 Saturday, May 22, 2004 — Department of Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge kicked off the 79th American Red Cross Convention in St. Louis Friday, May 21, with an address that emphasized citizen preparedness and the integral role the Red Cross plays in helping Americans get ready.
“For more than 120 years, from wars to natural disasters, you’ve been a rallying point for citizen service. And your mission of citizen preparedness and emergency response has never been more important than it is today,” Ridge told the Red Cross opening session.
Ridge explained how the attacks of 9/11 and the new reality of terrorism on American soil redefined what it means to secure the country. It can’t be done from inside the beltway in Washington, D.C., he said.
”Washington can be expected to lead, but we cannot, nor should not, micro-manage the protection of our country. Instead, it must be a priority in every city, every neighborhood, and every home across America.”
State and local governments, communities, businesses, organizations and citizens must all work together, Ridge said, for a shared goal of protecting the country and safeguarding Americans. No one knows the individual needs of their hometown communities better than the local leaders, first responders, emergency personnel and the everyday citizens on the ground. These hometowns must be actively engaged for homeland security to work.
“I’ve often said that for the homeland to be secure, our hometowns must be secure. So it follows that the Red Cross – dedicated to the protection of our communities for generations – is integral to this goal,” Ridge said. “Emergency preparedness is a hallmark of our homeland security effort. And the Red Cross has been a steadfast ally as we have worked to raise the standard of preparedness for the entire nation.”
As the only nongovernmental organization that sits side by side with other federal agencies on major preparedness and training exercises, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has pushed to include the Red Cross on the federal incident management team, ensuring that the Red Cross is incorporated fully within all federal planning, exercise, and response efforts. Ridge said DHS looks upon the Red Cross as a valued partner and greatly appreciates the humanitarian organization’s support on many domestic planning and response operations, including that carried for Hurricane Isabel, which hit many eastern cities including the nation’s capital.
DHS is pursuing emergency preparedness along two tracks -- building operational capacity and nurturing a culture of citizen preparedness. In terms of operations, the department seeks to improve the communications systems, technology and equipment of emergency personnel. “Our goal is to ensure that when and if disaster strikes – our governors, mayors, police, firefighters, hospital staff, Red Cross volunteers – all have the tools and resources they need to respond,” he said.
A National Response Plan has been created to pull together all of the current federal response capabilities under a single “all hazards” system for prevention, preparedness, response and recovery. As part of this plan, Ridge said DHS also introduced the National Incident Management System -- the nation’s first-ever standardized approach to incident management and response that spells out the roles of all stakeholders and the tools they will need to respond to a crisis.
Building a culture of citizen preparedness takes more time, and Ridge said he will look to the expertise, training and experience of the Red Cross to strengthen and further those efforts.
Our citizens are America’s greatest asset, Ridge said -- a truth that was displayed most prominently on September 11 and the following days.
On that day, when citizens who survived the horror looked for a way to serve, many looked to the Red Cross for direction and guidance, Ridge said. He recalled the lines to donate blood looping around city blocks, the donations that poured into local chapter offices, and the more than 54,000 volunteers arrived on the scene to provide relief.
He recognized that the spirit of giving is a force the Red Cross has harnessed for a century and has built into an army of volunteers one million strong.
“At this critical time in our nation’s history, Homeland Security depends on the Red Cross to do what you do best – engage and empower our citizens to play a direct role in securing their families, their freedoms, and their communities.”
The goal of DHS over the next year is that nearly half of all Americans will be better prepared by the end of 2004 -- whether that's by preparing emergency kits and emergency plans; volunteering to aid in disaster planning; or engaging in CPR and training exercises to help someone in a life-threatening situation.
To bolster the campaign, DHS will launch two new citizen preparedness endeavors -- Ready for Business and Ready for Schools, which Ridge said complement the programs already offered by the Red Cross through the Together We Prepare campaign.
“With nearly 900 chapters across the nation, you can drive the message of citizen preparedness to further heights than Homeland Security could ever achieve on our own,” Ridge said. “We look forward to continuing our work with the Red Cross in all aspects of emergency preparedness, so that our citizens and country will be better prepared to meet any and all emergencies – especially those that may come at the hands of our terrorist enemies.”
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