About 75 percent of the $3.5 billion President Bush has budgeted for homeland security will go to local agencies across the nation such as the Hamilton County Urban Search and Rescue Task Force.

        That was the message Wednesday from Tom Ridge, former governor of Pennsylvania who became the nation's first director of Homeland Security after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

        He said the other 25 percent of the federal money will stay with the states for planning and coordination.

        Mr. Ridge, along with Federal Emergency Management Agency director Joe Allbaugh, spoke to about 300 people who make up the Tristate's “first responders” — those men and women with fire, police and emergency management who rush to the scene of a disaster when most people are trying to get out.

        In addition, Mr. Ridge said the $3.5 billion in this year's budget is only a down payment and promised the funding will continue in future budgets.

        “This is the first time the federal government has even thought about working with local governments and first responders,” Mr. Ridge said. “We won't be able to ramp up in one year to where we need to be. This will be a multi-year effort.”

        It is unclear how much of that money will come into Hamilton County. Its emergency management agency's board will meet next week to make sure it is prepared to apply for the federal money as soon as it becomes available.

        Mr. Ridge said the exact formula for distributing money has not been set, but it will likely be based to some degree on each state's population.

        Rep. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, said the federal government will be a partner with state and local governments to get the job done.

        “We can't provide, at the federal level, all of the funding necessary, and I don't think we should,” Mr. Portman of Terrace Park said. “But 3.5 billion bucks is a lot of money.”

        It is a good start, agreed Don Maccarone, director of the Hamilton County Emergency Management Agency. More than a year ago, Mr. Maccarone appointed a committee to evaluate the county's emergency response needs. The laundry list adds up to a whopping $50 million.

        “I think it is a significant first step,” Mr. Maccarone said, referring to the federal money. “So the message that it will be a continuing effort was good news.

        “We have to accept that this is going to be a partnership, and that all levels (of government) have to pitch in.”

        Mr. Maccarone said the county just received a Department of Justice grant for $1.6 million that will ease the burden slightly.

        FEMA Director Mr. Allbaugh said he and Mr. Ridge came to Cincinnati because the county's Search and Rescue Task Force is a model for the rest of the country.

        The task force draws its 105 members from 28 departments from three counties and 60 percent of its funding comes from private sources.

        A handful of the task force members went to New York City after the attack on the World Trade Center.

        “I don't know where we'd have been without the 20 task forces from around the nation that went to New York,” Mr. Allbaugh said. “You all are always first in line for budget cuts and last in line for recognition. That is about to change.”

        Mr. Ridge also announced that the federal government is working on a unified terrorist warning system akin to severe weather warnings.

        The warning system is being developed by the FBI, CIA and attorney general.

        “We want to put an evaluation of the level of threat,” Mr. Ridge said. “We want to be able, as we get bits of information, to say a threat is at a certain level. But it will be as much art as science.”

        Mr. Ridge said it is unclear when such a warning system would be in operation.

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