North Dakota Homeland Security Program Preparedness, Prevention And Response
POC: Don Canton 701.328.2424
October 11, 2001
This past week, America and a coalition of nations representing all religions, cultures and ethnic groups launched "Operation Enduring Freedom" against worldwide terrorism.
With the memory of innocent Americans perishing on September 11 still in our minds, we watched as our own coalition army carefully pursued military targets. It dropped food and medicine to Afghani citizens, even as it dropped bombs on terrorist training camps.
As we pursue our offensive against terrorism, we must also pursue our Homeland Security Program, as states and as a nation. Within hours of the attacks on New York and Washington, D.C., we in North Dakota demonstrated our ability to respond at many levels.
- We activated our Emergency Operations Center.
- The North Dakota National Guard helped federal authorities, while bolstering surveillance at state armories and providing humanitarian aid by delivering blood samples to testing facilities, ensuring an adequate supply for emergencies.
- The North Dakota Highway Patrol and the Department of Transportation increased surveillance at state buildings and critical infrastructure sites, such as dams and bridges.
- All state agency heads were immediately notified to implement the state's emergency operations plan.
- The North Dakota Department of Health sent out bio-terrorism alerts to all physicians, municipal water-system administrators, laboratories and public health units in the state.
- Other law enforcement and security agencies went to high alert status, as did our emergency management coordinators in every county of the state.
Over the last several weeks, we have continued to expand our security activities. When the President asked the nation's governors to augment security at commercial airports with the National Guard, we posted Guard personnel at all eight North Dakota commercial airports on the day of his request. We also began working to further secure aerial spray and general aviation aircraft.
Yet security is an ongoing effort. Our North Dakota Homeland Security Program, based on a mature emergency-operation plan already in place, continues to forge a coordinated strategy intended to prepare our state for emergency incidents; prevent them, if possible; and respond quickly and effectively should they occur.
To develop that plan, on October 4, I appointed a North Dakota Homeland Security Coordinator, state Emergency Management Director Doug Friez, to coordinate the efforts of state and federal agencies, the private sector and private citizens. Doug brings decades of experience and skill to the task of securing our vital state interests in this new environment. He is working closely with:
- Federal authorities, such as the FBI, the Centers for Disease Control and the Federal Aviation Administration.
- State authorities, numbering over a dozen, such as the Department of Health, the Highway Patrol and The Department of Transportation.
- The National Guard.
- The private sector, including the North Dakota Medical Association, to ensure adequate access to medical resources and supplies.
- Airport management to enhance security procedures and personnel
And we continued to move forward this past week:
- Additional National Guard members, with more firepower support, have been posted at state airports.
- Border patrol agents now cover all international border crossings in the state on a twenty-four-hour, seven-day basis. We have offered the services of our National Guard at border crossings, and are working out the details with the White House. Aerial surveillance of the border has been assigned to aircraft of the Highway Patrol, Department of Game and fish, and the National Guard.
- Local water-system administrators have been contacted about enhancing physical security and surveillance at public water facilities.
- We have enhanced security at the state Capitol with both additional Highway Patrol and Capitol Security personnel, as well as surveillance technology.
In short, we are working hard to take appropriate measures to ensure the safety and security of our people and our land. But homeland security also calls on all North Dakotans to play a role by being vigilant but calm, alert to unusual activity, but undeterred from living their daily lives. Together, we must practice the same concern for each other that North Dakotans have always practiced in times of adversity. Strength and compassion are, after all, our heritage.
