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	U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

REMARKS BY:	TOMMY G. THOMPSON, SECRETARY OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
PLACE:	City of Tucson/Pima County, Tucson, Arizona
DATE:	August 30, 2002

Good afternoon, everyone, and thank you so very much, Dr. Carmona, for that warm welcome.

I'm so very pleased to be with you and to join one of Arizona's favorite sons and one of my all-around favorite people - Dr. Richard Carmona - here in your beautiful state.

You couldn't keep Dr. Carmona to yourselves - the rest of America is finding out what a dynamic, visionary and effective leader he is. He's a tremendous addition to the Administration as we work to build a stronger and better health care system for all Americans.

Let me also thank you, Mayor Walkup and Pima County Supervisor Bronson for your leadership in strengthening Pima County's public health response system.

And let me also thank Dr. Ted Tong of the University of Arizona's College of Pharmacy, who leads the regional MMRS and has done tremendous work in building one of the finest public health task forces in the nation.

I also want to recognize Les Caid and Randy Ogden, two men who have devoted their professional lives to public safety.

Last November, Les and Randy traveled to New York City to talk with first responders who dealt with the devastating effects of the attacks on the World Trade Centers.

Thanks to Les and Randy and others like them, Pima County and Tucson are exceptionally well prepared to meet any future terrorist attack.

As Tucson's first responders, you have helped make your state one of the most prepared in the nation when it comes to being ready for a public health emergency. Your planning … your courage … and your commitment … are extraordinary.

You are firefighters and pharmacists, law enforcement officers and public health administrators. You have distinct professional callings, but one common goal: To protect and serve. And you do protect and serve, every day, with exceptional bravery and tenacity and compassion.

Now, your great city became part of the Metropolitan Medical Response System in 1999. The MMRS is essential to the health and well-being of millions of individuals throughout America. You who are part of the Tucson MMRS system are the first and most important responders … the men and women who will serve in the frontlines should your city be struck by a terrorist attack.

For you and for all the MMRS teams in 122 cities nationwide to respond effectively, there has to be good coordination among many responders - hospitals, laboratories, poison control centers, infectious disease experts, HAZMAT teams and a host of other highly-skilled professionals.

And in your city and region, that kind of coordination is excellent and is improving by the day.

So, on behalf of the President of the United States, I thank you very deeply for all you have done and are doing to safeguard the people of Tucson and the people of Arizona.

I should note that Arizona has met every one of the criteria my department requires to receive nearly $1.8 million in federal funding for your hospitals' preparedness efforts.

That money has now been made available, in large part because you have been so aggressive in demonstrating how serious you are about having the infrastructure in place to meet the demands of a sudden health catastrophe.

I'm told that three hospitals especially - the Tucson Medical Center, the University Medical Center and Saint Joseph and Saint Mary's - have truly been on the leading-edge of getting ready for a major crisis.

My friends, I applaud you all. You have been more than diligent - you have been passionate and focused and dedicated. All Arizonans, and all Americans, are truly in your debt.

Yet even with so much having been done so well, this is no time to let up, to feel as though our work is done and that we can take a breather.

Rather, our mission is as clear as it is compelling - the safety and security of the American people. And for that reason, we have to remain vigilant … alert … and at the ready.

There is much more work to be done. And we must keep our sense of urgency in order to build our public health system stronger and become better prepared. We must not be satisfied yet.

Talking about bioterrorism or any kind of attack by a weapon of mass destruction is never easy. It's painful even to consider. But it is because such an attack would be so gruesome that we have to plan to respond to it.

In the event of a catastrophic attack, we won't have time to hold a meeting and figure out who will do what. We'll simply need to act - act quickly and act effectively.

We were reminded of the need for that kind of quick response just this week. Six men - all affiliated with Al Qaeda - were indicted in Detroit and Seattle for their terrorist efforts. They remind us that we cannot afford the luxury of self-satisfaction.

It's only human to go through a period of great intensity and then have a bit of a let-up. And, of course, it's not healthy to remain constantly in a state of anxiety.

But complacency, on the one hand, and terror, on the other, are extremes to which we dare not venture. We need to be confident and stay vigilant … to prepare as well as we can, but never to be satisfied.

The Department of Health and Human Services stands with you. We are working to provide you with all the resources you will need, which is why in July we provided $10 million in funding to help 25 more cities prepare for a rapid, coordinated medical response to large-scale public emergencies.

We're forging new partnerships between federal, state and local governments. Our bond of cooperation and mutual commitment is stronger than ever.

And I should tell you that our budget for next year for bioterrorism for the Department of Health and Human Services is $4.3 billion, an increase of $1.3 billion, or 45 percent, above the current year. This request constitutes the largest one-time spending increase on bioterrorism preparedness ever.

So, my friends, America is on the move. We've acted, and we continue to act, in order to be ready for whatever our adversaries want to send against.

That's why I think it's appropriate to leave you with a comment made many years ago by Teddy Roosevelt. In his words, and I quote, "The chief factor in achieving triumph is what has been done in thorough preparation and training before the beginning of war."

All of us hope our terrorist enemies will not strike again. But if they do, we are following Teddy Roosevelt's counsel. We will be ready, in large part thanks to the dedicated efforts of all of you in this room.

Thank you all again for letting me be with you and for all you are doing to build a stronger, safer Arizona and a stronger, safer America. May God bless you all.