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Ten Years after 9/11 Public Safety Professionals Say Government Still Not Giving Enough Attention to Preparing for and Responding to Next National Disaster

Survey conducted in collaboration with national public safety organizations, including APHA, ASPA, CEMRF, IAEM-USA, FBI NAA, and Capella University

MINNEAPOLIS, Aug. 30, 2011 – The results of a national survey of more than 1,000 public safety and public service professionals, conducted nearly 10 years after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, show that while 71% of respondents believe the U.S. is better prepared to deal with a terrorist attack today than we were in the days before 9/11, two-thirds of them also feel that all levels of government (federal, state and local) are still not giving enough attention to preparing for and responding to the next national disaster.

Additionally, 51% strongly agree and 37% somewhat agree that funds are allocated according to what's best for politicians, not what's best for emergency preparedness, and 58% of respondents have seen their budgets decrease over the last two years.

The survey, completed by first responders, emergency managers, public health officials and others on the front lines of emergency preparedness and response, was conducted by national public safety associations including, the American Public Health Association (APHA), the American Society for Public Administration (ASPA), the U.S. Council of the International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM -USA), the Comprehensive Emergency Management Research Foundation (CEMRF) and the FBI National Academy Associates (FBI NAA) in partnership with Capella University.

"On this 10th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, it is important to examine the progress we have made in our ability to respond to a major terrorist attack or natural disaster, as well as identify what we have not yet adequately addressed," said Charles Tiffin, PhD, Capella University provost, vice president of academic affairs, and former dean of the School of Public Service Leadership. "We went straight to the source and asked public service and public safety professionals – including first responders, emergency managers, police officers, firefighters and public health workers – for their views on critical questions in order to get a realistic assessment from the people in the best position to know."

"ASPA and its members were touched deeply by the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. We have been working on emergency preparedness and response issues within federal, state and local government agencies for the past 10 years," said Erik Bergrud, president of the American Society for Public Administration. "The survey results reinforce the need for the ASPA and other associations to foster closer collaboration between the various levels of government and between government and non-government organizations to enhance the country's crisis response."

Other key findings:

Natural Disaster: 71% of respondents said they believe the U.S. today is better prepared to deal with a terrorist attack, but a lower number – 56% said they believed the U.S. is better prepared to deal with a natural disaster today than prior to Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
Another Attack: 69% of respondents said they were either very (24%) or fairly (45%) worried that the U.S. will experience another major terrorist attack.
Budgets: 58% of respondents said their organization's operating budget had decreased over the last two years, and 61% said they expected it to decrease again next year.
Government Strings: 62% of respondents agreed with the statement that "the government funding we receive often comes with little control and input into how best to spend that money."
Politics: 51% strongly agreed and 37% somewhat agreed with the statement "the government funding process we have now often doles out money based on what's best for politicians, not what's best for the emergency preparedness." Firefighters felt the strongest, with 62% strongly agreeing. The next highest percentage was law enforcement and health administrative personnel at 52%.

When asked to evaluate changes made since 9/11 to improve disaster preparedness, respondents agreed that several areas of focus have improved:

Training: the type of training first responders and health care professionals have received has improved a lot (26%) or somewhat (44%)
Collaboration: the level of collaboration between first responders, public safety officials, health care professionals and government leaders has improved a lot (22%) or somewhat (42%)
Public Health Emergencies: the ability to quickly detect and diagnose a public health emergency has improved a lot (13%) or somewhat (45%) and the ability to quickly respond to a public health emergency has improved a lot (15%) or somewhat (43%)

When asked to evaluate changes made since 9/11 to improve disaster preparedness, respondents agreed that several other areas of focus have not improved as much:

Collaboration: the level of collaboration between federal, state and local governments has improved a little (33%) or not at all (12%)
Collaboration: the level of collaboration with non-governmental providers of services (private sector or non-profits) has improved a little (35%) or not at all (13%)
Equipment: the access to state-of-the-art emergency, laboratory and communications equipment has improved a little (35%) or not at all (11%)
Public Funding: the amount of government funding for disaster preparedness has improved a little (30%) or not at all (20%)
Private Funding: the amount of private and non-profit funding for disaster preparedness has improved a little (37%) or not at all (25%)

Nuclear Emergency: While respondents were split on whether local first responders would be prepared to deal with an emergency at a nuclear power plant (54% said they would be very or somewhat prepared, while 46% said they would be very or somewhat unprepared), 75% responded that area residents would not be aware of what to do in a nuclear reactor emergency.

"This survey provided Capella with an opportunity to partner with some of the leading national organizations in the public safety sector to measure perceptions of current strengths and weaknesses in our country's preparedness," said Suzanne Holmes, DPA, dean of Capella's School of Public Service Leadership. "In addition to helping inform Capella's expertise in training public safety personnel across the country, we hope these results and the accompanying report help inform public safety leaders, policymakers at all levels of government and the public by providing a realistic assessment of what is working, where we are still vulnerable and where we should focus our time and money in order to make the biggest impact."

"We have a great and essential mission before us, but we can make significant progress by sharing the responsibility through a network of cooperative organizations that link the theoretical and practical applications of comprehensive emergency management," said Daniel Martin, PhD, CEM, CFM, president of the Comprehensive Emergency Management Research Foundation. "This study, and the organizations that have been involved, is a testament of this shared obligation."

The full report, "10 Years Later: A National Survey of Public Service & Public Safety Professionals," can be found at: http://www.capella.edu/inc/pdf/9-11_10YrsLaterSurveyReport.pdf. The survey results will be discussed as part of a panel discussion at the National Emergency Management Summit on Sept. 13 in New York City.

Editor/Booker Note: To schedule interviews with a Capella spokesperson or a representative from one of the public safety organizations, contact: Michael Walsh, 612-977-5661.

As of June 30, 2011, more than 38,000 students are pursuing an online degree at Capella University (http://www.capella.edu), with 31 percent enrolled in Capella's doctoral degree programs, and 47 percent enrolled in Capella's master's degree programs. The learning and career outcomes of Capella's students and alumni can be found at www.capellaresults.org.

About Capella University

Capella University (www.capella.edu) is an accredited online university* that has built its reputation by providing quality online degree programs for working adults. Nearly 80 percent of Capella students are currently enrolled in master's, specialist, or doctoral degree programs in business, counseling, education, health administration, homeland security, human resource management, human services, information technology, nonprofit management and leadership, nursing, psychology, public administration, public health, public safety, and social work. Capella also offers bachelor's degree programs in business, information technology, nursing, psychology, and public safety. Within those areas, Capella currently offers 135 graduate and undergraduate specializations and 17 certificate programs. More than 38,000 students were enrolled as of June 30, 2011, from all 50 states and 59 other countries. Capella is committed to providing high-caliber academic excellence and pursuing balanced business growth. Founded in 1993, Capella University is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Capella Education Company, headquartered in Minneapolis. For more information, please visit http://www.capella.edu or call 1.888.CAPELLA (227.3552).

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* Capella University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission and is a member of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA), www.ncahlc.org.
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