ID cards to limit disaster workers

NEW YORK (AP) — Retiree Gene O’Brien hurried to the World Trade Center site after the September 11 attacks as a volunteer, helping to shuttle supplies to police and fire workers. Some days, his only ID to get into the disaster site was a tattoo on his forearm.

“A couple times, I showed them my Marine tattoo, and they said go ahead,” said Mr. O’Brien, adding that he and other volunteers also came up with their own makeshift identification cards.

It might not be so easy the next time disaster strikes.

In an effort to provide better control and coordination, the federal government is starting an ID program for rescue workers to keep everyday people from swarming to a disaster scene.

Proponents say the system will get professionals on scene quicker and keep untrained volunteers from making tough work more difficult.

But they also know it is a touchy subject, particularly for those devoted to helping in moments of crisis.

“Everybody wants to come to the fight, so to speak, and no one wants to step back and say ’No, I can’t do this.’ The final coup de grace was the World Trade Center. Hundreds came that were never asked,” U.S. Deputy Assistant Fire Administrator Charlie Dickinson said. “Good intentions, good hearts, and it was extremely difficult for the fire department and the other departments to deal with them.”

The Federal Emergency Management Agency came up with the ID-card idea after the September 11 attacks and Hurricane Katrina in 2005, when countless Americans rushed to help — unasked, undirected and sometimes unwanted.

Many of those volunteers angrily dispute the notion they were a burden.

Ground zero volunteer Rhonda Shearer and her daughter started a fast-moving supply system that bypassed regular channels, often infuriating city officials.

Miss Shearer, 53, said the experience convinced her that agencies are ill-equipped to handle major disasters — but don’t want outsiders pointing out their failings.

“They’re more worried about keeping volunteers out than doing an analysis of what really went wrong,” she said.

Mr. Dickinson said the government is not trying to discourage volunteers, but he thinks there should come a time, within a few days of a disaster, when civilians step back and let the professionals take control.

Supporters say the ID cards could be checked at a disaster area with a card-reader device and used to verify a person’s unique skills. For example, if police officers have been trained to handle hazardous materials, officials at the scene could deploy them to an area where their skills would be best put to use.

Mike Taylor, executive director of the National Demolition Association, said his industry is talking with aides to California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger about putting the ID-card system in place in his state.

“If California goes ahead and does that, it will flow across the country. This is a really smart idea by someone in the Bush administration to be able to control access to the site and frankly, make sure there are no untrained people,” Mr. Taylor said.