9/11 Report: We're Safer But Have More Work To Do

WASHINGTON (WJZ) -- Ten years after 9/11---are we any safer?

Kai Jackson explains there are still ways to improve security as we approach the somber anniversary.

The 9/11 Commission says there's no doubt that the United States is more secure but the panel is warning leaders that there's a great deal of work that needs to be done.

The 9/11 Commission report card shows America is safer and more secure than it was after the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. The commission was charged with finding ways to improve national security. Members say some of the most important of its 41 recommendations have not been adequately carried out. One of the biggest problems is that first responders can't communicate during a disaster.

"When firemen can't talk to policemen, people die," said 9/11 Commission Chair Thomas Kean.

Commissioners say the federal government needs to designate radio frequencies or have a private company do it, a decision roadblocked in Congress.

"Pick one, either one. Get it done. Ten years, we still can't talk to each other when disaster strikes," said 9/11 Commissioner James Thompson.

The report card also blames the White House for not making the Director of National Intelligence the driving force behind national safety.

"It has vastly increased the bureaucratic bloat that has made our intelligence much less than it should be," said 9/11 Commissioner John Lehman.

Commissioners say Congress is also bloated and needs fewer national safety committees. It recommends a partnership with the White House, cooperation the commission hopes will yield answers to big problems like what to do with all the suspected terrorists that remain imprisoned in Guantanamo Bay.

The commission also says a combination of government and the private sector can do a better job at screening for explosives and other threats at U.S. airports.