Avagene Moore: Welcome to the EIIP Virtual Forum! Avagene Moore: We are delighted to have everyone here today. I am the Moderator for the May 17 session. Just a couple of things before introducing our guest speaker. ... Avagene Moore: If there are any URLs used in today's proceedings, they are live links that you can pull up in your browser window by clicking on them. The live links are in blue. For example, today's background page is ... Avagene Moore: http://www.emforum.org/vforum/000517.htm Avagene Moore: You can look at that now or later to find out more about our speaker and the DOT Office of Emergency Transportation. If your chat window disappears, just pull it back up by clicking on the EIIP bar at the bottom of your desktop screen. Avagene Moore: URLs used will be in the transcript of today's session. The transcript will be available from the Virtual Library Archives as soon as possible. The edited version will be available for download by the first of next week. Avagene Moore: We ask that you please do not send Direct (private) messages to our Speaker or Moderator during the formal session. It is very distracting and hinders the flow of the discussion. Avagene Moore: And now to introduce our speaker ... Avagene Moore: Janet Benini has been the Deputy Director of the Office of Emergency Transportation (OET) at the US Department of Transportation since November, 1998. The OET manages the Departmental emergency preparedness and response programs including national security and domestic crises. Avagene Moore: The Office is also responsible for the integration of interagency programs both within and outside the DOT, and management of Emergency Support Function (ESF) #1: Transportation, for the Federal Response Plan. Avagene Moore: Please see Web page for the OET at http://www.rspa.dot.gov/oet/index.html . Avagene Moore: Janet led the DOT effort on Y2K activation, for which she was granted the Eagle Award by Administrator Kelley Coyner. Avagene Moore: She serves on advisory boards for the National Emergency Management Association (NEMA) and the Natural Hazards Research Center. She is a Certified Emergency Manager (CEM), and was on the CEM Commission for the International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM) . Avagene Moore: Prior to joining DOT, Janet worked in emergency management for 21 years with the State of California. Serving as Chief of Program Development for the California Specialized Training Institute, she oversaw training programs and seminars for government and business professionals. Avagene Moore: As you can see, our speaker today has an extensive background in emergency management. Please see her bio in the background page referenced earlier. Avagene Moore: After Janet presents her formal remarks, I will remind you of the protocol for asking questions and making comments during the Q&A portion of our program today. Avagene Moore: Please help me welcome Janet Benini to the Forum. Janet, thank you for being here today. I turn the floor to you now, Janet! Janet Benini: Thanks, Avagene! For some reason I am more frightened now than giving a speech! Janet Benini: Let's see: Emergency transportation -- those are the guys who put out the cones when an evacuation is under way, right? Janet Benini: Don't feel bad -- that's what I thought, too. After 20 some years as a disaster manager in California, I came to DOT a year and a half ago, and am having the time of my life, as this department gears up for the 21st century. Janet Benini: DOT includes the FAA, US Coast Guard, Federal Highway Administration, rail, maritime, transit, and others -- in all, eleven different "modes". Our small office (current staff, eight people) coordinates all the disaster activities for the department. It's great fun because we get to work with everybody. Janet Benini: Y2K was quite a challenge, because we had to be able to communicate to the public the status of national transportation systems, in real time. While the FAA owns the National Airspace System, most of transportation is private, so we had to develop new relationships with companies that we regulate. It was quite a challenge, but it worked, and both the government and industry feel it's beneficial. Now we are trying to build on that base, so we can provide better information anytime in a disaster. Janet Benini: The Federal Highway Administration is ramping up for an initiative called "Intelligent Transportation Systems." This is funded at $200 million/year for the next 10 years! One of their priorities is to make sure that any system developed contributes to the jurisdiction's disaster capabilities. We are working now with the Southeastern states (hurricane country) to see if we can improve inter-state evacuations. We are sponsoring a workshop on this topic June 26 - 28. Janet Benini: We also developed a new software system for Y2K, because we had over 100,000 data elements we were tracking, and obviously couldn't do that over phone and faxes. So, we had E-Team customize their application for us. It's web-based and did a great job. I'd be happy to discuss this further, if you are interested. Janet Benini: We recently leased a new COOP site, and are actively bringing it into reality. Y2K helped us here, too, as we used the Business Continuity Contingency Plans as the basis for our revised COOP plan. Janet Benini: We also manage ESF-1 of the Federal Response Plan, which means we are responsible for getting all federal resources to the disaster mobilization center. Of course, this is during disaster conditions! There have been problems with this, including different federal agencies bidding against each other for limited airframes, etc., thereby running up the cost to the taxpayers. We just (last week) completed a national contract (with Landstar, inc.) to provide all federal transportation. Janet Benini: Although there are a few kinks to work out (especially regarding ice and water transportation) we feel this will be a big breakthrough, both in service to state and local government, and in cost savings to the feds. Janet Benini: We participate in and conduct exercises regularly, including 17 Y2K exercises, three of which were for our sub-cabinet level appointees (Jane Garvey of the FAA, for example). It was the first time exercises had been done at this level, and they loved it! We are actively involved in TOPOFF, which some of you may be familiar with. Worldwide, 40% of terrorist incidents are directed against transportation targets, so it's important we are vigilant. Janet Benini: We have had a role in NATO for years, supporting its military and humanitarian missions. In the last year and a half, DOT has ventured further into the international arena, too. We have three projects underway in Central America, to help reconstruct after Hurricane Mitch, including one to develop a prototype transportation mutual aid system. We have provided technical assistance to some African countries following their floods, and work regularly with Canada. Janet Benini: Avagene mentioned in my bio that I'm a CEM, and was on the CEM commission for its first six years. Yesterday, I participated in a Steering Committee meeting for NEMA's new Emergency Management Accreditation Program, where they will "accredit" states and local jurisdictions. Janet Benini: Those are my areas of interest and expertise. Perhaps someone has a question or comment, to start the discussion? Avagene Moore: Thank you Janet.. Avagene Moore: As a reminder of our protocol ... Avagene Moore: Please input a question mark (?) if you wish to speak. Compose your question or comment and hold until you are recognized. Then hit Send or Enter to submit your remarks. Russell Coile: ? Avagene Moore: We will take questions in order of request to speak. Please help us keep order by following this protocol. We are ready for the first question for Janet. We will take questions in order of request to speak. Please help us keep order by following this protocol. We are ready for the first question for Janet. Avagene Moore: Russell. Cam King: ? Russell Coile: What role will your office or DOT play in the development of GDIN? Janet Benini: Hello, Russell! Good to "see" you! I'm not sure what role we'll have in GDIN. .. Janet Benini: We're working through Federal Highways to develop a national grid of traffic, weather, and road condition information... verne wattawa: ? Lynn Orstad: ? Janet Benini: that will eventually hopefully also be able to monitor chemical or biological releases, too. I assume that would fit in with GDIN, , Janet Benini: But we don't have anything formal yet. Avagene Moore: Cam, please. Cam King: Janet - could you expand a little on the programme re highway evacuations? That seems to be a big problem in places like Florida. Janet Benini: Yes, it's a huge problem... Janet Benini: With Hurricane Floyd, we did something that's very unusual and that's reversing the lanes on the freeways, so they all flowed out... Janet Benini: This was good in some ways, and bad in others. We need to leave a way for emergency vehicles to get in... Janet Benini: Also, the road signs, reflectors, etc. only go one way... Janet Benini: and the ramps are cantilevered to keep cars on, when you reverse the flow, it pushes cars off!... Janet Benini: In addition, when multiple states evacuate, we sometimes have the situation, which happened in Hurricane Floyd... Janet Benini: where one state evacuates into another, which then goes into the third, and unfortunately, when they all got up to North ... Janet Benini: Carolina, that was then the hurricane struck! We should be able to do better! Avagene Moore: Verne, your question please. verne wattawa: What role will DOT and your office play in Critical Infrastructure Protection and PDD-63? Avagene Moore: (Please feel free to plug in your ? at any time, audience.) Janet Benini: A lot... Steve Charvat: ? Janet Benini: During Y2K, we identified 609 mission critical systems within the Department. We now have ways (some better than others)... Avagene Moore: ? Janet Benini: to monitor those systems. We also are working with the transportation industry to encourage them to secure their systems. Obviously... Janet Benini: transportation is a target, particularly the FAA. The FAA is also very savvy about computer security... Janet Benini: As far as old fashioned critical infrastructure, roads and bridges... Janet Benini: we work closely with DOD to make sure we have current inventories and capabilities. Did you have something specific in mind, Verne? Avagene Moore: Verne, you want to add something at this point? verne wattawa: Yes, what do you plan with regards to protection of critical nodes in the transportation system? Janet Benini: Again, during Y2K, we identified critical nodes, such as 435 critical airports, 43 transit systems, 8 railroad control points, etc. We also identified... leslie little HELPU: ? Janet Benini: the "essential elements of information" for each of those locations, and a way to get that information (technical and human connections)... Janet Benini: We can re-activate that information gathering system as needed. Avagene Moore: Lynn, you are next, please. Lynn Orstad: We have established a "Disaster Response Route" roads in the Vancouver area here in BC Canada. Unfortunately it is causing problems as the public think of them as evacuations routes not as response routes for emergency workers. Public Information still has not helped the situation. Suggestions on how this could be handled more effectively. Janet Benini: Boy... Lynn Orstad: Yeah Janet Benini: it seems public information would be the key. Or maybe change the name to "public safety routes"? Just a thought. Avagene Moore: Steve, your question, please. Steve Charvat: Sorry for arriving late.. Ms. Benini.... what changes have been made since last hurricane season by DOT which will improve DOT's response during this year's season (which starts in only 15 days!) Steve Charvat: i.e., anything new? Janet Benini: We have established a national contract for providing transportation... Janet Benini: this will help get relief supplies into the areas... Janet Benini: We have worked with the state DOTs on evacuation planning... Janet Benini: and will hold a conference June 26 - 28 in Atlanta on this topic... Janet Benini: Longer term, we want to help Traffic Management Centers... Janet Benini: start working together with the local EOC's to integrate traffic management... Janet Benini: into emergency management... Janet Benini: Also, longer term... Janet Benini: for areas that are likely to conduct evacuations... Janet Benini: we want to change the requirements for highways... Janet Benini: to add some specifications, like that reflectors must work from both sides,... Janet Benini: signage should read from both sides... Janet Benini: etc. We're still studying how we could make the roads better evacuation routes. Avagene Moore: Janet, I noticed that DOT has a Crisis Management Center in DOT Headquarters. How does the CRC relate to other federal communication centers? And to disaster EOCs in various regions/states? christopher effgen: ? Janet Benini: There are two full-time crisis centers within the DOT... Janet Benini: one at the US Coast Guard and the other at FAA... Janet Benini: The Crisis Management Center that our Office operates is activated when there is a large disaster (defined by us... Janet Benini: as one affecting more than one "mode"). Representatives from each of the modes of transportation... Janet Benini: participate, along with our CIO, PIO, congressional affairs, and Intelligence & Security offices... Janet Benini: The primary job of the Crisis Management Center is to service the Secretary of Transportation, in providing information and... Janet Benini: coordinating among the different modes. Janet Benini: Our primary relationship with state and local EOC's is through FEMA. We have... Janet Benini: an entire room over at the FEMA response center... Janet Benini: devoted to movement coordination. Avagene Moore: Thanks, Janet. Now, Leslie. leslie little HELPU: Thanks - Janet, I work specifically with high- risk special needs populations and am curious how DOT would handle an evacuation of such population groups if an evacuation order were called. Do you have a protocol on mass transport for these populations? Janet Benini: Leslie, this is an area where I devoted a lot of attention when I was in California... Janet Benini: We oversaw the development of several exemplary local programs... Janet Benini: The state department of rehabilitation provided lift- equipped vans for people with disabilities... Janet Benini: They organized themselves into pools, who could assist others if needed... Janet Benini: Local television stations, when made aware of the needs... Janet Benini: agreed to provide visual "trailers" on regular TV to give written as well as verbal disaster messages... Janet Benini: The primary responsibility for evacuations is with the states... Janet Benini: and states working together with organizations who serve people with disabilities... Janet Benini: can make plans that will consider all members of the community. Avagene Moore: Christopher, you are next, please. christopher effgen: Your agency plays one of the littlest known "public" roles in natural disaster situations. Is there any plans on changing that situation? If I was to seek information from your agency on the Internet during a natural disaster where would I go? Also does your agency have a mailing list about it's activities? ... conferences, situation reports media releases? Avagene Moore: ? Janet Benini: We are trying to improve our "image" and "visibility"... Janet Benini: We will be working on our Web site this summer... Janet Benini: which is probably the best way to communicate with the public... Janet Benini: Thanks for your interest in us. Avagene Moore: Janet, what is DOT's role in major military deployment? Janet Benini: We manage a program called the "Civil Reserve Air Fleet"... Janet Benini: Through this program, specific airplanes are designated as being available for a national security mission if required... Janet Benini: In return, the airlines or companies receive subsidized insurance rates for those planes... Janet Benini: If needed, the planes are brought into government service... Janet Benini: and may even be reconfigured (such as to carry stretchers). We then dispatch them to the site where needed,... Janet Benini: whether in this country or abroad. Cam King: ? Avagene Moore: Cam, please. Cam King: Janet could you be sure EIIP gets the website address Avagene Moore: I hope Janet will give us her email address as well for future contacts. Janet Benini: Of course: Janet.Benini@rspa.dot.gov I have a question for you? Avagene Moore: Go ahead, Janet. Janet Benini: How can DOT be more responsive to the needs of the states and local government? Avagene Moore: If anyone has a response, just put it in and Janet can respond to each one in order. Here is your chance, folks. Avagene Moore: Are there no suggestions? I have one from past experience ... Lynn Orstad: Sample plans, lessons learned from past events Cam King: Janet- Several of us here today are from Canada. Could you give a little background on your activities with our Govt.? leslie little HELPU: A state or national contact person for organizations to work with in disaster mitigation and planning for program development. Janet Benini: Good idea. We could post them on our website. Avagene Moore: As a local coordinator, the local DOT office was very good to work with but it was always at my request. They never volunteered anything or asked the community emergency folks to be involved. I think the outreach could be better. Janet Benini: We are trying to change the mindset... Kathleen Gohn: ? Janet Benini: primarily the state and local DOTs have been involved in building roads... Janet Benini: and plowing snow, painting signs, etc... Russell Coile: ? Janet Benini: Now that we have the technical abilities... Janet Benini: to do some really creative things... Janet Benini: such as actually "manage" traffic... Janet Benini: we are trying to inspire our state and local counterparts... Janet Benini: to stretch their boundaries... Janet Benini: and work on making the freeway system... Janet Benini: operational. Some are raring to go... Janet Benini: others, are more "show me". Avagene Moore: Janet, did you see Cam's request about liaison with Canada? (Then I will go to other questions.) Janet Benini: Yes, sorry, Cam. There is an organization called... Janet Benini: EPCCT, let's see if I can spell it out for you -- Janet Benini: Emergency Planning Coordination & something Transportation... Janet Benini: that involves US DOT and Transport Canada. Edda Brown... Janet Benini: is the lead on your side... Janet Benini: We meet annually, the next meeting will be in Washington... Janet Benini: at the end of June... Janet Benini: Some of the issues we are working on, include... Janet Benini: trans-border utilities, for example much of the electricity... Janet Benini: used in the Northeastern US comes from Canada... Janet Benini: Also, priority setting if both countries are involved... Janet Benini: and customs issues, with both sending and retrieving resources that cross the borders. Avagene Moore: Kathleen, you have a question for Janet? Please input now. Kathleen Gohn: After a transportation disaster, there is a study and report by the NTSB... Kathleen Gohn: This seems to prevent the kind of repetitive loss that we see with natural disasters like floods... Kathleen Gohn: Do you think we need something similar to NTSB, as the former chair of SNDR ... Kathleen Gohn: has suggested, for exploring the causes of natural disasters? Janet Benini: Good analogy, but the issues are somewhat different... Janet Benini: When a plane crashes, the NTSB investigates... Janet Benini: and determines the cause of the crash. If it's a technical issue... Janet Benini: such as "horizontal stabilizer bars" or something like that... Janet Benini: they look to see what other planes are using them, and if necessary... Janet Benini: require a fix... Janet Benini: But, if there's a flood, it doesn't take a rocket scientist... Janet Benini: to determine that people should not live within a certain distance from the river!... Janet Benini: It would be much more difficult to tell people all over the country to move. However,... Janet Benini: again using a transportation analogy... Janet Benini: whenever there are earthquakes... Janet Benini: we study all the roads and bridges... Janet Benini: to determine the failures... Janet Benini: and then finance retrofitting others with similar designs... Janet Benini: Certainly, mitigation can be improved. Avagene Moore: Russell, your question, please. (We have time for a couple more questions; please submit ? to the screen if you have one.) Russell Coile: Janet, I suggest that you or Bill M. go to the GDIN Information Technology exposition Avagene Moore: Comment, Janet? Janet Benini: Is it in California -- we'll be there! Just kidding... Avagene Moore: Russell just returned from GDIN meeting in Ankara, Turkey. Russell Coile: on Oct 9-11 in Honolulu and give a talk. See www.erim-int.com/CONF/GDIN.html Janet Benini: we would like to be involved somehow. Russell, how can we plug in? Janet Benini: Thanks for the lead. We'll look into it, and perhaps we can communicate off line. Russell Coile: I'll try to suggest it. Avagene Moore: One more question anyone? Real quick. Avagene Moore: If not ... Lois McCoy: Janet: I'm on their Conference Program Committee Lois McCoy: Let's talk off-line Avagene Moore: Another good contact, Janet. Avagene Moore: Our time is about up for today's discussion. Again, the URL of the DOT Office of Emergency Transportation is http://www.rspa.dot.gov/oet/index.html . Janet Benini: This went really fast for me, and I appreciate everyone's involvement. Avagene Moore: Janet, thank you for your time and effort on our behalf today. Very interesting dialogue and a learning opportunity for our audience. ... Avagene Moore: Audience, thank you as well for being here today and for participating with us. Avagene Moore: Janet, if anyone has other questions, can they contact you by email or phone? Avagene Moore: If you would please insert contact info? Janet Benini: yes, phone is 202/366-5270. Avagene Moore: Email was given earlier. Avagene Moore: And next week, we hope all of you will plan to be with us as we have an Open Forum to discuss "Global Warming: What is the worst case scenario for disaster impacts?" Avagene Moore: This is a very timely topic; there will be a list of 10 questions posted ahead of time for your review. Amy Sebring, EIIP Technical Projects Coordinator, will moderate the session next Wednesday, May 24, 12 Noon EDT. Be there! Avagene Moore: Again, thank you, Janet. We appreciate everyone's time and attention today. We will formally adjourn the Forum for now. However, you are welcome to hang around a few minutes to chat and to express your appreciation to Janet for today's session. Meeting is adjourned!