by Warren Allen, Adam Clampitt, Matthew Hipp, and Seth Jacobson

For full report click here.

The Los Angeles/ Long Beach port complex is the nation's busiest seaport. If terrorists were to attack the port complex, then the economic damage would be catastrophic. In the short term, it is impossible to prevent an attack at the port complex. Consequently, effective first response planning is of paramount importance. The United States Coast Guard has formed a multi-agency Port Security Committee to organize local and state officials to develop emergency response plans for attacks on the port complex. Their endeavor is complicated by the fact that many local agencies from the City of Los Angeles, the City of Long Beach and Los Angeles County share jurisdiction over the port complex.

This report recommends measures for these local governments and agencies to improve their terrorism response plans at the port complex. By conducting over six-dozen interviews with elected officials, agency leaders, private stakeholders, and first responders, our research team identified three broad policy problems that may hinder efficient and effective emergency response at the port complex:

1. Oversight and Coordination: Local political decision makers do not sufficiently oversee emergency response planning and key stakeholders are absent from the planning process.
2. Inaccessibility of the Port Complex: Poor vehicle access may prevent first responders from reaching the facility and assisting victims.
3. Incompatible Communication Systems: Differences in radio technologies prevent agencies from communicating during a response and from coordinating emergency response efforts.

This report recommends that policymakers take the following measures to resolve these policy problems:

Problem 1: Oversight and Coordination

• Political Oversight: Specific local elected leaders should create an informal, multi-jurisdictional political oversight "Group of Five" for port security. This group should include one representative from each local political entity that has jurisdiction over the port complex: Los Angeles Mayor James Hahn, Los Angeles City Councilmember Janice Hahn, Long Beach Mayor Beverly O'Neill, Long Beach City Councilmember Dan Baker, and Los Angeles County Board of Supervisor Don Knabe. This "Group of Five" would meet on a regular schedule with the Captain of the Port, who would brief them, answer their questions, listen to their collective input, and communicate their feedback to the PSC and its planning group.
• Public Health Representation: The Los Angeles County Department of Health Services should assign a senior public health official to the Port Security Committee to assist in the response planning process.
• Private Sector Representation: The Port Security Committee should meet periodically with private sector stakeholders, such as industry and labor representatives, and draw upon their knowledge and resources when developing response plans for the port complex.

Problem 2: Inaccessibility of the Port Complex

• CERT Training: The Los Angeles County CERT Advisory Committee should provide CERT training to prepare workers at the port complex to respond to an attack. Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training is a voluntary program that provides emergency preparedness training and allows civilians to supplement professional first responders' efforts.
• CERT Prioritization: Identify high-risk populations and target them for enrollment, giving them priority for CERT training. Port workers should receive CERT training because the port complex is a potential target for terrorism, but there is currently a backlog for training and no method of prioritization.
• Interagency Joint Training Team: Create an interagency CERT Joint Training Team for the port complex. To overcome resource constraints, the Los Angeles and Long Beach Fire Departments, Los Angeles County Fire Department, and Los Angeles Sheriff's Department should each dedicate one full-time CERT trainer from their existing staffs to train workers at the port complex. In addition, the American Red Cross should teach CERT modules that do not require instruction by professional first responders.
• CERT Funding: Pursue both federal grants and private sector donations as funding alternatives.
• CERT Materiel: Provide each CERT-trained port worker with a small equipment kit. Many first response officials and port workers agreed that instead of using stockpiled caches of equipment, CERT-trained port workers should be allocated individual kits of first aid and safety equipment to keep with them at their job sites.

Problem 3: Incompatible Communications Systems

• Interoperable Communications: The Los Angeles Port Police should purchase two ACU-1000 Intelligent Interconnect Systems and hardwire them into an existing communications facility at the port complex. The ACU-1000 provides site-specific interoperability between otherwise incompatible communications devices. This technology would offer great potential for improvements in coordination between agencies during an emergency response effort at the port complex.
• Communications Protocols: The Port Security Committee should establish a unified communications protocol and test it during training exercises. Failure to establish protocols and conduct training for using interoperable devices may result in excessive voice traffic and confusion during an emergency response.

Preparedness for a terrorist attack at the port complex requires cooperative action by both public and private stakeholders throughout Los Angeles County. These recommendations will further engender the teamwork that is imperative for effective planning and implementation of terrorism preparedness plans.