Huntington takes lead in homeland security

Bryce Alderton

When it comes to preparing to handle a disaster or terrorist attack,

Huntington Beach is cutting edge, and was before September 11.

“We want to let the citizens of Huntington Beach know that Huntington

Beach is the leader in the arena of terrorism,” said Anna Lee Cave,

spokeswoman for the Orange County Management Organization. Cave

co-sponsored a homeland security symposium in Huntington Beach last week

with Congressman Dana Rohrabacher.

A group of 60 Huntington Beach representatives from the fire and

police departments, city and business community joined 300 others from

around the county in training for a terrorist attack at a homeland

security symposium held at the Huntington Beach Central Library.

The symposium was meant to increase awareness about the capabilities

federal, state and local officials have in dealing with a terrorist

attack.

On Thursday, 12 county emergency operations centers

includingHuntington Beach’s will be open for four hours during which time

volunteers will participate in drills focusing on a bioterrorism attack,

said 25-year Huntington Beach Fire Department veteran Jacques Pelletier.

Then, on Sept. 18, officials from the Orange County Coroner’s office,

Orange County Sheriff’s Department, the FBI, Huntington Beach Police

Department and other federal, state and local government representatives

will participate in a simulated terrorist attack designed to last for

several weeks at the Huntington Beach Central Library, Pelletier said.

The simulated attack, which was planned before Sept. 11, will be the

second held in Surf City. The first was conducted on the beach last May.

“It’s encouraging to know we’re on the right track,” he said.

The symposium brought together many different agencies.

“The networking was really good, to put a name to the face to set up

trust between the agencies,” Pelletier said.

Surf City is one of only three cities in the county and 120 cities

nationwide to receive federal grant money to purchase equipment to guard

against an attack or disaster, Pelletier said. Huntington Beach ranks

among the nation’s 120 largest cities in terms of population, now at

almost 200,000.

The city has $600,000 in federal grants to purchase pharmaceuticals,

antibiotics, anthrax monitors and equipment to handle contamination from

such things like radiation, Pelletier said.

Grant money will also go toward training in the next month to

recognize “signs and symptoms” and prepare for disasters, he said.

In addition to federal grants, the city has an emergency operations

center at City Hall that allows all city departments to communicate in

the event of a disaster such as a flood, oil spill, earthquake, fire or

beach contamination and closures.

Volunteers who complete four eight-hour classes free to the public,

known as the City Emergency Response Team, are eligible to work the

operations center when needed, Pelletier said.

In the event of an emergency volunteers can provide medical supplies

to the community, lead search and rescue teams and apply first aid.

Last year, response team volunteers contributed 20,000 hours,

Pelletier said.

A group of 90 to 100 volunteers lead the Radio Amateur Civil Emergency

Services. Volunteers provide backup communication using hand-held radios.