Abstract

Intensive workshops in South Florida (December 15, 2008), New England (May 7, 2009), and Minnesota (June 12, 2009) explored how regional cooperation, coordination, and communication among airports can promote preparedness and continuity of operations during disasters and catastrophes of all types.    Previous site visits and on-site interviews at 20 U.S. airports ranging  from the smallest commercial airports to major international airports provided background information to build the workshops, where representatives of airports, airlines, local responders, state agencies, and federal agencies gathered to discuss needs, opportunities, gaps, and barriers to increasing regional cooperation, coordination, and communication. The South Florida workshop led to the creation of a multimedia presentation on the Southeast Airport Disaster Operations Group (SEADOG) and Western Airport Disaster Operations Group (WESTDOG) which was used to open the New England and Minnesota workshops by presenting a functioning, organized model of regional cooperation.

Analysis of the interview results and workshop discussions, clarified through review and correction by study participants, led to a number of recommendations. Starting with the consensus that increasing regional cooperation, coordination, and communication among airports and between regional groups of airports and other responding or regulatory agencies are highly desirable goals, it was found that different regions of the country employ different methods, but none are fully optimized. Interstate mutual aid among airports (SEADOG and WESTDOG, for example) has different issues than intrastate arrangements; the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC) among the states gives liability and reimbursement cover for interstate efforts, but intrastate arrangements may need new state legislation or expansion of scope of existing state programs. New England’s airports have extensive cooperation in place and seem interested in a New England Airport Disaster Operations Group (NEWDOG?); similarly, the Minnesota airports and Kansas City International Airport support a renewed effort to establish a Midwest Airport Disaster Operations Group (MADDOG?). In Florida, the Florida Emergency Management Agency already provides strong coordination among counties and local agencies, including airports. In New England, the primary interest is interstate, not intrastate. A yet-unformed national umbrella organization (AIRDOG?) could coordinate assistance requests and volunteer responses among the regional DOGs; it could also serve as EMAC's aviation coordination function. Within Minnesota, considerable interest exists in an intrastate mutual aid system among airports, perhaps based on the Minnesota Council of Airports and an extended application of existing Minnesota state statutes.

Of particular interest in the workshops were comments by federal agencies regarding evolving policies to cooperate with airports, airlines, and local agencies in disaster preparedness, response, and recovery involving airports. TSA, FAA, CDC, and the National Guard contributed significantly to the workshops.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This research was funded by a 2009 Faculty Research Grant from the American Public University System, which supplemented it for expenses at the three workshops. Many airport managers and local, state, and federal agency personnel gave generously of their time to make this research possible. In particular, I wish to thank Lauren Stover and Susan Feeney at Miami International Airport, Chief Robert Donahue and Cathy Dalton at Massport Fire Rescue, and Jeff Hamiel, Nancy Schuster, and Joe Harris at the Metropolitan Airports Commission.