National City is a microcosm of the San Diego region with a long history and an uncer-tain economic and future development. Homeland Security of the city and its occupants focuses on traditional aspects of Public Safety and security including working with groups like the Fire Department, Police Department, and City Development group as clearly security and economic development go together. The perception of safety and security often seem to have a clear impact on the interest of people in investing money in a region or of visiting the area for shopping, as with the highly advertised National City “Mile of Cars.”
By working with officials from National City, the Homeland Security Graduate Program embarked on an effort to use the city as a semester project in which the application of Science and Technology in Homeland Security (HSEC 602) could be used to provide a test bed for similar efforts in other cities. Much of what was done was simply to try to study the challenges and provide appropriate solutions that could be helpful and imme-diately done with available resources. To this end, much of what was suggested and constructed recognizes the professionalism of National City’s emergency management personnel like firefighters and police, but also the community nature of the city with its focus on schools, churches, and neighborhoods.
Geospatially overlaying basic data about the city highlighted both the setting and the opportunities for the city. With its critical location hosting both Interstate 5 and Interstate 805 just north of an international border, billions of dollars of trade move through National City every month. Disruption of this trade as well as the millions of people traveling from Mexico, Chula Vista, and other cities to San Diego and other cities means that National City is a major thoroughfare of critical importance. With the trolley crossing through the city and also military bases adjacent to the city, National City has a potential vibrancy and commercial value of major proportions unlike many cities that are not located on such busy thoroughfares. “Location, location, location” is a phrase often used for business; National City has a key location, which is indicative of its history as the second city established in the region, just after San Diego.
Location also indicates geographic identity such as for potential liquefaction and disrup-tion of the infrastructure. This translates into potential outside funding for National City, but clearly presents dangers to the well-being of the city from disruption of water pipe-lines, gas pipelines, roads, and most other infrastructure. Fires that firefighters are unable to reach may be one of the worst dangers.
Other dangers and opportunities, such as simple crime prevention in open areas like the central park, Kimball Park, and potential ways to utilize cameras and information to attract visitors are additional examples of turning a challenge to a blessing. Also understanding how this central setting might provide a solution for distributing medicines in the case of a major disaster or of gathering volunteers together to assist the community, or of using as an evacuation center are all things studied in this effort.
Overall, the major insight from the study is that much can be done to assist National City by recognizing its unique location near the US-Mexico border and its role as a family community linking two countries. By building the Emergency Response capabil-ities around the community identity of Spanish-speaking and English-speaking people focused on families, schools, and churches, it is possible for National City to be much more prepared for disasters and other Homeland Security events than most cities. Using the same tools to also build up the city including social media, internet perception, collab-oration and training with other cities (e.g., focusing on liquefaction and potential disrup-tion of firefighting capabilities) are all solutions suggested by the graduate class. National City is a remarkable partner in finding solutions and is able to quickly evaluate and utilize solutions for its citizens.
Read the final student report delivered to the local gov/community partner.
The Sage Project Contact Info
Kristofer Patron
Program Administrator
kpatron@sdsu.edu
(619) 594-0103
University Faculty Contact
Eric Frost
Local Government / Community Contact