by Joanna Liberman Turner

During its spring meeting in Reno, Nev., last week, the Public Safety and Crime Prevention Policy and Advocacy Steering Committee agreed that NLC policy should emphasize the importance of information sharing in protecting the nation from terrorist attack.

Committee members will discuss whether to support a risk-based or all-hazards approach to homeland security funding at their fall meeting.

?The Public Safety and Crime Prevention Policy and Advocacy Committee chose some difficult topics for the steering committee to tackle,? said committee chairman Chuck Hughes, the council president of Gary, Ind. ?What role should the federal government play in funding emergency medical personnel? How should federal funding for Homeland Security be distributed to cities? What additional steps are necessary to protect hazardous materials shipments from accidents or terrorist attacks? These are the questions that the committee will answer over the course of this year.?

Representatives of the American Trucking Associations and the American Chemistry Council were on hand to provide an overview of existing regulations on the hazardous materials transportation industry, and to answer committee questions about what additional steps are necessary to protect the industry.

Committee members agreed that existing NLC policy on this issue covers the major issues raised by transporting hazardous materials, but will draft policy that more strongly states the role of first responders.

A Department of Homeland Security representative described a new mechanism for distributing federal funding for homeland security purposes that Congress will likely pass within the year.

Members of the committee agreed that NLC policy should emphasize the importance of information sharing in protecting the nation from attack.

Committee members will discuss whether to support a ?risk-based? or ?all-hazards? approach to homeland security funding at their fall meeting.

Finally, the supervisor of the EMS Office of the Nevada State Health Division described the current role of the federal government in funding emergency personnel and in providing standards for the industry.

Committee discussion focused on whether to support federal funding for emergency medical personnel given the strong likelihood that additional federal mandates would come with any funds.

All new policy recommendations on these issues drafted by the steering committee will be presented for full committee review at the Congress of Cities in Charlotte, N.C., this December.