wisconsin wing - jun 2008

8/7/2019 Wisconsin Wing - Jun 2008

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Wisconsin Homeland Security Newsletter Spring/Summer 2008

In thisIssue:

Spring/Summer 2008 1

homepage threeCERT skills savedlives in re

page four In uenza informationa click away

page veState Patrol K-9makes drug bust

page sixImproving campussafety

page sixRole for businessesin disasters

Winter weather tests emergencypreparedness and responseFrom summer-

time oods tounprecedentedlevels of snowfalland tornadoes thiswinter, Wisconsinhas been taking a

battering from Mother Nature. Emergencyresponders,municipal workersand volunteers havelogged many longhours and nightshifts plowing streetsand responding toweather-relatedaccidents.

The springtornado season isright around thecorner, and while weall anxiously awaitthe end to a cold and dif cult winter, we mustremain ready for the challenges that our stateis likely to face. As Governor, I am con dentthat our emergency responders, public worksemployees and the National Guard will continuetheir tradition of skill and professionalism inresponding to emergencies. As citizens, we mustalso prepare ourselves by conducting our ownemergency planning, acquiring an emergency kitand helping our friends and neighbors in need.

On behalf of all Wisconsin citizens, I

commend and thank all our dedicated publicservants who have worked long hours to keepus safe during this dif cult winter season. Withspring and its turbulent weather right aroundthe corner, we must all rededicate ourselves toemergency preparedness and readiness for theemergencies that may affect our families andcommunities. n

Governor Doyle toured the Wheatland area following a rare tornado in January.

Governor Jim Doyle




Brig. Gen. Donald P. Dunbar Homeland Security Advisor and Council Chair The Adjutant General — Dept. of Military Affairs

David CollinsSuperintendent — Wisconsin State Patrol

Dr. Sheri JohnsonAdministrator and State Health Of cer Division of PublicHealth WI — Dept. of Health and Family Services

Dan Blackdeer * AlternateChief — Wisconsin Capitol Police

Susan CrawfordDept. of Natural Resources

Johnnie SmithAdministrator — Wisconsin Emergency Management

David Steingraber Executive Director — Of ce of Justice Assistance

Edward F. Wall * AlternateAdministrator — Dept. of Justice

Division of Criminal InvestigationMartin HenertExecutive Assistant — Dept. of Agriculture, Trade andConsumer Protection

Homeland Security Council

H o m

e l a n d S e c u r i t y

S t a t e o f W i s c o n s i

n

homefront Volume 4 Number 1

Of cial Newsletter of the Wisconsin

Homeland Security Council

Lori Getter — Wisconsin Emergency ManagementEditor 608.242.3239 [email protected]

Ryan Sugden — Of ce of Justice AssistanceEditor 608.266.6476 [email protected]

Kelly Bradley — Dept. of Military AffairsGraphic Design608.242.3055 [email protected]

Homefront Staff

Contents of the Wisconsin Homeland Security magazineare not necessarily the of cial views of, or endorsed by,the U.S. Government. Printed by the Dept. of

Administration. Circulation: 3,000.

Printed on recycled paper.

From the Chair Brig. Gen. Don Dunbar

http://homelandsecurity.wi.gov

Brig. Gen. Donald P. Dunbar Homeland Security Advisor

What a wonderful winter wehave enjoyed here in Wisconsin.Record snow fall in Madison andnearing record snow fall in manyother parts of the state re ect thechallenges we have faced. In the

past six months, weather has beena signi cant challenge for all of usand I have been impressed by our emergency response agencies atthe local, tribal, state and federallevels. Through signi cant eventssuch as the severe ooding lastfall, rare January tornadoes inKenosha County, and numerouswinter storms, our emergencyagencies have responded quickly

and effectively to help those inneed.

Recently, during a verysevere storm, our communications

broke down and the resulting backup along Interstate 39/90did not re ect our usual level of response. The report “Responseto Traf c and Public SafetyIssues in February 5-6, 2008Winter Storm” outlines theevent and describes failuresfrom interagency coordination

to public communications. Thereport is available online at http://emergencymanagement.wi.gov .

Since the report was issued,the state is in the process of developing a winter storm planand will be exercising that planthis spring. It is important that weaddress the issues outlined in thereport, such as the ability to closethe Interstate, communicatingwith the public and coordinating

between various agencies in atimely manner.

We can and will improve our coordination, communication andcollaboration between variousgovernment, private and volunteer agencies. All of us know thatfailure to do so would create risk for Wisconsin citizens duringemergency responses. Since

being named Homeland SecurityAdvisor, I have met with variouslocal, tribal and state emergencyresponder groups, and thisconstant theme of communication

and collaboration is shared by all.As mentioned in the report,

we need to be proactive incommunicating with the public.Warning systems, whether through

press releases and media contactsor by cell phones and electronicnoti cations, must be lookedat and improved. We cannot

guarantee public knowledge of an event, but we must ensure thatwe take every reasonable step tocommunicate clearly and often tomitigate the risk to the public.

We also need to ensure our citizens are prepared. I am pleasedto report that, in partnership withthe Wisconsin Citizens CorpsCouncil and the Of ce of JusticeAssistance, Wisconsin EmergencyManagement will soon have a

preparedness coordinator on boardto work with local communitiesin delivering the personal

preparedness message across thestate. We need to make sure allcitizens have emergency plans andemergency kits in place.

I encourage all those in public safety to take time to readthe report. We must learn fromour mistakes and make changesto improve public safety. We allhave a role, responsibility and acommitment to keep our state andour citizens safe. n



Homefront

Milwaukee teen rescues family in re,credits CERT training

Above Right: Aaron took theCERT training in July 2007.His training was invaluableas he used his new skills tohelp bring his neighbors tosafety during a house re inNovember 2007. Aaron is inthe middle with the white shirt.Photo by Milwaukee County Emergency Management.

Members of the U.S. Forest Ser-

vice participated in the Commu-nity Emergency Response Team(CERT) training earlier this year.The CERT training was heldJanuary 29-30 at the Gas LightBuilding in Milwaukee. Whilemany of the U.S. Forest Serviceemployees have worked manydisasters in recent years,including Hurricane Katrina,they found the CERT traininga great experience. Photo by Milwaukee County Emergency Management

CERTTraining: Agreat ex-perience

Many people have takenemergency response trainingclasses to prepare themselvesfor unexpected situations,

but few have actually had anopportunity to put their train -ing into practice. For AaronParent, a Milwaukee Chris -tian Center (MCC) Youth -

build/AmeriCorps member,the Community EmergencyResponse Team Training(CERT) he received earlier this year made the difference

between life and death for himself and his housemates.

Aaron lives in a duplexon Milwaukee’s South Side.

Aaron is good friends withhis neighbors that live in thelower level and often spendstime with them. On Novem -

ber 6, 2007, a re suddenly broke out in the kitchen.Aaron used his emergencytraining to help bring hisneighbors out of the burninghome and to safety. The redepartment arrived soon after everyone was out of the homeand extinguished the blaze.

Aaron shared, “Every -thing happened so fast. Inever thought I’d use theCERT training I went througha few months ago, but thethings I learned at the train -ing kicked in….know your surroundings, remain calm,and make sure everyone is ac -counted for and out of harm’sway. Now I really appreciatethe importance of the CERTtraining…it helped me rescuemy friend from the re.” n




Explosion exercise tests responders in NeenahWinnebago County Emergency

Management held a full-scale exercisein coordination with the Kimberly-Clark Corporation and the Cities of Neenahand Menasha on November 13, 2007.The exercise took place at Kimberly-Clark’s X-Mill in Neenah.

The exercise simulated an explo -sion that damaged the X-Mill andcaused multiple injuries to the workersand guests of the mill. The exercise,which was jointly funded by a Home -land Security grant administered by theWisconsin Of ce of Justice Assistance(OJA) and the Kimberly-Clark Corpora -tion, brought together voluntary agenciesand the public and private sectors to testthe plans that guide the management of large-scale, multi-agency disasters.

The responders practiced skills

such as victim search and rescue, triage,treatment and transport; on-scene man -agement using the Incident CommandSystem; Emergency Operations Center (EOC) operations; public information;victim reuni cation with the families;scene security and many more functionscritical to the operation. The exercisealso provided Neenah Police the oppor -tunity to test their response to a possibleterrorist event, since simulated non-Eng -lish speaking foreign visitors were partof the exercise.

Winnebago County Emergency

Fire ghters lead “injured workers” to safety.

Management Director Linda Kollmannstated that, “While we hope that this typeof event never occurs here, WinnebagoCounty is proud to be supporting theCities of Neenah and Menasha and theKimberly-Clark Corporation along withthe other critical private, public and vol -

unteer response partners with important projects that make our community safer.”David Bernd from Kimberly-Clark reit -erated Kollmann’s stance, “Our mill hasa great safety record…this is a result of commitment to safety at all levels of our organization.” n

Keepingtrack ofthe fu

A new website de -signed to provide informa -tion on the u was recent -ly unveiled. Pandemic.wisconsin.gov was de-veloped by the WisconsinDivision of Public Health,in collaboration with other state agencies to provideinformation on pandemicin uenza, avian in uenza,and seasonal in uenzafor the general public.

Additionally, the website con -tains various resources for busi -nesses, schools, health care

facilities and families. Local andregional partners are also encour-aged to submit information on

upcoming exercises, meetings, andbest practices related to pandemicin uenza planning. n



Homefront

State Patrol seizes more than 1,000pounds of marijuana from semi-truck

A Wisconsin StatePatrol K-9 unit uncov -

ered more than 1,000 pounds of marijuanaconcealed in a semi trac -tor-trailer unit that wasstopped for an inspectionat the West Salem Safetyand Weight Enforce -ment Facility on I-90 on

Nov.20, 2007. Accord -ing to the La Crosse Tri -

bune, the amount seizedwas the most marijuanaever con scated in west -

ern Wisconsin.The chain of events

began when the driver,Marco Corzo, 54, of Palmdale, Calif., was

placed out of servicefor logbook violations.After observing signs of

possible drug smuggling,State Patrol inspectorsreceived consent tosearch the truck fromCorzo and the other oc -

cupant of the vehicle, Gurmit Singh, 37, also of Palmdale.A State Patrol K-9 unit then searched the trailer, which held approximately 15 cardboard boxes and several pallets of tomatoes. The drug-detecting dog alerted on one of the boxes.Inside the box, of cers found two large

packages of marijuana. The other boxeswere opened, and of cers uncovered ap -

proximately 1,048 pounds of marijuana.Wisconsin State Patrol Superin -

tendent David Collins said, “This drugseizure demonstrates the tremendouscapability of canine searches as partof a comprehensive highway criminaland terrorist interdiction program. Inaddition to the devastation it causes inWisconsin communities, drug smug -gling can be a major source of fundingfor terrorists. Anything we do to disruptthe ow of drugs helps fortify homelandsecurity.” n

Above and Left: State Patrol K-9 Ellaalong with Sgt. Paul Matl (left) and In-spector Don Peterson seized more than1,000 pounds of marijuana concealedin a semi tractor-trailer unit, which wasstopped for an inspection at the WestSalem Safety and Weight EnforcementFacility on I-90 on Nov. 20, 2007.




Importance of school and campussafety reinforced

The 1999 shooting at Columbine High School was awake-up call to communities, school administrators and

parents that schools were not a sanctuary free from violence.That message sadly resonated in Wisconsin seven and half years later when John Klang, principal at Weston High School,was shot and killed attempting to disarm a student gunman.And last year, the tragedy at Virginia Tech highlighted thedangers faced by college and university campuses.

As Attorney General, Governor Doyle produced a reportof best practices for schools andlaw enforcement in the wake of the shootings at Columbine HighSchool. Following Virginia Tech,Gov. Doyle appointed Wisconsin’sTask Force on Campus Safetyto study the unique aspects of safety on college campuses. The24-member commission studiedthe role of students, professors,administrators, mental health providers and law enforcementin protecting the campuscommunity. The Task Force

offered a set of best practices to be used in the prevention,intervention, response and recovery from a shooting or emergency. Importantly, the Task Force concluded that thereis no one-size- ts-all solution to campus safety in Wisconsin;however, colleges and universities should invest their attentionand resources in prevention and intervention activities, andnot solely in technological upgrades. You can view the report

on the Of ce of Justice Assistance website, www.oja.wi.gov/campus_safety.

Emergency planning and response exercises like theone hosted by Beloit College in 2007are extremely helpful tools to preparethe entire campus community for anemergency. The Of ce of JusticeAssistance currently has funding availablefor the planning, preparation and executionof campus safety exercises.

For more information on exercisefunding, the Beloit College exercise or other college and K-12 school safety

resources, visit www.oja.wi.gov .n

Above and Left: During the 2007 fall semes-ter, hundreds of emergency responders fromover 50 Wisconsin and Illinois agencies,converged on the Beloit College campus for a full-scale exercise. The scenario includedstudent actors and required responders toassess and respond to explosions in campusbuildings.



Homefront

Public, private partnershipsstrengthen preparedness

Floods, tornadoes, res and terror threats are not onlyworrisome for the safety of individuals and communities; theyare also bad for business. A community-wide natural or mancaused disaster affects essential utilities such as power and water,restricts an employee’s ability to work and endangers companies’infrastructure and products. In an effort to improve communityresiliency and response to emergencies, numerous privatecorporations around Wisconsin are participating in groundbreaking

partnerships with local governments and emergency responseagencies.

In Eau Claire, the Businesses for a Disaster-ResilientCommunity Program held a kick-off meeting in early March tocoordinate efforts between the county and a wide-array of privatecorporations, from Xcel Energy to Royal Credit Union, IndianheadFood Distributor and the Eau Claire Energy Cooperative, amongothers. Together, this public-private partnership will strengthen

preparedness by conducting mutual emergency planning andidentifying privately-held resources that can be used during anemergency.

The Eau Claire program and nine other counties receivedseed money from the Of ce of Justice Assistance to initiate these

partnerships. The initiative stemmed from statewide planningmeetings that resulted in the project’s inclusion in the state’s annualhomeland security grant application.

“Following state and national disasters and emergencies, private corporations are some of the most generous organizationsin donating supplies, resources and many other forms of assistance,” said OJA Exec. Director David Steingraber. “We areextremely pleased with the desire of our private sector partners to

join traditional public safety agencies in Wisconsin to help preparefor and potentially prevent disasters.”

To nd out more about current public-private partnerships or how to establish one in your own community, please contact DaveDuecker at [email protected]. n

A plan to achieve statewide interoperability has beenapproved by the State Interoperability Executive Council, whilediscussions with local stakeholders over speci c policy, technicaland operational aspects of the system continue. The $15.3 million

project will build out a statewide VHF trunking backbone that

leverages existing communications infrastructure. An engineeringstudy will be conducted and governance board of local usersformed to determine next steps and oversee the progress of thesystem. The build out of the trunking backbone comes after a3-year and over $15 million homeland security investment in localradios and communications interoperability.

Recent weather-related conditions have broughtinteroperability issues to the forefront of preparedness plans.Summertime oods in southwestern Wisconsin in 2007 showedhow a disaster can quickly spread across jurisdictional boundariesand require a multi-agency response. In February, as thousandsof motorists were caught in a 12-hour backup on I-90/39 duringa snowstorm, National Guard, Department of Natural Resource

State and local partnerships criticalto interoperability

wardens, State Patrol of cers and Dane and Rock Countyemergency responders and municipal workers had dif cultycommunicating. In both cases, the existing state of interoperability

proved to be insuf cient to the needs of emergency responders andcivilians.

The support of local response agencies is critical for aninteroperable statewide system to be effective and move forward.The SIEC and Of ce of Justice Assistance have opened a dialoguewith key stakeholders and will continue to take note of thisimportant feedback from local of cials as the project progresses.

In the coming weeks and months, an independent engineeringstudy will be conducted to set the foundation for build out of thestatewide system. A governance board of local users will also

be formed to answer the policy and technical questions that willshape the direction of the system. Given the demonstrated needfor communications interoperability, the opportunity offered bythe federal funds to develop a truly statewide system is one thatWisconsin communities cannot afford to pass up. n

Dane

Rock

LaCrosse

Eau Claire

Kenosha

Racine

Waukesha Milwaukee

Washington Ozaukee

Winnebago

Outagamie Brown

City of Superior

City of Wausau

Public and private

partnerships in WisconsinHomeland securityfunded partnerships

Self-funded SoutheastWisconsin partnership



PRSRT STDU.S. POSTAGE PAID

MADISON WI

PERMIT NO 1369

Of ce of Justice Assistance1 S. Pinckney StreetMadison, WI 53702

This re gear might be a little too big for this little tyke but just you wait for a fewyears! Racine County Emergency Manage-ment sponsored a Super Saturday SafetyFair held at Burlington High School on Sat-urday, November 10, 2007. The Safety Fair included both indoor and outdoor displays,along with demonstrations throughout theday. Popular activities included the re

safety house, re extinguisher training,infant car seat checks, mini- re truck ridesand a hazardous materials demonstration.Flight for Life also made a special appear-ance, landing one of their helicopters in theschool parking lot. Photo by Kim Twardosz

Little Fire ghter

wisconsin wing - jun 2008

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