safety can be found at www.wmata.com/riding/safety/emergency_preparedness.cfm

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Washington, D.C.: Security seems like a relatively amorphous concept. How, concretely, can we improve security short of intense surveillance and high expense?

Eric M. Weiss: That's above my pay grade, Washington.

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re: fairfax county plans: per your suggestion, I just went to look. Yes, there is a lot of what citizens can do for themselves, but I am interested in their plans to maintain water, power, police, rescue during a crisis, such as pandemic flu, major natural disaster, etc. A few months ago the Board of Sups admitted they really could not help in major disaster, hence my comment of 'you are on your own'.

Eric M. Weiss: I think it would be prudent to plan on being self-sufficient in terms of water, food, clothing, medicine and other necessities for the first 72 hours of an emergency.

That said, local emergency officials said that it is unlikely that an entire region or the entire city would have to totally evacuate during an incident. One term they use is "sheltering in place,'' which means stay put and don't get in the way of emergency responders unless you are immediate danger.

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Redding, Calif.: Beyond some basic steps that would never cost billions of dollars to undertake, regional planning for terrorism incidents is a paper tiger issue used by politicians to funnel money to special interests and create the appearance of "progress on the war against terror."

Come on, folks -- this is NOT "24", where everything is seamless and all we need to do is have Chloe massage a few algorithms and we're all singing Kum-By-Ya.

Our system of government and way of life - the "pre-9/11 mentality" if you will - is tilted necessarily towards in-efficient, in-effective government.

To have it any other way would frankly, be scarier than anything the terrorists threw at us.

Eric M. Weiss: Redding, please don't give away plots of "24." I have not seen the episode where Chloe massages a few algorithms.

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Falls Church, Va.: Does this lack of preparedness give the federal government another reason to take away home rule? Washington, D.C., was created as the seat of federal government and the federal government should be responsible for protecting the security of the government. Shouldn't the residential areas of D.C. become their own home-ruled district with the downtown area that serves as the seat of government being a separate area with infrastructure and police that is run exclusively by the federal government?

Eric M. Weiss: I'm no emergency management consultant, but based on my reporting it seems the problem is more related to coordination and communication than it is about one jurisdiction messing up or not pulling their weight. Look at a map of the area.

If we were in Baltimore, say, Mayor O'Malley would get on the phone to Gov. Ehrlich and, boom, everyone has communicated and coordinated.(I would love to listen in on that conversation, but that is a different story for a different chat...)

In the D.C. area, you can travel from the District to Maryland and Virginia in a single easy bicycle ride. Plus all three branches of the federal government are here, and they like to have their way. Then there's each individual fire department, police department, etc., etc...

Doesn't just thinking about that give you a headache?

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Washington, D.C.: The reality of the situation is such that trying to "escape" from Downtown is impossible during something as mundane as the evening rush hour.

What hope can anyone have to implement any response plan in complete and utter gridlock? Ever seen an ambulance trying to make any headway on Constitution Ave at 5:30PM?

Your only option will be walking out of the District, if you are lucky.

Eric M. Weiss: Walking is not such a joke. There are actually plans for folks walking out of the city.

This past July 4, the city tested a new evacuation scheme after the fireworks on the Mall that included using all lanes and timing all traffic lights to move people out from the center of the city as quickly as possible.

Nobody thinks it won't be challenging to evacuate a major city swollen with suburban office workers and tourists.

My wife and I have talked about maybe biking out of the city with our camping gear in an emergency (actually I'd have to work).

It might be something to think about when you have some time, like when you're sitting in bumper-to-bumper rush-hour traffic.

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re: fairfax plans: Absolutely. Several people on our court have banded together on this, and will take care of ourselves. Can't rely on gov't these days! Sad to say, as they raise property taxes yet again.

Eric M. Weiss: But think of all your equity!

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Eric M. Weiss: Thanks folks, it has been a pleasure. Keep those batteries dry.

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