ABOUT

History and Status of The East Tennessee Homeland Security Council

The East Tennessee Homeland Security Council is an organization developed to provide a multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional, multi-disciplinary approach to critical incidents with an emphasis on involving local emergency personnel.

The council was originally formed in April, 2003 by Anderson County Sheriff Bill White; Blount County Sheriff James Berrong; Jefferson County Sheriff David Davenport; Knox County Sheriff Tim Hutchison and Loudon County Sheriff Tim Guider. Acting on input from Deputy Governor Dave Cooley, the group decided a regional approach should be considered for homeland security, rather than using a county by county or city by city approach.

The organizing Sheriffs selected a seventeen county region for inclusion in the East Tennessee Homeland Security Council. At the request of state officials, this was subsequently revised to sixteen counties, so that the region would serve the same counties that would eventually be included in the state's Homeland Security Jurisdictional Assessment District for East Tennessee . The Jurisdictional Assessment Districts were set up following the start of the East Tennessee Homeland Security Council.

The Council has been expanded to include public Service agencies such as representatives from the public health community, private sector partners, such as Norfolk-Southern Railway and Wackenhut Security and state/federal agencies, such as the U.S. Attorney's Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Tennessee Guard.

Early in the development of the Council, a sub-committee structure was developed to organize Council activities and to promote participation from all disciplines represented. An EMS subcommittee was created (chaired by Russ Jensen of Rural Metro Corporation), and a Domestic Terrorism and Hate Crimes (chaired by Lt. Jeff Stiles of the Knoxville Police Department) sub-committee, eventually renamed the Homeland Terrorism Sub-committee.

Other sub-committee activities include the following:

• Critical Infrastructure Assessment : Chaired by Deputy Chief Don Green, Knoxville Police Department.
  
  Mission - In conjunction with the Disaster Preparedness & Response Sub-Committee, to identify, evaluate, and prioritize any potential target for international or domestic terrorism, including, but not limited to, items of civic infrastructure, critical public and private facilities, major health facilities, and public utilities.
  
  Status - Working to compile previous vulnerability studies and threat assessments for the region. Subsequent tasks will include review and revision, based on deficiencies or additions to such assessment. Work is on-going.
  
  
• Disaster Preparedness: Chaired by Assistant Chief James Long, Blount County Sheriff's Office.
  
  Mission - The committee will work to bring resources, personnel, and expertise together in the East Tennessee region to enhance our ability manage, coordinate and respond to any disaster that affects the quality of life of the citizens in our communities.
  
  Status - Evaluating the need for an Urban Search and Rescue Team, Disaster Preparedness Plans (including interagency and interdisciplinary notification protocols). Status- awaiting completion of related key sub-committee reports.
  
  
• Communications and Interoperability: Chaired by Steve Gibbs of Wackenhut.
  
  Mission - To ensure seamless and uninterrupted communications between all agencies during a multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional response to any emergency.
  
  Status - The committee is meeting regularly to address issues involving radio frequencies (low band, VHF, UHF, 800 MHz, conventional or trunking, analog or digital) as well as system issues (wired/wireless signal to repeaters/radio system, frequencies shared w/other agencies, dead spots or areas w/out coverage, civilian ham radio support). Work is on-going.

Other sub-committees continue their work between the scheduled meetings of the Council, including the Training , Incident Command/Incident Management , Resource Inventory & Assessment , and Inter-agency Relations . .