Agencies evolved after Sept. 11

Published 4:05 am Saturday, September 12, 2015

    The terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, spawned changes nationwide.

    Among other things was the creation of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on Nov. 25, 2002.

    Statewide homeland security agencies cropped up across the country, including in Mississippi.

    The executive director of Mississippi Office for Homeland Security, Rusty Barnes, said the Mississippi Office of Homeland Security was created in 2002, and operated under the umbrella of the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency until 2003 when then Gov. Haley Barbour moved it under the Department of Public Safety.

    “Homeland security became a national presence after the 9/11 attacks,” Barnes said. “Mississippi had already begun the process of increasing security and coordination with emergency personnel even before the attacks.”

    Barnes said the mission of the MOHS is to partner with state and local responders during disasters, whether they be man-made or natural.

    “Another mission of ours is to prevent, protect and respond to all threats or acts of terrorism in the state of Mississippi,” Barnes said. “Our goal is to identify, and protect all vital infrastructure within our state, and strengthen our vulnerabilities.”

    Barnes said in the last 12 months the MOHS has funded more than $500,000 in training for first responders in the state.

    “Additionally, over the past 12 months over 300 first responders in Mississippi have taken advantage of no-cost training, which is offered through the National Domestic Preparedness Consortium,” Barnes said. “This is a set of schools and universities that teach our first responders what to do in all types of national and man-made disasters.”

    Barnes said Mississippi has 18 people who are instructors in Overland Search and Rescue.

    “The state of California only has one, and we have 18,” Barnes said. “We partner with the Meridian-Lauderdale County Public Training Facility on a lot of training that is done. They are able to do Structural Collapse Technician Training at their facility. That is another program we are proud of and one that we are glad to support in Meridian.”

    Meridian Public Safety Director Buck Roberts said law enforcements officers are better trained now than they were prior to the terrorist attacks.    

    “We have received help from the state with funding for all types of training,” Roberts said. “They have helped us train, and even put on training classes themselves. By doing that it has helped us on the local level to be more alert. They teach us things going on across the state, as well as the nation.”

    Roberts said public safety has evolved since the attacks.

    “It is not an 8 to 5 job: it is a 24 hour job, just like police,” Roberts said. “We are available 24 hours and are constantly maintaining and on the lookout.”

    Barnes said MOHS doesn’t target one particular area when it comes to security.

    “Not only are we concerned with things like airport security, but active shooter situations as well and we work with the Department of Health,” Barnes said. “Cyber security is one of our big concerns now. There are all kinds of data breaches and information leaks with hackers.”

    Another big concern is that of school safety.

    “We have a program that we offer to law enforcement to help train school officials on what to do to better protect the children in the period of time it takes for professional responders to respond,” Barnes said. “Not for just an active shooter — it could be weather or any emergency situation that might arise.”

    Barnes said the National Center for Spectator Sports, Safety, and Security program at the University of Southern Mississippi is the best of its kind in the nation.

    “They train people how to better secure their sporting venues,” Barnes said. “People are coming to Mississippi to learn how to do that, from professional sport venues to high school.”

    Barnes said he can’t promise everything the agency does will be flawless, but he can say MOHS is better prepared now than they were in 2001.

    “We can try and train on everything that we can in hopes that our response will be fully implemented,” Barnes said. “We want to be exactly what the citizens of Mississippi need — to be able to come to their rescue.

    “What we do is hope for the best, and train for the worse.”