Report: Disaster Prep Lags in Massachusetts

BOSTON - Three large-scale evacuation centers, a statewide text messaging alert system and inspections of smaller chemical facilities are some of the recommendations in a new state homeland security report.

The report, scheduled to be released by the Patrick administration today, finds Massachusetts needs to do more to toughen defenses against terrorist strikes and natural disasters while at the same time improving its ability to respond.

Better communication between state and local agencies and "first responders" - police, firefighters and emergency medical workers - is key to preventing and recovering from a disaster, according Juliette Kayyem, the administration's undersecretary for homeland security.

While communities have made progress learning lessons from the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks and Hurricane Katrina, it's up to the state to coordinate large-scale disaster management, Kayyem said.

"It's the state that is ultimately going to be responsible for prevention, response and recovery," Kayyem said yesterday.

The state is particularly focused on defending systems that would have regional repercussions if attacked, including major transportation hubs.

"It's not only the state that would be affected at the ports, it would be all of New England," Kayyem said. "Those are systems with no backup."

Kayyem said she's just as worried about the state's ability to manage a major hurricane, disastrous fire or disease outbreak.

The key, she said, is continually improving communication and information sharing between agencies - a task made more difficult with dwindling federal homeland security money.

"If a building goes down the firefighter is not really thinking `is this al-Qaida or something else?'" she said. "All they want from the state is to insure they can communicate and have the right equipment."

The report recommends three large-scale evacuation centers. Bostonhas made strides in its evacuation plans, but the state has to step in and find places to shelter people in the event of a mass evacuation after a disaster or attack.

"In the event of a no-notice attack, for example, our assets will be tested and part of our planning must include the likelihood that people will get out of harm's way, or home, by foot," the report said.

Under another recommendation, the state would develop "an Internet-based alerting system that can send text and text-to-voice messages to computers, cell phones, BlackBerries, etc." in a disaster or attack.

To improve the state's ability to deal with a major catastrophe and maintain so-called "continuity of operation," Patrick is rescindingan executive order by former Gov. Mitt Romney ordering state agencies to update their disaster plans on paper every three months.

Instead, Kayyem said, the agencies will continually update those plans on a secured electronic database that Patrick can access from the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency's bunker in Framingham.

Kayyem, whose job it is to envision all sorts of disasters and attacks, said her biggest fear is how all the preparation and training exercises will play out in the event of an actual disaster or attack.

"That's the kind of thing you can never test," she said. "You can never test the real thing."

The report recommends:

Improving: The ability of public safety agencies to communicate during disasters.

Coordinating: Teaming with Boston on how to evacuate the city in adisaster.

Identifying: Naming sites for three large-scale state and regionalshelters.

Creating: Making a secure database containing key information about state resources.

Establishing: Setting up an Internet-based alerting system, including text messaging systems to cell phones and wireless handheld devices.

Identifying: Naming and inspecting chemical facilities that could be targets of attacks.

Improving: Response plans for pandemic influenza and other major public health concerns.