Metropolitan Police Department: Hearing on Crisis Response

Mister Chairman, members of the Subcommittee, staff, and guests: I appreciate the opportunity to present the testimony on the needs of our "first responders" - in particular, our police officers - to incidents of domestic terrorism. I applaud the Subcommittee for its leadership on this issue, and I thank you for reaching out to local officials such as myself, to hear directly about our requirements and our perspective in this critical area.

While the themes of my testimony certainly apply to cities and communities throughout the country, I do want the Subcommittee to recognize that the District of Columbia faces truly unique challenges when it comes to domestic terrorism. As the nation's capital, our city is not only a primary potential target of those who would wage war against our nation; our city is also impacted any time there is a serious terrorism threat to Americans anywhere. Mayor Williams recognizes the unique roles and responsibilities we have in protecting our nation's capital in this new and uncertain environment, and he continues to show strong leadership and support of our law enforcement and emergency preparedness efforts. The Metropolitan Police Department is working very hard to meet our unique responsibilities, in close cooperation with our federal partners, and we certainly appreciate the strong budgetary support we continue to receive from Congress and the Bush Administration.

When it comes to first responders, the area of anti-terrorism equipment is of critical importance. In the event of a release of a weapon of mass destruction (WMD) agent, it is the local police and fire departments that would provide the initial response in almost every instance. Federal agencies would respond as well, and depending upon the nature of the incident, very well may take over lead responsibility. But local police officers would play key roles in managing the crime scene, coordinating any immediate evacuations and, later, in the rescue and recovery phase. The need for specialized equipment and training is critical to the safety of the public and our officers.

In a chemically contaminated environment, protection of the officer's respiratory system is the first priority. Most chemical and biological contaminants must be respirated into the body to be dangerous. However, protection of the skin must also be considered.

In the area of personal protection equipment, both negative pressure respiratory protection - that is, gas masks - and positive pressure - self-contained breathing apparatus - are essential. Chemical-resistant clothing, including boots and gloves, are also a necessity. So is a whole range of decontamination equipment, including specialized sprayers and chemicals needed for immediate decontamination, as well as containment and storage devices to prevent run-off and further contamination.

Other equipment needs include explosive mitigation devices, including bomb suits and containment vessels; chemical and biological threat detection equipment, to accurately sample and monitor the environment; and specialized vehicles for transporting personnel and equipment into and through contaminated areas.
Six months ago, for most police departments, this type of equipment was something you read in science fiction or saw on the Discovery Channel. Today, especially in major cities such as Washington, DC, they are necessities that we dare not ignore. That is why, in addition to the equipment itself, it is critical that local law enforcement have access to testing, standards and evaluation information in this area. Over the years, police departments have developed a great deal of expertise in determining what makes a good 9 mm. service weapon or pair of handcuffs. But local law enforcement lacks the baseline knowledge and expertise to always recognize quality bioterrorism clothing and equipment. Yet, collectively we will be buying literally millions of dollars worth of this type of equipment in the coming months and years. We desperately need the federal government's assistance in setting standards, evaluating equipment and sharing that information with local law enforcement.