Guest post by K. Denise Rucker Krepp
In the aftermath of 9/11, significant resources were devoted to improving communication processes. Intelligence stovepipes had prevented information sharing before the attack and the new measures were supposed to make everyone more secure. Sadly, the Washington Navy Yard shootings last year demonstrate that gaps still exist and vulnerable populations remain at risk.
On the day of the Navy Yard shootings, a friend of mine and I were walking along the National Mall. It was a sunny September day, blue sky, and birds chirping. The peaceful morning was suddenly interrupted by countless numbers of sirens and police cars racing by. Something had happened but we didn’t know what had occurred so we kept on walking.
When I returned home, I turned on my computer and discovered that that an unknown individual had killed several Navy Yard employees. My next door neighbor works in one of the buildings under attack and I started feeling queasy. Full blown panic set in when news reporters started talking about a second shooter. My daughters’ school is located blocks from the Navy Yard. It went into lockdown yet parents weren’t immediately notified.
Last week the Washington Post published findings from a DC police report completed after the shootings. These findings included ‘”full incident command not clearly established”‘ and ‘”too many police officers self dispatched to the scene.”‘ Mind boggling. It’s been thirteen years since 9/11 and questions shouldn’t remain about who is in charge and who is responsible for responding to an incident.
The lack of coordination at the federal and DC level puts neighbors at risk. Neighbors, including hundreds of school children, can’t wait for officials to agree on response protocols. Response measures have to be established ahead of time and they need to be shared with those in the neighborhood if response efforts are going to be successful.
The failure to communicate with neighbors in a timely manner is troubling to me because the Navy Yard area contains other high profile critical infrastructures, including the rail tunnel near Garfield Park. CSX wants to expand the rail tunnel and many Navy Yard residents oppose the expansion based on safety, environmental, and security reasons. Residents have sought additional information from the government but to date, many questions remain unanswered.
It’s my hope that the Navy Yard report will spur more coordination between federal and state law enforcement officials, first responders, and neighbors. The first step should be identifying who is in charge when an incident occurs and who is responsible for coordinating out-reach with neighbors. Clearly identifying these individuals will prevent the chaos that occurred on the day of the Navy Yard shootings.
A second priority should be to work with neighbors in preparing to respond to an incident. Simply calling neighbors after an incident occurs isn’t sufficient. Neighbors need to know how to respond to shootings like those that occurred at the Navy Yard. They also need to know what to do if a train derails near Garfield Park. Withholding information from neighbors puts them at greater risk.
Officially classifying neighbors as individuals with a need to know will improve response protocols. Neighbors and their families are scared of another Navy Yard shooting or Lac Megantic. They want to work with law enforcement and first responder officials to make sure that their communities are safe. Including them in the process, ensures that when an incident does occur everyone is properly prepared to respond.
K. Denise Rucker Krepp is a homeland security and transportation consultant. Ms. Krepp is a former Chief Counsel, U.S. Maritime Administration and Senior Counsel, U.S. House of Representatives Homeland Security Committee.