Brown junior has role in creating city's security plan

by Kristen Cole

Take demographic information about who lives in Providence's neighborhoods, add the boundaries of the city's voting precincts and sprinkle in the location of public schools. Mix thoroughly, and you've got the makings of the homeland security plan for the capital city.

While working as an intern at the Providence Emergency Management Agency, Brown junior Kerry Meath (left) followed just such a recipe to identify shelter and inoculation sites for Providence residents in case of an emergency.

Designating the sites is a critical component of the city's plans to respond to any natural or intentional public health crises, plans that have received increased attention since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

When Meath, of Minnesota, entered the public agency in February, she found the city's designated Red Cross shelter sites were outdated. Based on decade-old demographics and clustered largely in the west and southwest parts of the city, the locations would not meet the needs of the city's 160,000-plus residents.

To determine ideal new sites, Meath used computer-based geographic information systems, which she was introduced to in a public policy course with Darrell West, professor of political science and public policy, and Jack Combs, research administrator for the A. Alfred Taubman Center for Public Policy & American Institutions.

When she was done Meath had created 30 maps, each with different population information. Based on the maps, she selected 15 locations for emergency shelters and 15 other locations for inoculation sites that could operate during any type of crisis.

The Red Cross shelters would assist citizens displaced by an emergency; the inoculation sites would distribute pharmaceuticals during a biological emergency.

Based on the requirements for both situations, Meath determined that public schools are ideal and chose from among Providence's 54 schools.

She factored in such information as parking capacity, handicapped accessibility, availability of the buildings, existence of generators and meeting space, and roads leading to the school.

"I hadn't ever thought of doing this until I worked on it for a fieldwork course," said Meath, who agreed to continue working for the agency this summer. Meath will next look at how the state's colleges and universities fit into the plan and will work with community health clinics to get them involved.