Media Release
U.S. Joint Task Force Homeland Defense Hosts Anti-Terrorism Exchange in Pohnpei
September 19, 2009
From September 7 to the 10th, the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD)’s Joint Task Force Homeland Security (JTF-HD) conducted a Subject Matter Expert Exchange (SMEE) on the All-Hazards/Terrorism response plans for Pohnpei. The event was a collaboration of JTF-HD, FSM National Government, and Pohnpei State Government efforts, and took place at the Cliff Rainbow Hotel in Kolonia.
The Exchange identified ways to facilitate Defense Support of Civil Authorities (DSCA) support to Pohnpei. The goal was to build on last year’s exchange and to test and identify the current strengths and areas of improvement in the Pohnpei and FSM emergency response plans.
Various FSM National and Pohnpei State representatives responsible for disaster response participated in the information exchange. FSM National representatives hailed from the Department of Justice, Department of Transportation, Communication and Infrastructure, Department of Education, Department of Health and Social Affairs, Department of Foreign Affairs, National Police, Transnational Crime Unit, Immigration, Public Information Office, Office of Environment and Emergency Management, Customs, Weather Service Office, and Quarantine Service. Pohnpei State Officials represented Pohnpei Port Authority, Health Services, and Kolonia Town Police. Representing the non-profit and private sectors were Micronesia Red Cross Society of Pohnpei, FSM Telecommunications Corporation, and Pohnpei Utilities Corporation (PUC).
The JTF-HD support team included Captain Rick Hiel, Lieutenant Commander David Selander (Task Force-Guam, COMNAVMAR), Mr. James Cruz (Task Force-Guam, COMNAVMAR), Mr. Bart Robinson, Ms. Tammy Makizuru-Higa, Ms. Robyn Romero and Mr. John Livengood.
JTF-HD is the U.S. Department of Defense organization for synchronizing incident management in support of civil authorities. The Joint Task Force Mission is to execute “Air, Land, and Sea Domain operation to defeat terrorist threats to the Homeland and, when requested and approved, [conduct] Defense Support of Civil Authorities (DSCA) operations for all hazards including responding to and recovering from natural or man-made disasters.” JTF-HD defines “Homeland” as the States of the U.S., U.S. Territories, Possessions, Commonwealths and the Freely Associated Nations. JTF-HD is headquartered at Fort Shafter in Honolulu, Hawaii.