As Baltimore officials work with the Secret Service and the Department of Homeland Security to secure the city for President-elect Barack Obama’s visit Saturday, Gov. Martin O’Malley and safety officials are working to secure Maryland for the long term.
O’Malley and leaders from the Maryland Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) and other state and federal emergency management officials braved the cold on Thursday at the Port of Baltimore’s Cruise Terminal to outline the state’s progress on emergency preparedness.
The Port of Baltimore, which a year ago received low marks on a security review by the U.S. Coast Guard, received a ‘near-perfect’ score during a recent security compliance exam from the Coast Guard, Gov. Martin O’Malley said Thursday.
O’Malley, calling previous security at the port “a Mickey Mouse operation with sleeping guards and wooden decoy cameras,” outlined the following security improvements:
>> Becoming first major U.S. port to require federally mandated worker identification cards
>> Beginning project that will implement real-time video surveillance of public terminals
>> Using real-time video and security checks to verify a visiting truckers’ ID and purpose of visit
>> Strengthening perimeter fencing surrounding port’s public terminals
In January 2008, the state commissioned James Lee Witt Associates, a Washington-based crisis management consulting firm, to review Maryland’s level of preparedness and offer safety improvement recommendations. The state released the findings on Thursday.
“The report … is a tough, extensive assessment of both our strengths and weaknesses — many of which we’ve already taken steps to correct,” O’Malley said. “The need is urgent, and with the forward momentum we’ve started, we will make progress toward our goal of a safer state for families.”
Recommendations for improvement included the state’s emergency management authority structure, communications with local jurisdictions, and the state’s ability to operate during an emergency if the main Emergency Operations Center becomes unavailable or nonfunctional.
In response to a recommendation from the report, O’Malley said he would introduce legislation that calls for the director of MEMA to report directly to the governor. The change would eliminate any confusion regarding chain of command during an emergency.
Future plans call for a fully interoperable communications system for all local and state public safety and emergency response agencies throughout Maryland. Such a system could take five to seven years to install, O’Malley said.
James Lee Witt, who served as director from the Federal Emergency Management Agency under the Clinton Administration from 1993 to 2001, commended O’Malley for commissioning the safety review.
“These recommendations will not only make Maryland more prepared,” Witt said, “but a leader in emergency preparedness in the United States.”
