Rural securityExpert questions DHS grants for rural communities following 9/11

Published 16 September 2011

In the decade since 9/11, the U.S. government has poured more than $1.3 million into the rural community of Ross County, Ohio, which some argue is a waste of federal resources; the funds were ostensibly designed to prevent terrorism, but much of the money has been spent to bolster emergency response capabilities in the event of a major disaster whether it be natural or manmade

Fairmont, NC (pop.2763) has a new DHS-granted fire truck // Source: fairmontnc.com

In the decade since 9/11, the U.S. government has poured more than $1.3 million into the rural community of Ross County, Ohio, which some argue is a waste of federal resources.

The funds were ostensibly designed to prevent terrorism, but much of the money has been spent to bolster emergency response capabilities in the event of a major disaster whether it be natural or manmade.

Rob Glenn, Ohio’s director of homeland security, welcomed the government funds. “It’s not just the big cities,” Glenn said. “Al Qaeda’s stated intent is disrupting the economy.”

In contrast, John Mueller, a professor at Ohio State University who specializes in homeland security, said there has not been enough accountability of how DHS spent its funds.

In particular, Mueller argues that DHS did not complete a proper cost-benefit analysis of how it allocated its funds.

There weren’t any,” analytics Mueller argued. “They were simply spending money.”

David Bethel, the head of Ross County’s Emergency Management Agency, said much of the federal funds have gone towards installing proper communications equipment to warn residents in the event of an emergency.

Bethel admitted that Ross County, with a population of roughly 70,000, is not a likely target for terrorists, but noted that the county does have some legitimate safety concerns.

Ross County, a largely agricultural community, is home to large quantities of hazardous chemicals that could be used to build bombs. In the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing and more recently the attacks in Oslo, Norway, terrorists used fertilizers to construct their bombs.

Bethel fears that attackers could gather bomb making materials and stage their attack within Ross County before heading into Columbus, Ohio.

Mueller noted that much of the federal grant money from DHS has gone towards purchasing emergency communications radios, upgrades for 911 dispatch systems, and equipment for hazardous materials local funding has been spent on public safety and emergency management. But, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the funding is designed to “prevent, protect against, respond to and recover from potential terrorist attacks and other hazards.”

A huge amount of money is being spent on policing and intelligence,” Mueller said. “Occasionally they pick up a drug dealer, but they’re supposed to be focused on terrorism.”

Mueller said that so far $690 billion has been spent on homeland security enhancements since DHS’ inception, but only in the past year has there been a focus on how that money was being spent.

When you’re spending money like this you might want to give it two or three thoughts, which they haven’t done,” Mueller said. “There have been no studies that justify the actions that had been taken.”