Communication key to safety, officers say

Law enforcement officers from three counties and former 9/11 Commission member Tim Roemer all say Washington has not listened to what the commission said our government must do to keep America and our state safe.

Vigo County Sheriff Jon Marvel, Vermillion County Sheriff Kim Hawkins and Vanderburgh County Sheriff Brad Ellsworth all contend communication is a serious problem that is putting lives at risk in our nation and in their communities.

Roemer, former U.S. representative from Indiana’s 2nd District, served on the commission that investigated the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, and initially reported its findings in July 2004.

The commission made 41 recommendations which it believed “answered the problems we found,” Roemer said Wednesday at a town-hall type meeting in the Holiday Inn in Terre Haute.

“In December, we issued a report card for the White House and Congress,” Roemer said, grading the administration’s progress on the proposals. “Half the recommendations passed, 12 received D’s, five got F’s and two incompletes. We must do better in our country.”

The first rule of protecting a community is listening to it, said Ellsworth, who is running for 8th District representative. He said he will listen to local police, communities and neighborhoods and families, if elected.

Marvel also criticized Washington’s failure to take input from local law enforcement when communities need help.

“Nearly five years have passed since the Sept. 11 attacks and we still aren’t being provided with the communication equipment we need in case of another attack on our homeland,” Marvel said. He requested radio equipment and was given $600,000 specifically for training. He said training could be done much cheaper.

“What we need is communications equipment,” he said.

Hawkins spoke about the Newport Chemical Depot, across Indiana 63 from the Vermillion County Jail, where the Army is destroying the deadly nerve agent VX. He said the federal government needs to listen to local government “when it comes to making sure the plant and surrounding community is safe from any potential threat.”

“I’ve had requests in for radios since 9/11 and we haven’t got them yet,” he said. “If there would be a terrorist incident and they got beyond the Newport Chemical Depot fence to the outside, my six deputies won’t cut the mustard. Homeland Security is too complicated. We need a real person on the other end of the phone we can actually talk to.”

During 9/11, the fire and police chiefs inside the twin towers in New York could not communicate with each other, Roemer said.

“When the one tower fell, the people in the other one didn’t know about it,” he said. “First responders must be able to communicate with each other. We have got to do this better.”

David Hills of Terre Haute wants more and better communications between him and his representatives in Washington, he said.

“They need to let us know what is going on,” Hills said. “I swear, we need to bring Ralph Tucker out of the grave … He listened to people. Politics ends at the voting both.” Tucker was mayor of Terre Haute from 1948-68.

Today, the Indiana Department of Homeland Security will announce a new strategic plan for the state, said Andy Zirkle, the department’s senior public information officer.

“It is a very comprehensive 40-page plan concerning teamwork, public information and public outreach,” Zirkle said. “The primary goals deal with teamwork, improved communication, developing partnerships and overall emphasis on working together with all agency levels.”

Jay Houser, Ellsworth’s campaign manager, said he is aware of the new plan but won’t comment on it until he has had an opportunity to read it.

“The state and local levels have been the leaders in homeland security,” he said. “Washington hasn’t listened.”

Eighth District Rep. John Hostettler, R-Ind., has a campaign policy that doesn’t permit comments, said Karen Hammonds, his campaign office manager.

“Until the voters of district number eight determine the Democrat opponent in the primary election, Congressman Hostettler has no comments regarding a potential candidate,” she said.

Patricia Pastore can be reached at (812) 231-4271 or pat.pastore@tribstar.com.



HEAR ABOUT THE PLAN

A new homeland security strategic plan of Indiana will be announced at three locations:

n 9 a.m. today in the Statehouse rotunda by Eric Dietz, Indiana Department of Homeland security executive director.

n 9 a.m. Friday in the Knight Township Fire Department, Company 6, 2646 Burkhardt Road, Evansville, by Dietz

n 1:30 p.m. Friday in the Tippecanoe County Courthouse at 301 Main St., Lafayette, by

Lt. Gov. Becky Skillman.

For more information, call Pam Bright, director of the Indiana Department of Homeland Security Public Information and Outreach, at (317) 232-6632.