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Col. Jay Mayeaux Questions
If a civilian is interested in helping with homeland security,
what can this person do? How can citizens become involved in
homeland security efforts? Citizens are encouraged to seek
information relating to their local Citizen Corps programs.
This is a volunteer initiative that focuses on family and
community preparedness and response. Details on the Citizen
Corps can be found at the national web site:
www.citizencorps.gov . The Louisiana Office of Homeland
Security and Emergency Preparedness web site also has
additional information:
http://www.loep.state.la.us/homeland/hls-main-citizens.htm
.
How would a citizen of Calcasieu Parish become more involved
in emergency preparedness?
Fortunately Calcasieu was one of the first parishes in
Louisiana to establish a local Citizen Corps Council. Contact
information can be obtained from the council point of contact:
Calcasieu Parish Citizen Corps Council
Lake Charles, LA 70601
Contact: Richard Gremillion
Title: Director, Calcasieu Parish Office of Emergency
Preparedness
Phone: 3374373512
Email: dgremillion@cppj.net
URL: http://www.cppj.net
How did the Louisiana Homeland Security agency get started?
What parts were in place and on which the operations could be
built following the September 11 incident?
The Louisiana formal agency response was initiated in July
2002 when Governor Foster designated General Bennett C.
Landreneau as his Homeland Security Advisor. In Louisiana, as
in 26 other states, the Adjutant General of the National Guard
is also the Director of the respective state’s Office of
Emergency Preparedness. Upon given this mission, General
Landreneau established a separate division in the Louisiana
Office of Emergency Preparedness for Homeland Security. As
this initiative matured, additional structure and
organizational resources were dedicated to this effort. All
these resources were taken from existing resources and
detailing of equipment and personnel. During this past
Legislative session language were introduced to redesignated
the Louisiana Office of Emergency Preparedness to the
Louisiana Office of Homeland Security and Emergency
Preparedness.
The benefit of this concept has been that the systems,
resources and architecture for emergency preparedness are
easily refocused and more appropriately tailorable for
homeland security. This role provides a effective and
efficient matching of missions and roles for this newly
emerging field.
What has the Division of Homeland Security done to ensure or
improve the structural integrity of important buildings in
Louisiana?
The Homeland Security Division has continued to work closely
with state and local agencies to relate protection measures to
be taken for each level of the Homeland Security Advisory.
This Louisiana-developed model recommends protection measures
for critical infrastructure, local governments and citizens to
take at each respective level of the advisory. These
protection measures can be found on the Office of Homeland
Security and Emergency Preparedness web site:
http://www.loep.state.la.us/homeland/HSThreatAdvisory.htm
In your Node slide, you illustrated higher authorities being
added moving from local, parish, state, etc. Does the same
Incident Commander stay in charge as higher and higher levels
of government are called in to assist in an emergency
situation?
In general, the Incident Commander will remain the same as the
response unfolds on a specific scene; However, should the
disaster require a more robust response effort, the increase
of more and more resources and responders necessitates a
command structure that has greater span of control. As the
response increases, a Unified Command System should be
initiated in order to ensure that an effective and efficient
response is coordinated.
What is to prevent a terrorist from placing a “dirty bomb” or
other device in the ballast section of a ship while the vessel
is in an overseas port and then having an accomplice detonate
the device once the vessel gets close to one of our important
facilities like PPG, Citgo, or Port of Lake Charles?
While specifics of measures to address this threat should not
be addressed due to operational security concerns, citizens
should be aware that there are specific measures that are
designed to identify, track and monitor activities of
potential vessels that may be a threat.
We seem to be vulnerable to terrorist activities in
association with ship traffic coming into the area through the
ship channel. What is or can be done to protect our area from
bombs, weapons, or terrorist coming in on ships doing business
with clients along the river?
As stated earlier, while
specifics of measures to address this threat should not be
addressed due to operational security concerns, citizens
should be aware that there are specific measures that are
designed to identify, track and monitor activities of
potential vessels that may be a threat.
Has there been any follow-up epidemiological or statistical
studies to determine if the number of cases of cancer or other
illnesses that have stricken first-responders (such as
illnesses that impacted the DEQ and State Police from our
Calcasieu district) are within or exceed expected limits for
the general population?
I can not answer this question, but would instead ask that you
refer your question to the Louisiana Department of Health and
Hospitals.
How does the Louisiana Office of Homeland Security view the
public’s right-to-know? How is the agency going to balance
that right with our need for protection from terrorists?
We fully support the right to know and the provisions of the
Freedom of Information Act. This must be balanced with
operational security concerns and the protection of on going
investigations. Protection of our citizens is our foremost
mission. The manner in which we seek to advise our citizenry
of the appropriate measures to take to protect themselves and
families is the Louisiana Homeland Security Advisory System.
The application of these protective steps, and through their
own situational awareness, citizens are best postured to
address potential threats within their capabilities.
How are applicants to the Homeland Security group in Louisiana
screened to avoid allowing a mole to infiltrate the system?
All employees and personnel assigned to the role of Homeland
Security division must undergo a Background Check and have
Secret or Top Secret Security Clearances prior to assignment
to their respective positions. These clearances undergo
re-certification on a regular basis.
How many (approximately) personnel are involved directly in
the Homeland Security Agency in Louisiana?
Within our Division we employ nine (9) individuals, but in a
much larger sense we must also consider that every state
employee, every local governmental employee/agent and all
citizens are component parts of our overall Louisiana Homeland
Security effort.
What type of hazardous materials response training does the
Homeland Security Agency in Louisiana provide to the Louisiana
State Police?
The Louisiana State Police are designated as the lead state
agency for HAZMAT. As such the Division of Homeland Security
does not train the LSP in this arena. In act, the State Police
have established a comprehensive HAZMAT certification training
program at their Emergency Response Training Center in Holden,
LA. More information on this training academy can be found at
their web site: http://www.lsp.org/lspertc.nsf .
What type of hazardous materials training does the Louisiana
State Police provide to the Homeland Security Agency in
Louisiana?
The Louisiana State Police offers this training to all State
and local agencies.
Does the local Office of Emergency Preparedness receive the
same hazardous materials training as the personnel of Homeland
Security and the Louisiana State Police?
Yes, we strongly encourage standardization of training among
all agencies and departments. As a point of clarification…The
division of Homeland Security is par of the Louisiana Office
of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (formerly the
Louisiana Office of Emergency Preparedness)
What is your understanding of the authority granted to the
Louisiana State Police in the response to a hazardous
materials incident taking place at an industrial facility
apparently attacked by a terrorist?
The response to this question is two fold: First, the LSP has
been designated that lead state agency for response to HAMAT
incidents (see Annex H, Louisiana Emergency Operation Plan);
Second, in the event of a terrorist incident, the FBI has been
designated as the lead federal agency for the investigation of
such an incident.
What is your understanding of the authority granted to the
Louisiana State Police in the response to a hazardous
materials incident at an industrial facility to which the
local Office of Emergency Preparedness is responding?
As in any emergency, the LSP should work in support of the
Local Authorities. In general, this will be in the form of
response teams and/or resources provided to the Incident
Commander.
If the Border Patrol and Immigration
were properly funded and led to secure our borders to control
movement of people into this country, would the homeland
security and drug problem be reduced to more manageable
levels?
We live in a free and open society; this tenant is one of
our national and state values. One must realize that there are
groups of determined enemies of America that today seek to
attack our nation, our citizens and destroy all we stand for.
This factor lead me to feel that we will continue a robust
homeland security and defense effort specifically to preserve
the values we hold so dear.
How does the Homeland Security Agency work with the Louisiana
State Police during hazardous materials incidents? Who is in
charge of the response, Homeland Security or Louisiana State
Police?
Annex H of the Louisiana Emergency Operations plan sets forth
the following:
- LSP is the lead state agency
- LA Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness
coordinates the overall state response and support to local
jurisdiction.
You indicated that 85 percent of the critical infrastructure
is in the private sector? Are any of the critical
infrastructure components located in Calcasieu Parish?
Unlike some states, we do not advertise the locations and/or
designation of critical infrastructure; to do so would signal
to our potential enemies our most valuable assets. We have,
however, identified levels of critical infrastructure:
National, State and local. This enables the prioritization of
resources and the appropriate level of responsibility for
protection of such assets.
Are women involved directly in the Operations component of the
Homeland Security Agency in Louisiana?
We are a diverse mix of race and gender agency. Our Ready
Reaction force, Special Reaction Team, and the Office of
Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness are
representative of the overall population and cultural mix
within Louisiana.
What steps need to be taken if SARS (severe acute respiratory
syndrome) appears in Louisiana?
For more specifics I would refer this question to the
Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals. However,
Louisiana has been recognized for its award winning medical
surveillance system that is in place to track and monitor
potential deadly diseases.
Currently, at what stage is the development of the homeland
security training site in Louisiana?
The Southern Anti-Terrorist Training Academy (SARTA) is
conducting monthly courses. Their pilot course was conducted
in April 2003. More information can be obtained by contacting
them at (225) 319-4810.
What is the process used to decide at what level to place the
alert level of the Homeland Security Advisory System?
Extensive analysis is conducted twice daily to examine the
threat and the intelligence available. This is performed by
the Dept of Homeland Security, FBI, CIA and other intelligence
agencies.
What are the negative aspects of the Homeland Security
Advisory System?
The decision to elevate the advisory is a deliberate process
as outlined above. There are costs associated with elevating
the HLS Advisory; costs for additional security procedures.
Review of the advisory is underway and may lead to a more
Regional application of the advisory.
What are the sources of the budget for the Louisiana Homeland
Security Office? Do any funds come from the US Army, state
agencies, grants, etc? Does the agency have current problems
with inadequate funding levels?
Early in the overall establishment of our effort, resources
were drawn from existing funding levels. To date, no
additional state funds have been required to support our
division. We have been aggressive in the pursuit of funding
streams primarily from federal grant programs.
What weapons of mass destruction have
you personally trained to respond to?
As part of my training I have been trained to respond/react
to chemical, biological and radiological agents/incidents.
This includes self-protection measures, performance of
missions while in a NBC environment for protracted periods of
time and decontamination procedures (individual and mass
decontamination)
If Calcasieu Parish is faced with a specific terrorist threat,
what would be the approach of the of the state Homeland
Security agency to this potential incident?
Our greatest charge is to relate potential threats to local
authorities, then to make necessary resources and follow-on
information available to these authorities. The key in this
process is the protocols for dissemination of threat
information.
The National Hurricane Center SLOSH model (computer
simulation) shows a storm surge putting Gulf water at I-10 to
a height of 27 feet above sea level. That does not count
wind-driven waves on top of the surge. Local industries in
their permit applications and the Louisiana Department of
Environmental Quality continue to ignore this observation.
What will Homeland Security do to help us minimize what will
happen when a big hurricane finally hits us?
As an agency, the Office of Homeland Security and Emergency
Preparedness is already actively engaged in this arena. Our
agency works with FEMA in the Hazard Mitigation program
whereby repetitive flooding or damage prone structures are
addressed and funds applied to relocate, elevate and/or abate
potential hazards.
Is there any overlap of intelligence information of terrorist
activity and information about criminal gangs or drug
smuggling?
In Louisiana we have established an Intelligence Fusion Center
with LSP as the lead agency. This effort is resourced with
State Troopers, National Guard Intel Analysists, Customs, and
DOD personnel and technology. All intelligence is collected
and analysis performed in this center thereby eliminating
potential redundant efforts and facilitating centralized
interpretation.
Can you define the meaning of WMD?
WDM refers to Weapons of Mass Destruction. These are potential
weapons that have to the potential to cause mass casualties,
extensive or long term property damage. More specifically this
would apply to chemical or biological agents, radiological
devices (dirty-bomb), nuclear devices, and incendiary devices.
The state of Louisiana has been divided into regions for
training and response to homeland security issues. What is the
system that was used to establish these regions?
After analysis the decision was to align our regions upon the
long establish State Police Troop area.
What is the probability or chance that Calcasieu Parish would
be the target for an attack by a terrorist?
First, understand there are no specific threats to Calcasieu
Parish nor anywhere else in Louisiana at this juncture.
However, we must always remain vigilant. If you recognize any
suspicious activity your best recourse is to notify local law
enforcement.
What are the steps that the public should take in the event of
a dangerous chemical release from one of the petrochemical
facilities in the parish?
Stay informed; your local emergency management authorities
will take appropriate measures to disseminate the latest
information and to advise citizens to either shelter in place
or evacuate.
How is the information presented at the Forum being
distributed or communicated to the general public?
Our agency had been involved in an aggressive public
information program designed to inform the public and local
authorities of the ongoing Louisiana Homeland Security effort
as well as how they can best support this arena.
Broad concepts, models, and training
programs are all necessary, but how are specific threats to
the parish being addressed? For example, how are airborne
attacks similar to those of 9/11 but aimed at local targets?
What quick defensive measures could be implemented before or
at the time of an incident?
The first on the scene of an incident, and the last to
leave, are our local first responders. We must equip, train,
and exercise these vital local authorities to recognize and
respond to the emerging threats we face. At the local level,
detection and prevention are best served through local
initiatives. Should an incident occur and the response
necessary be beyond the capabilities, state and federal
resources would be mobilized to support that local response
and restoration effort.
Fort Polk has a chemical and
biological weapons countermeasures training program. Has the
Ready Reaction Force of the Homeland Security Agency been
trained by that US Army group? Is there a relationship between
Homeland Security and the US Army in terms of training and
operations?
All soldiers in our Armed Forces receive initial and annual
refresher training in NBC (nuclear, biological and chemical)
defensive measures. This included identification, detection,
response and decontamination measures. The Office of Homeland
Security and Emergency Preparedness does maintain dialog,
planning and intelligence sharing with Ft Polk and other
Federal Agencies within Louisiana, such as the US Coast Guard,
Secret Service, FBI, Transportation Security Administration to
name a few.
Is there an interactive system between the major and minor
units of the fire, municipal police, and sheriff departments
in Calcasieu Parish?
For the response to this question I would refer you to the
Calcasieu Parish Office of Homeland Security and Emergency
Preparedness. However, you will find a strong relationship
forged by the Calcasieu Parish LEPC, Local Emergency Planning
Committee.
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