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Securing the Homeland in Florida
Federal, State, Local Officials Knit Tighter Anti-Terrorism Web
 Listen to Pam Fessler's June 4 report on federal homeland security efforts in Florida.
Listen to Phillip Davis' June 11 report on state-level homeland security efforts in Florida.
 Listen to Joshua Levs' June 18 report on local-level security efforts in Florida's Orange County.
Nine months after the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, the U.S. government has spent billions of dollars to improve homeland security. Government officials at all levels are trying to weave their efforts together into a protective blanket for the nation.
Success against an uncertain target is hard to measure. But those on the front lines say federal funds and coordination are critical as they try to confront some frightening new challenges.
Stories in this series:
June 4, 2002 -- The Federal Response
NPR's Pam Fessler reports on how some of the federal government's anti-terrorism efforts are working in Florida -- the home of many potential targets, and also a state that has one of the nation's more ambitious homeland defense programs.
Officials are asking for more training, communications equipment, protective gear -- the list for most communities is extensive. The Bush administration has promised billions of dollars to fund "first responders" -- those likely to arrive first on the scene of a terrorist attack. But most of that federal money won't be approved by Congress until later this year.
June 11, 2002 -- States Face Tight Enforcement Budgets
State governments around the country are beefing up their own anti-terror operations, spending billions to prevent future attacks or to ensure a rapid response. NPR's Phillip Davis reports that Florida is trying to mount a massive counterterror program on a modest budget.
Florida's overall budget was hit hard by the slump in tourism after Sept. 11. The state legislature directly appropriated only about $21 million -- from an overall budget of more than $50 billion -- for homeland security. So far, the only direct federal help has been a $9-million grant for training and a $47-million Department of Health grant for hospital preparedness. Cities and counties are largely bearing the day-to-day work of patrolling and protecting Florida's strategic sites.
June 18, 2002 -- Think Globally, Prepare Locally
While the federal government is beginning to give higher priority to homeland security, local leaders around the country are taking their own steps to protect their citizens from terrorism. Joshua Levs reports that local leaders in the Orlando area are looking to how New York City officials handled the Sept. 11 attack on the World Trade Center as an example of how to react to a terrorist attack.
Orlando Mayor Glenda Hood's aggressive local homeland security effort has caught the attention of federal officials. Homeland security chief Tom Ridge has called Hood's efforts, and those of other local leaders in Florida, a model for other local governments across the nation. The Orange County Sheriff's Department, for example, is organizing more than 500 neighborhood watch programs, and the city offers classes in emergency response for groups of citizens in various neighborhoods who help fellow citizens and "first responders" in case of an attack.
 Browse more NPR stories on Homeland Security.
Other Resources
• Federal homeland security information site
• Port Canaveral, Florida official Web site.
• Brevard County, Florida Sheriff's Office
• U.S. Customs Service
• Florida Dept. of Law Enforcement
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