More than half the nation’s state homeland security directors are unsatisfied with the intelligence they receive from the federal government and the lack of input they have in crafting national policy, according to a survey of governors.
Thereport, issued by the National Governors Association, emphasized that homeland security organizations are still in their infancy and that authorities are still learning the best ways to do things.
“We’re still building the airplane while we’re taking off,” said Steve Mondul, deputy director of homeland security for Virginia.
In the survey, taken more than a month ago, Virginia directors responded that they were somewhat dissatisfied with the specificity and actionable quality of the intelligence they receive from the federal government. They were also concerned about the lack of input they had in adopting federal policies.
Other findings from the survey, which was answered by 38 state homeland security directors, include:
» The use of National Guard forces in the war in Iraq has left more than half the states with a diminished capability to respond to emergencies.
» Two new challenges — pandemic influenza and natural disasters — have joined the list of priorities since last year.
» The DHS state grant program underemphasizes disaster prevention and recovery.
But Mondul said he’s seen improvements in the past six months, starting with a change in leadership. In December, Virginia’s former head of homeland security, George W. Foresman, was hired as the country’s first undersecretary for Preparedness Directorate at DHS.
The state is starting to have more input and the DHS is putting those ideas into practice, Mondul said.
