The Brattleboro Reformer
August 20, 2004
By Daniel Barlow
BRATTLEBORO — Rudolph Giuliani's message to local emergency first responders was short and simple: Prepare for the unexpected.
Giuliani, the mayor of New York City during the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, addressed a group of more than 100 police officers, firefighters and other emergency officials at the Quality Inn & Suites on Putney Road.
"There are a lot of unknowns for first responders," said Giuliani.
"If you are a first responder, you have got to make a decision like that," he added, snapping his fingers.
Giuliani was brought to the area to speak with first responders by Entergy Corp., the parent company that owns the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant in Vernon.
Since leaving office, Giuliani has founded Giuliani Partners LLC, a consulting firm that advises CEOs on financial matters and governments on emergency preparedness.
The former mayor has given seminars for Entergy in the past, notably at the company's Indian Point nuclear power plant in New York State, according to Brian Cosgrove, the director of public affairs for Vermont Yankee.
Giuliani's 40-minute speech jumped from detailing his personal observations and actions on the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, to short advice and inspiration for the first responders and planners in southern Vermont.
Before the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, Giuliani said he thought New York City had seen all types of emergencies.
"I was looking up in the sky at the building and the fire and noticed the debris raining down," he said, recounting approaching the towers that morning. "And then I realized I wasn't seeing debris -- it was a human being."
The city had emergency plans for airplane crashes, fires, terrorist attacks -- but "no plan for using airplanes as missiles," he said.
The city quickly pulled together a plan based on the contingencies for emergencies involving airplane crashes, fires and terrorism, he said.
"If you prepare for everything you are anticipating, you'll also be prepared for what you aren't expecting," Giuliani said.
When he attended the high school graduation of 39 students in early 2002 in the town of Shanksville, Pa. -- the town where Flight 93 crashed into a field -- Giuliani said he remembers driving past the town's small single bay fire station.
In that bay was the town's single fire truck, which fought the fires at the crash site, he said.
"From the biggest cities to the smallest towns -- everyone has to be prepared," he said. "Small little towns need to be prepared."
Giuliani rarely mentioned Vermont Yankee in his speech, although he said Entergy was valuable in pushing for plans to address emergencies, such as natural disasters or one at the plant.
In Brattleboro, however, the evacuation plan has not been approved by the Selectboard since before Sept. 11, 2001. Two other local towns have also rejected the plan proposed by the Vermont Emergency Management.
Later, when a reporter asked about the safety of nuclear power plants, Giuliani admitted that these plants can be terrorist targets.
"But the reality is that nuclear plants are much better protected than most sites," he said.
Giuliani, a registered Republican who supports the reelection of President Bush, also veered away from election-year politics.
Instead, the former New York City mayor cracked jokes about the Secret Service's concerns when Bush traveled through ground zero following the 2001 attacks and his encounter with a "very big" New York City construction worker with "big opinions."
Giuliani also repeatedly mentioned that he expects another terrorist attack on U.S. soil, likely in a remote area using biological or chemical weapons.
"Next time, the terrorists will do it differently," he said. "They will do something we haven't anticipated."
As he was escorted out, Giuliani was treated like a celebrity by local law enforcement and emergency officials as he posed for photographs and signed copies of his new book, "Leadership."
"If there's one thing that I'll take away from this it is that you can't be too prepared," said Brattleboro Police Chief John Martin. "As you prepare and plan you need to think about all the different possibilities."
David Dunn, the executive director of the non-profit Rescue Inc., said he learned that emergency plans must always be revised.
"We have to prepare for anything that could happen, not that it will, but we have to be prepared if it does," Dunn said.
Rep. Steve Darrow, D-Dummerston, criticized the Giuliani speech as nothing more than a public relations stunt by Entergy following several months of disastrous news, such as the threat of a worker strike, missing fuel rods and a fire.
"It's the beginning of a campaign by Entergy to buff up their corporate image," said Darrow.
Cosgrove said it was important for Entergy to address the first responders with Giuliani's speech because although they are on the front lines in emergencies, their voices and concerns are rarely addressed.
"They get left out of the debate even though they are on the front lines," said Cosgrove. "They are the most important people when it comes to emergency planning and we need to recognize these folks."
Entergy has hired public safety expert Rudy Giuliani and his consulting firm to help ensure that Vermont Yankee maintains the highest standards of safety, security and emergency planning.
Entergy is working with Giuliani Partners to find ways to make Vermont Yankee’s top-rate security systems and emergency planning programs even better. The experts at Giuliani Partners include former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and his former top safety officials -- Bernard B. Kerik, police commissioner; Thomas Von Essen; fire commissioner; and Richard Sheirer, emergency management director.
