Additional security will cost state millions

By Johnny Brannon
Advertiser Staff Writer

The war with Iraq and fears of terrorism will cost Hawai'i millions of extra dollars in tight economic times, and the state and counties will end up absorbing any security expenses the federal government doesn't cover.

The financial impact will depend on how long the war lasts and how high Hawai'i's alert level remains, officials say, but the primary concern will be public safety.

"Our state will never determine its alert status based on economics," Gov. Linda Lingle said.

U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson yesterday announced a $10.3 million grant to help Hawai'i prepare for terrorism and other public health emergencies.

The state's public health agencies will receive $7.4 million, and the remaining $2.9 million will help hospitals prepare for bioterror attacks or other mass casualty emergencies.

Up to 20 percent of the money can be made available immediately to pay for activities such as smallpox vaccination for key health workers and emergency responders. The offer is similar to a plan begun last year to jump-start state preparedness.

The state Department of Transportation is asking the Legislature for an extra $8 million on an emergency basis to pay for barricades, checkpoints and security workers at airports and harbors.

DOT director Rod Haraga said the federal government requires a higher, and more expensive, alert level at those facilities than around other state infrastructure. The state is hoping for a federal reimbursement, but there is no guarantee so far.

Adjutant Gen. Robert G.F. Lee, who leads state civil defense and the Hawai'i National Guard, said the state will receive $5.7 million from the federal government for other safety and security needs.

The exact spending plan has not been finalized, but 80 percent of the money will go to Hawai'i's four counties, and the rest will go to the state, he said.

Lingle said U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge had advised that the money be spent on the type of equipment and supplies needed for civil emergencies and natural disasters, such as generators, food and blankets.

"His advice was not to use the funding that comes to your state for a lot of fancy equipment or the latest technology," Lingle said. "An entire industry has built up around the issue of homeland security."

Lee said the state is also seeking between $6 million and $7 million for county fire departments.

He said Ridge will ask for more federal money for local governments in a special Homeland Security budget request, but it is too early to know how much Hawai'i could receive.

Honolulu Managing Director Ben Lee said the city may spend up to $100,000 per week for extra police protection amid the state's heightened security level, but that the estimate was very rough.

Police Chief Lee Donohue said this week that police officers may be required to work overtime to deal with the extra security responsibilities and would be assigned to various sites, such as highways where they would monitor traffic.

The city may also add some barricades around key public buildings, Ben Lee said, but that cost is not expected to be major.

Overtime costs for police skyrocketed following the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks and the anthrax scares that followed, but Honolulu has remained much calmer since the war began Wednesday.

Neighbor Island mayors, who met with Lingle yesterday to discuss coordination of homeland security actions, said the impact on their public safety budgets had not been great so far.

"Right now, up to today the figure has been minimum, almost zero," Big Island Mayor Harry Kim said. "I'm praying that this will be a relatively short one, not for that reason but for all the other reasons."

He said costs could rise if the state moves to a higher alert status that requires additional protection of essential facilities like waterworks and power plants.

Kaua'i Mayor Bryan Baptiste said his county will spend a little more on police overtime for an emergency response team, but that Kaua'i had a strong partnership with private utilities to handle security concerns around vital infrastructure.

"The private industry has come to the table to do on a private level what we probably couldn't do ourselves," he said.

Advertiser staff writer Gordon Y.K. Pang contributed to this report.