Tony Dodero -- From the Newsroom

Last May, I was invited by Huntington Beach city officials to observe

a drill of a massive terrorist attack at the Huntington Beach Pier.

Hundreds of emergency personnel from all over California attended this

exercise to learn how to combat terror on our shores.

The drill began with a simulated explosion of a caustic chemical in

the middle of a staged volleyball match. There were screams of agony on

the beach, cries of pain and help on the way from fire, police and

lifeguard workers.

It was all good theater, I thought at the time. But really, I thought,

how likely is it that we would ever experience this stuff?

I know that’s a question I’ll never ask myself again.

Since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on New York and the Pentagon, I

have been haunted by thoughts of future terror. Not so much out of

personal fear but out of a sense of dread, a sense that many more will be

senselessly hurt, that our country will suffer more pain, that my two

little girls will be left to deal with a world of chaos and despair.

TV talking heads tell us another attack is imminent. Rumors have

spread that terrorists are plotting to poison water supplies or hit us

with other biological nightmares.

And I want to doubt again that any of this is likely, but I can’t. So

I decided to call a few friends in high places who just may have better

answers than me and who maybe could put some fears to rest.

“My understanding is that most of these rumors come from people who

are afraid of this stuff like we are,” said Costa Mesa Police Chief Dave

Snowden. “If our country falls prey to those fears, then we have in fact

allowed their damage to take effect. What we should do is thumb our noses

at the terrorist and say ‘you may have broken our buildings and killed

some of our people, but you’re not going to destroy the foundation of our

country or our spirit.”’

Snowden acknowledged his officers are at heightened alert, but they

also are trying to assure residents that there is not a real threat to

this community and life should go on as normal.

Further, he wants to caution those who would point fingers at certain

classes of people.

“Americans come in all colors,” he said. “You cannot take this out on

people because they are different than you.”

As for the threat to the water supply, Snowden pointed out he’s heard

that all before.

“We’ve had threats against the water supply since the 1960s when

people were worried that they were going to put LSD in it,” the chief

said. “I don’t think it’s a real threat.”

Not that I don’t trust the chief, but I decided to give a call to

Amanda Gavin, the public information coordinator at Mesa-Consolidated

Water District, just to hear it from the source (excuse the pun).

Gavin said the possibility of someone contaminating the water supply

is not very likely and that the water district had received no warnings

or threats of attack. She said an emergency plan has been enacted since

the Sept. 11 tragedy and that Mesa continues to closely monitor its wells

and its water, and other county water agencies are doing much the same.

Ditto for Newport Beach, says the Police Department’s Lt. Doug

Fletcher and City Manager Homer Bludau.

Fletcher assured residents that police are at a heightened state of

alert in Newport also.

“This is a time for increased diligence,” Fletcher said. “At a time

like this, any vital services like water supplies and other essential

services are being monitored tightly.”

Unlike Costa Mesa, Newport Beach does not have a separate water

district and instead the water operations are run through City Hall.

“Seventy-five percent of our water is pumped from ground water wells

in Fountain Valley, which are safe from contamination,” Bludau said.

“We’re in pretty good shape there actually.”

But Bludau said the other 25% comes from the uncovered San Joaquin

Reservoir, a backup water supply source for Newport and other towns.

Bludau said there may be a renewed push to cover that reservoir now in

light of the terror attacks.

On a positive note, Bludau pointed out John Wayne Airport was the

first airport to reopen in Southern California after the attacks, a

credit to the management and security operations there.

And he believes that there won’t be any time in the future to let up

on that heightened security and the unity that the nation seems to have

forged in the wake of these atrocities.

“I hope this isn’t a momentary rejoicing in our democracy,” he said.

“It is a different mind-set that we are going to have to go to, at least

temporarily, in terms of security and in terms of being suspicious. This

is war. And at wartime, you have to give up something to save something

larger.”

I don’t think he has anything to worry about.

How likely is it that we will become complacent or rest on our laurels

any time soon?

With the images of those planes making a deadly streak across the New

York skyline, our country’s once unfathomable vulnerability is now a

harsh reality that is seared forever in our memories.

How likely is that we could be the target of a terrorist attack?

That’s an answer that my countrymen and I will not soon forget nor

ever stop guarding against.

TONY DODERO is the editor. His column appears on Mondays. If you have

story ideas or concerns about news coverage, please send messages either

via e-mail to tony.dodero@latimes.com or by phone at 949-574-4258.