Local agency equips for readiness

So far, roughly $750,000 has been allocated to safeguard this area.
By PATRICIA MEADE
VINDICATOR CRIME REPORTER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Before terrorists struck Sept. 11, 2001, most Americans did more planning for vacations than for emergencies, a disaster expert says.
"Think about how chaotic it was two years ago," said Walt Duzzny, director of the Mahoning County Emergency Management Agency. "We want a citizen corps -- warriors on the home front -- to mobilize neighborhood resources. We want them to plan how to survive."
In the event of a disaster, there simply aren't enough police officers, firefighters and medical personnel, he said. That's why it's important for individuals and families to have a plan for terrorism or any emergency, he said.
Classes are ongoing at 700 Industrial Road, EMA headquarters.
The EMA has also developed a series of programs for the schools, which, on any given day, hold roughly 35,000 students, he said.
Homeland Security works only with support from the public, Duzzny said.
Could it happen here?
Some people wonder why Mahoning County, "smack in the middle of the heartland," would be a target for international or homegrown terrorists, Duzzny said. "As long as we're part and parcel of United States, we have just as much to be concerned about. Maybe terrorists want to make a statement in the heartland."
Duzzny said his agency has received roughly $750,000 in Homeland Security funds and more is coming in. The advisory committee, which includes a variety of safety services personnel, meets monthly to plan and assess the needs of the community, especially the vulnerability of its critical facilities.
Citing security reasons, Duzzny wouldn't identify the classified facilities, saying only that common sense will tell you what they are. He said there are "more than 10, less than 50."
He didn't want to identify potential targets for anyone considering -- "even on a lark" -- how they could compromise the facilities.
Prioritizing purchases
The disaster expert said advisory committee members, meanwhile, have developed priorities for spending the $750,000. So far, purchases include radio repeaters that will allow communication between safety-service personnel; decontamination equipment; white protective suits, booties and gloves; mass fatality kits (materials used to isolate the area and identify victims and specialized clothing to handle remains); chemical detection equipment; and communications gear.
On the list to buy is bomb squad equipment, upgrades to the disaster mobile command post and mass casualty trailers. The trailers would be pre-deployed around the county, he said.
"As you can imagine, the equipment bought is very expensive," Duzzny said. "We've spent about $400,000."
Aside from determining what equipment is needed, the advisory committee is updating classified documents about Mahoning County.
Training exercises are a big part of any disaster plan, Duzzny said. You don't know if equipment works in the field unless you test it, he said.
All the training scenarios -- whether dealing with a radiological or chemical threat -- are graded by state and federal officials, he said.
Below are some advisory team members who attend monthly meetings to safeguard against international or homegrown terrorists: