Homeland Security assures safety, recommends preparedness

by Ken Quintanilla

Guam - As the rhetoric out of North Korea continues to get aggressive especially to our island, Guam Homeland Security offers their assurance that we're not only secure but prepared.  Guam is safe - that's the message Guam homeland security advisor Pedro Leon Guerrero sends to the people of the island community as threats continue to target Guam along with Japan, Hawaii and the U.S. West Coast.

He told KUAM News, "I'm here to ensure our island that I am totally confident and comfortable on the level of security provided by the greatest nation in the world, the United States military."

The latest statements out of North Korea quotes the Korean People's Army, saying they will remove Andersen Air Force Base from Earth. KCNA News, North Korea's state-run news agency, quotes an officer saying, "The KPA Strategic Rocket Force has already been on A-Class alert to wipe out the U.S. forces and reduce their bases in Guam and other regions to ashes."

Leon Guerrero says while we can't control what North Korea says or threatens, we can be assured that the U.S. military capabilities is decades ahead of North Korea.  "We train with local and federal stakeholders and Guam's first responders community," he noted. "I can say that Guam homeland security is ready to act when called upon."

Leon Guerrero however, says in his short time at GHS, he's experienced frustration and challenges having an all hazards siren system operating in case of an emergency. "We are, in fact, experiencing bureaucratic red tape with the siren system and if it was up to me the siren system should have been running five years ago," he said. For now, GHS is working with the island's mayors. "What we do have is we provided for the mayors of these villages that have the siren systems set for them with a public address system hardwired into their vehicles so they can in fact make those announcements to their constituents in their villages as the events happen and occur," he said.

And while GHS hasn't necessarily increased the level of readiness, they are reaching out to government stakeholders, going over emergency response plans and will soon be putting out public service announcements on sheltering in place, family disaster plans and what you should put in your emergency supply kit.

Acting public affairs officer Dee Cruz suggests putting a first aid kit, flashlights, candles, batteries, canned foods, duct tape and plastic bags to tape around a window or vent should anything happen to name a few. "When we think about an emergency supply kit, we think of just a three to four hour span just enough for us to respond as homeland security is doing and keep you bunkered down in that shelter in place, and then once we tell you you're all clear you can go out," she said.

Cruz says emergency kits and plans aren't to scare but to be prepared for any type of disaster, adding, "So this is all about being prepared, having to know what to do and having that plan making sure that every one of them knows exactly what to do."

Go to www.ghs.guam.gov for more.