Honolulu's selection as the host city for the 2011 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum is wonderful news for us.

The conference, which will attract the heads of state and key officials of the 21-nation organization, including Hawai'i's own President Obama, will be a boon to the visitor industry, showcase our convention facilities and resorts, and demonstrate that our islands offer much more than just sun, sand, sea, surf, and the spirit of aloha.

To those five Ss, I would add "security" as one of the key factors in attracting APEC to the Islands. When President Charles Morrison of the East-West Center first approached the city about collaborating on the proposal to host APEC, a key component was security. That is, while all large cities have hotels and convention facilities, security was to be a deciding factor, particularly given the high profile of the event and its delegates. We were eager to make that commitment, and I signed off on the official application to have APEC come to Honolulu.

We bested the competing cities, such as Los Angeles and San Francisco, with our package, and here are some of the factors that were in our favor:

• Honolulu is one of the safest big cities in America, according to the FBI.

• Our Honolulu Police Department has earned national accreditation, and has demonstrated time and time again its capability in overseeing security for visits by presidents, heads of state, the Asian Development Bank conference and so many other prominent events. HPD also will have the experience of officers who staffed national political conventions and the G-8 summit in Pittsburgh.

• The Honolulu Fire Department is nationally accredited, a standing earned by the professionalism of its firefighters, its preparedness and rapid response to emergencies, and the investment we have made in equipment and facilities in recent years.

• We have revamped the old O'ahu Civil Defense into the Department of Emergency Management, reflecting changes happening at the national level and the broadening of the scope and responsibilities of city government in natural and man-made disasters.

• We continue to make major upgrades to our emergency telecommunications system, reconstructing aging signal towers and installing new equipment to ensure our first responders can communicate at all times. We were also one of the first cities to adopt Department of Homeland Security-compliant credentials, not only for first responders but public employees and contractors.

• Last but not least, our Department of Emergency Medical Services provides paramedic assistance around the clock.

The daunting challenge will be meeting the financial commitment for an event of this scale. This will not be a typical convention requiring little more than traffic control; rather, the dignitaries will need around-the-clock security for the entire time they are in the Islands.

We have already begun collaborating with the Honolulu Police Department on its staffing and financial demands, and I am forming an inter-agency task force to coordinate the city's involvement. Given the importance of having a successful gathering in Honolulu, we are moving immediately to coordinate the security, traffic, public facilities, and other essential and necessary city services that will serve as the foundation.

In the meantime, we have discussed our participation with U.S. Sen. Daniel Inouye to secure federal reimbursements and grants to cover some of the anticipated expenses, and we'll work with the State Department to pursue collaborative funding opportunities.

APEC 2011 will be worth every penny, and help dispel our image as a distant vacation destination. We've long touted our goal of becoming the Geneva of the Pacific, an international gathering place for serious business, and 2011 will give the people of Hawai'i a tremendous opportunity to make our native-born president proud and to take our place in the sun.