By LEONARD GRAY-Staff Reporter

DESTREHAN – Vital issues related to homeland security remain to be addressed in the River Parishes, according to regional emergency management directors and other officials.

The issues centered upon communications – with law enforcement agencies, industry and the public.

The River Parishes Area Council of the New Orleans Chamber of Commerce held the forum recently at Ormond Country Club as part of their general membership meeting.

Upcoming meetings will include an education summit on June 18 and a gubernatorial candidates’ forum on Aug. 14, according to Lily Galland of Shell Chemical, who chairs the local council.

Guests at the May 8 forum on homeland security included St. John Parish Civil Defense Director Paul Oncale, St. Charles Emergency Management Director Tab Troxler and St. James Parish Emergency Preparedness Director Gerald Falgoust.

They were joined by Tracy Lea, security manager for Shell Chemical; Mitch Smith, director of operations for the Port of South Louisiana; and Chris Laborde, chief of staff of military affairs for The Chamber.

Lea noted that most major industrial plants were not built to be protected from armed and dangerous threats and still are hardly to the security standards of military or nuclear operations.

After the 9/11 disaster, immediate reactions included erecting physical barricades, upgrading equipment and adapting new security procedures. Now, trade organizations have gotten involved, with the aim to mitigate or eliminate risks.

“However, there are always things we cannot control,” Lea added.

In the coming months, he continued, more government involvement is in the works, yet there is still little true leadership and too many agencies involved.

“Everybody’s moving ahead but what drummer do you follow?” he observed.

Lea pointed out it was critical to improve relations with law enforcement agencies and intelligence agencies. “The intelligence-gathering in the country is not particularly good.”

Lea has worked with Shell security for more than 25 years. A U.S. Army Reserves in the Military Police Corps for more than 11 years, he has taught conventional and nuclear security at the U.S. Army Military Police Security and the physical security course at the Safe Guard Missile Site Security.

Smith pointed out the host of vulnerabilities of the Port of South Louisiana, from pipelines, aerial river crossings, river traffic, rail and highway access.

The port has stepped up its own security patrols on the river and near port facilities and offers marine fire-fighting, search-and-rescue and environmental response capabilites.

On the good side, the port has built and maintained close coordination with local law enforcement and emergency operations sites.

“If something happens on the river, those who need to communicate with each other, are communicating with each other,” Smith said.

The port is in the final stages of a security assessment report, but said one lapse is in making the public more aware of the hazards around them.

One major problem is river levee access, with long-standing traditions of using levee and batture property for recreational purposes. – which necessarily now has to change.

“People need to understand that,” Smith said.

Smith has held his position since 1990 after retiring from the U.S. Coast Guard with 21 years of service, and has an extensive background in marine law enforcement, environmental protection, dangerous cargo operations and search-and-rescue.

Oncale pointed out the ongoing communication and coordination among local emergency response agencies, including the sheriff’s office, volunteer fire departments, hospital and port. The panel meets on a monthly basis.

One vital need in St. John Parish is for more surveillance along the levees for ship-jumpers and other unauthorized people who could get too close, too easily to port and industrial facilities.

Oncale has held his post since February 2001 and also directs the St. John Airport. He worked 32 years in industry, mostly at Dupont and Dupont/Dow Elastomers.

He led the plant’s hazmat response team and fire brigade and is certified in hazardous materials at the Technician I level and incident command.

Falgoust pointed out that with the post-9/11 era upon us, “it’s no longer business as usual.”

St. James Parish has already gone through a vulnerability study with the Louisiana Office of Emergency Preparedness and formed a mutual aid organization, along with the parishes of St. John the Baptist, St. Charles, Lafourche, Terrebonne and Assumption, working with Louisiana State Police and the respective sheriff’s offices as well.

“I’m very proud of where we are at this point,” Falgoust said. “We’re ahead of the curve.”

Falgoust has held his post since September 1993 and retired from Gulf/Chevron after 24 years of service in accounting, finance and management. He has also chaired a number of emergency preparedness organizations and received the 2002 Louisiana Emergency Response Commission award for outstanding commitment to public safety.

Troxler noted the close relationships among the regional emergency directors and their joint receipt of $1 million in federal emergency planning grants.

With the region’s experience in dealing with natural disasters and the problems attendant with recovering from those disasters, many of the lessons can be applied to man-made disasters and terrorism.

“There’s a constant vigilance and preparedness,” Troxler said, and pointed out that unlike many parts of the nation, “We do have experience with mass emergencies.”

Troxler has held his position since 1997 and has studied at the National Hurricane Center and FEMA’s Radiological Emergency Planning Course. He is a past chairman of the Southeast Louisiana Hurricane Task Force.

Laborde, while not on the panel itself, attended to bring his own update to the Chamber membership on homeland security at the national level.

Plans are well under way for locating a regional Homeland Security headquarters in New Orleans, in recognition of its vital position in national security.

Laborde noted that 27 percent of the nation’s oil and gas production is centered in Louisiana and is home to 100 petrochemical plants.

A proposal for the regional headquarters was made in March, Laborde said.