By Sugar Land (TX) Mayor David G. Wallace, Co-chairman of the Conference of Mayors Homeland Security Task Force
September 27, 2004

September 11 will always be remembered as a day not only of great tragedy, but great heroism. Our first responders showed uncommon courage in the face of unspeakable horrors, and their brave actions are even more heroic considering the unprecedented and numerous logistical challenges that had to be overcome.

In November 2003, national, state and local leaders and public safety officials met in Houston to discuss ways we could improve our homeland security efforts in Texas and ensure that logistical problems would never hinder our efforts to respond to an emergency. As a participant, I was struck by how much had already been done.

Under the leadership of Governor Rick Perry, the state created the Texas Department of Homeland Security to coordinate efforts between federal, state and local authorities. The strategic plan developed by the state was the first to be approved by the federal government. And since 9-11, the state and federal governments have committed more than $1.1 billion to reduce our state's vulnerability to terrorist attacks.

In 2003, Congress adopted a homeland security policy intended to help state and local governments detect, deter and defend against terrorist attacks. Congress appropriated more than $7 billion in new funding for Fiscal Years 2003 and 2004, the majority of which has gone to individual states in the form of block grants based on population. In theory, this population-based practice ensures "fairness" in funding; in practice, however, it fails to account for the likelihood of whether a specific community would be viewed as a primary target by our terrorist enemies. Certainly our enemies rank their objectives by the amount of damage and chaos they could inflict. And it makes sense that we be mindful of our enemies' strategies in developing our own.

Texas' strategy does just that in distributing 80 percent of these federal funds to local governments. While some states have allocated the funding based on population alone, Texas has used a formula that also accounts for risk and critical infrastructure.

The 2004 and 2005 Law Enforcement Terrorism Prevention Program funds distributed by the state to local governments will be determined by an empirical formula based on critical infrastructure, population and population density in each region. And the state's approach preserves local control by allowing priority funding decisions to be set at 70 percent by local officials, who best understand local needs, with the remaining 30 percent decided by the state.

Furthermore, Texas has developed a regional approach to ensure that resources and personnel are distributed in a way that allows for a quick and decisive response to a metropolitan or regional disaster. That means emergency response assets can be pooled for greater effectiveness and rapidly deployed to where they are needed most in times of crisis.

From a local standpoint, I can say that the state's approach is having a tremendous impact on our ability to respond to natural and terrorist disasters. Our first responders are well-trained, our infrastructure is more protected, and our ability to communicate and coordinate with state and national leaders is better than it has ever been. The result is that we are prepared to respond to any disaster — be it an attack on our soil, a hurricane, a chemical spill or a train derailment.

These challenging times call for new thinking about how local government should provide for the health, safety and welfare of the population and the natural resources we depend upon. And I am thankful that the state of Texas continues to explore new methods to keep our homeland safe. I am confident that the state's approach to examining our security needs on a regional basis and combining resources to serve more Texans will help our state build a truly innovative, modern homeland security and mutual logistical response system that will serve as a national model for other states to follow.

Wallace serves as Co-chairman of both the Homeland Security Task Force and Urban Water Council for the U.S. Conference of Mayors. For more information about the Conference, visit www.usmayors.org.