By Ed Somers
April 11, 2005

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced March 31 the publication of the Interim National Preparedness Goal. This publication is a guide for federal departments, state and local officials, and the private sector in determining how best to strengthen preparedness for terrorist attacks, major disasters, and other emergencies.

"With unlimited resources, full preparedness would be less of a challenge, but we don-t have unlimited resources. We have to make tough choices, they have to be the right choices, and we have to be ready to come together as a single, integrated system when the need arises," said Matt Mayer, Acting Executive Director of the Office of State and Local Government Coordination and Preparedness.

The Goal includes seven priorities for national preparedness. The priorities fall into two categories: overarching priorities and priorities to build specific capabilities.

The overarching priorities are to:

• Implement the National Incident Management System and National Response Plan;
• Expand regional collaboration; and
• Implement the Interim National Infrastructure Protection Plan.

The priorities for specific capabilities are to:

• Strengthen information sharing and collaboration capabilities;
• Strengthen interoperable communications capabilities;
• Strengthen chemical, biological, radiation, nuclear, and explosive weapons (CBRNE); detection, response, and decontamination capabilities; and
• Strengthen medical surge and mass prophylaxis capabilities.

The Goal addresses a requirement of Homeland Security Presidential Directive Number 8 that speaks to National Preparedness, to define "standards for preparedness assessments and strategies, and a system for assessing the nation's overall preparedness to respond to major events, especially those involving acts of terrorism."

The Goal states that while these documents are not funding formulas, they "identify the core capabilities we want to possess as a nation and, therefore, will drive how we prioritize our federal investments."

According to the document, states and urban areas will be required to update their Homeland Security Preparedness Strategies by October 1 to reflect how they will address the seven National Priorities in order to receive further federal assistance.

For more information on HSPD-8 and the National Preparedness Goal visit http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/odp/assessments/hspd8.htm.