Local agencies on alert a day after war begins
The Fayette County Emergency Operations Center (EOC) has begun monitoring for local repercussions from Wednesday’s start of the U.S. war to disarm the Iraqi regime and remove Saddam Hussein from power. And, those in charge of local power plants, water facilities and airports are maintaining their security efforts, working to prevent any terrorist attack.
Roy Shipley Jr., director of the county’s EOC and 911 center, said the centers were notified Wednesday night that the U.S.-led attacks had begun.
Since then, EOC staff has monitored law enforcement channels and maintained contact with the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency, which is in contact with the FBI in Pittsburgh and will feed information about any terrorist retaliation in response to the war.
A system in which all local utilities will contact the EOC if they need assistance has been in place since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, he said.
When Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge raised the national terrorism threat level from elevated to the orange level, or high risk of terrorist attacks, Monday night, the state EMA began staffing its operations center in Harrisburg 24 hours a day, Shipley said.
If the county EOC receives any information about a local threat, Shipley said, he will contact the local media to disseminate information to county residents. Part of the goal is not to alarm the public unnecessarily, but a few residents have called during the last few days to ask if they should be doing anything.
“We tell them to be aware of anything (out of the ordinary) going on around them and report it,” Shipley said. “Be aware of what’s going on around you and call 911.”
He also advises residents to stay tuned to local news broadcasts to stay up to date with developments.
In Greene County, the emergency services director said the center has logged nothing out of the ordinary, except a few extra calls.
“With us being as small as we are, everybody dials 911. We hope to give them a sense of security,” Jeff Marshall said.
The 911 center logged a couple of calls Thursday from people who were concerned about food they ate that made them sick, Marshall said, adding that maybe the callers simply bought something spoiled or had too much stress.
Marshall said his office made some changes in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks that the office is continuing to do even as homeland security efforts have been publicized. In particular, he said, the county emergency services has offered terrorism awareness classes to first responders like municipal police, fire and ambulance personnel, advising them what to look for and how to protect themselves.
He said the office also has used the federal government’s Community Emergency Response Training (CERT) program to teach residents how to take care of themselves and their families in an emergency. He said the goal is for a family to sustain itself for 72 hours without outside help. Marshall and his staff are asking people to develop their own emergency response plan.
“In a rural county, we’ve seen that most people can take care of themselves,” he said.
Marshall said 911 personnel are trying to keep the local first responders aware of developments in homeland security. He said he has the option to fully mobilize the county’s emergency operations but has maintained the usual staff.
Budget and information technology coordinator Scott Kelley said homeland security has yet to affect Greene County’s budget for emergency services, although he is looking for future grant opportunities.
He said the county added some money into this year’s budget to physically secure the information technology (IT) system according to industry recommendations after Sept. 11, 2001.
The nation’s homeland security leaders called for a cautious watch this week on possible terrorist targets like major highways, tunnels and bridges, airports and nuclear power plants.
Places like the Greene County Airport and local power and water utilities already faced a more wary eye after Sept. 11, 2001.
“We already tightened up (since Sept. 11) on unusual landings and strangers on the field. We are a small field and we know our people. We can get to a registration quickly if someone is unknown to us,” said Ann Bargerstock, Greene County’s director of planning and development, who oversees the airport.
For providers like Pennsylvania-American Water Co., guarding against contamination of water supplies due to a terrorist attack continues. “We’ve been in standard mode of heightened security since Sept. 11, 2001, and we plan on staying that way,” said Pennsylvania-American Water Co. spokeswoman Mary Ann Kelly.
She said she was not at liberty to give details on security measures at the water treatment plants, but armed guards are visible at the company’s Brownsville plant.
Joe Simatic, manager at the Southwestern Pennsylvania Water Authority, also said he could give no details but said added security measures remain in place since a year-and-a-half ago.
“We feel we are keeping our customers and water quality protected as best we can,” he said.
Also under heavy security are facilities on area waterways.
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers spokesman Richard Dowling said the corps is watching over the 23 navigation locks and dams and 16 flood-control reservoirs of the Monongahela, Ohio and Allegheny rivers and their tributaries, with some restrictions on access. Within that area is the Yough Dam, a popular recreational spot at Youghiogheny Lake.
“We have been operating under heightened security rules for several weeks and have not had to increase security (Thursday),” Dowling said. “Generally speaking, the restrictions involve keeping vehicles away from critical control facilities that would include specifically restrictions to prevent traffic across the top of the Yough Dam. We understand the interest on the part of the public to get access to the new boat ramp and picnic area, but for the short time, especially this early in the season, we trust the public will be understanding.”
Dowling said the corps is constantly re-evaluating security measures and will try to relax the restrictions as soon as possible. He said access has been forbidden in areas immediately above and below dams, and anglers have moved farther away from the dams. Restricted areas are clearly marked with gates and signs, Dowling said, although none of the corps’ facilities are closed down.
Allegheny Power’s plants, including the Hatfield’s Ferry power plant in Greene County, remain open; however, company spokesman Allen Staggers said security remains tight since the previous attacks on the nation.
“Everybody, especially the electric utility industry, took a new look at security after Sept. 11 and put new methods in place. Since then, our company and the industry has been on heightened security,” said Staggers.
Allegheny Power gets no government assistance for its security measures, but Staggers said there is talk of legislation to lend the utilities a hand. He said he could not guess what it has cost the utility company to guard its facilities, and Allegheny Power has yet to ask for a rate increase to help cover those costs.
He declined to give details, saying only that Allegheny Power’s threat assessment and response have followed the guidance of homeland security leaders. Even when the threat is low, he said, the company has security measures in place, not only physically at the power plants for the facilities and personnel, but also within the computer systems.
“Because we provide a valuable and necessary public service, we take threats seriously,” he said.
The state police are ready to step in if a specific threat arises anywhere in Pennsylvania, including local hometowns.
“Everybody is in uniform and we’re prepared in case anything is to go on,” said trooper Brian Burden, the community relations officer at the Uniontown station.
Jack Lewis, spokesman for the state police in Harrisburg, said the state police commander, at 6 a.m. Wednesday, put all stations on alert condition two. The state police had been under normal operations and skipped right over alert condition one. The highest level is alert condition three.
Lewis said the state police would advance to alert condition three in response to an actual incident. At that time, he said, all officers would be put on 12-hour shifts, and leaves would be canceled.
All enlisted members or troopers are being asked at all times to carry any equipment that has been issued to them for emergencies, including riot helmets, gas masks and flashlights.
Also, they have been asked to pack and have with them an extra uniform and clothing, in case they are deployed outside their station area.
Most of the state police routinely wear uniforms, but Lewis said all state police personnel, except undercover officers, are wearing uniforms now.
“Essentially, we’re in a high state of readiness in case we have to respond,” he said.
Lewis advised an immediate call to 911 in the event of an emergency, but he said anyone with concerns or suspicions may call the state police.
“The attitude of the police is that there are no silly calls,” he said. “The governor said to go on with normal lives but to be aware of their surroundings and look for anything that would be out of place.”