Metropolitan Police Department: Joint Public Oversight Hearing on "An Examination of the District of Columbia Government's Utilization of Emergency Preparedness Funding"

Joint Public Oversight Hearing on "An Examination of the District of Columbia Government's Utilization of Emergency Preparedness Funding"

Charles H. Ramsey
Chief of Police
Metropolitan Police Department

Chief Charles H. Ramsey delivered the following statement to the Council of the District of Columbia, Committee on Government Operations, the Honorable Vincent B. Orange Sr., Chair; Committee on the Judiciary, the Honorable Kathy Patterson, Chair; and the Committee on Public Services, the Honorable David A. Catania, Chair, on October 6, 2003, at the Council Chamber, John A. Wilson Building, 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC.

Chairpersons Orange, Patterson and Catania, other members of the Council, staff and guests … thank you for the opportunity to update you on the Metropolitan Police Department’s utilization of emergency preparedness funds over the past fiscal year. For your information, the text of my prepared statement is posted on the Police Department’s website: www.mpdc.dc.gov.

As you know, the Metropolitan Police Department is the primary agency responsible for Emergency Support Function 13, “Law Enforcement,” within the District's Emergency Response Plan. This ESF has significant responsibilities for public safety, criminal investigations, traffic management and other law enforcement-related duties in the event of a terrorist attack or other major event in our city. Actually, ESF 13 is a relatively new addition to the District’s Emergency Response Plan, having been added when the plan was completely rewritten following the terrorist attacks of September 11th, 2001. As we learned on that date – and as we have seen reinforced during subsequent events including, most recently, Hurricane Isabel – law enforcement plays a vital role in our city’s, and our region’s, response to major incidents. The availability of these emergency preparedness funds, and our track record of spending these funds efficiently and prudently, have dramatically enhanced our Department’s ability to help keep our residents, workers and visitors safe during major emergencies.

For FY03, the Metropolitan Police Department was appropriated just over $17.8 million dollars in emergency preparedness funds. These funds were allocated over five federal payment categories that reflect our agency’s roles and responsibilities in the area of emergency preparedness. The five categories are personal protective clothing and breathing apparatus; chemical and biological weapons preparedness; response and communications; search, rescue and other emergency equipment and support; and training and planning.

I am pleased to report to the committees that the Metropolitan Police Department has spent or obligated all of the $17.8 million dollars we received. We ended FY03 with a net fund balance of zero. I am proud not only of the fact that we spent all of our dollars, but more importantly, that we have spent them wisely, in the furtherance of our mission of protecting lives and property during what remain very difficult and very challenging times.

Before I highlight some of the significant improvements we have been able to achieve with the use of these funds, I do want to clarify two line items that may appear on some of the computerized printouts you received. Your spreadsheets may show a “Pending Requests” line of approximately $36,000 dollars. These funds were, in fact, obligated prior to the end of FY03, but because the computerized financial system was down at the time, these obligations had to be processed manually. As a result, they did not show up in the computerized records. Second, your printouts may show a line item of approximately $279,500 dollars as being an “uncommitted balance.” These funds actually represent cost transfers between funding accounts, and the money has been spent or obligated in two areas: training-related overtime and a local budget offset for our Air Support Unit and our K-9 Unit. I have staff with me who can explain these items in detail, if you have questions.

Using our emergency preparedness funds, the Metropolitan Police Department has been able to make significant upgrades in both the level and the quality of our emergency preparedness. These upgrades have dramatically enhanced the capabilities and safety of our members, which in turn, have dramatically enhanced our ability to protect the public.

For example, we have used these funds to buy personal protective gear for all of our employees, sworn and civilian. Depending on a member’s individual assignment, he or she has been equipped with appropriate gear in the event of a chemical or biological attack. All of our sworn members, as well as civilians in operational assignments, have been fitted for and issued personal protection suits and breathing apparatus. Officers in more specialized assignments – including the members of our Special Threat Action Team, or STAT – have received more extensive gear, as well as substantially more training, which I will discuss in a moment. Civilians in non-operational assignments have been fitted for and issued breathing apparatus and trained in its use.