9/11 Commission Gives Washington a Failing Grade
Many Commission Concerns Raised in Conference’s 2005 National Action Plan on Safety and Security in America’s Cities
By Ron Thaniel
December 12, 2005
Released December 5, the 9/11 Commission's final report card on government’s progress since the panel made their original recommendations more than a year ago, led by former Chair Thomas H. Kean and Vice Chair Lee H. Hamilton, said Washington failed to implement crucial improvements to the nation’s security.
Public Safety Communications and Transportation Security Failures
The report card gave Washington an “F” for not providing adequate radio spectrum for first responders.
Recognizing this continued threat to first responders, in October, The United States Conference of Mayors released their 2005 National Action Plan on Safety and Security in America’s Cities urging Congress to make the expansion of the communications spectrum for public safety a Congressional priority by establishing a firm date for the transition of analog broadcast to digital as close to December 31, 2006 as possible. In addition, Congress should provide urgent funding to assist cities and their first responders achieve full interoperability.
The pending Fiscal Year 2006 budget reconciliation bill would compel the return of the analog TV broadcast (700 Mhz) spectrum, and reserve some for public safety purposes. The report states that “Both the House and Senate bills contain a 2009 handover date – too distant given the urgency of the threat. A 2007 handover date would make the American people safer sooner.”
The report card gave the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) an “F” for improved airline passenger pre'screening. The report card concluded that few improvements have been made to the existing passenger screening system since right after 9/11. Checked bag and cargo screening received a “D” with the report card highlighting that, “Progress on implementation of in-line screening has been slow. The main impediment is inadequate funding.”
In the Conference’s 2005 Action Plan, the mayors urged Congress and the Administration to significantly increase funding and reimburse airports at the statutorially authorized Federal share for in-line baggage and cargo screening system and airport facility expansion to accommodate in-line systems to streamline airport and TSA operations, reduce costs, and enhance security.
Far Too Many C’s, D’s, and F’s: Summary of Key Grades
Emergency Preparedness And Response
- Provide adequate radio spectrum for first responders F (C if bill passes)
- Establish a unified Incident Command System C
- Allocate homeland security funds based on risk F (A if House provision passes)
- Critical infrastructure risks and vulnerabilities assessment D
- Private sector preparedness C
Transportation Security
- National Strategy for Transportation Security C-
- Improve airline passenger pre'screening F
- Improve airline screening checkpoints to detect explosives C
- Checked bag and cargo screening D
Border Security
- Better terrorist travel strategy Incomplete
- Comprehensive screening system C
- Biometric entry-exit screening system B
- International collaboration on borders and document security D
- Standardize secure identifications B-
To review the Conference’s 2005 National Action Plan on Safety and Security in America’s Cities communications interoperability and enhanced transportation security recommendations, as well as fixing the FEMA disaster response system, military involvement in disaster response and recovery, and first responder funding, visit our homepage at usmayors.org.
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