Agencies say there is nothing to fear

Lolita Harper

Terrorism.

It is a community’s worst nightmare.

It is also an unfortunate reality that emergency service

professionals must be prepared for, especially after the startling

East Coast attacks one year ago Wednesday.

Law enforcement and fire officials in Costa Mesa and Newport Beach

say residents have nothing to fear because all the bases are covered.

If local law enforcement needs additional help, they’ve got it,

officials said.

And even their backup has backup.

“We are highly ready and prepared, God forbid of course, if we are

hit with something like that,” said Costa Mesa Fire Department

Battalion Chief Chris Riley said. “We have a hazardous materials team

for anything chemical in nature, and beyond that we have the state

and even the Feds, with the Marines and the Army.”

Local agencies are in constant communication to be sure aid is

readily available if needed, he said. Newport-Mesa fire departments

are tapped into a local system that automatically dispatches units

from both Costa Mesa and Newport Beach stations if needed, Riley

said.

Newport, Costa Mesa and Orange County fire authorities also

collaborate on a monthly, or sometimes weekly basis, while training

for various emergency situations. Local officials can even count on

assistance from beyond county lines, in the event of a major

disaster, which is provided by the state mutual aid program.

“We are constantly communicating and on the same page in the event

of an emergency,” Riley said.

Costa Mesa touts a Disaster Preparedness Committee, in which

members of each department -- such as fire, police, finance and

public works -- meet monthly and practice emergency drills twice a

year.

“We function like a high-performance team and we are in constant

training mode,” Riley said.

Even before the tragic East Coast attacks, Newport-Mesa police

officers and firefighters were well versed in terrorism training and

both have special weapons and tactics units for hostage situations.

And since the attacks a year ago, public safety officials said

they have sharpened their skills.

Newport Beach Police Lt. John Klein said local officers attend

various specialized information sessions detailing specific

procedures in case of a terrorist attack.

Local law enforcement officials receive daily updates from the

California Department of Justice that detail terrorism investigations

throughout the state and also outline information about worldwide

threats, Klein said. The information is dispatched to every officer

so he or she can know how different circumstances were handled and

learn more.

Law enforcement officials are also tapped into a countywide

terrorism task force designed to share intelligence about suspected

acts of terrorism.

“Residents should feel very safe as they go about their daily

activities,” said Newport Beach Police Lt. John Klein. “We have

additional resources available in the unlikely event that anything

happens and we have the capability to respond to anything that

occurs.”

* LOLITA HARPER covers Costa Mesa. She may be reached at (949)

574-4275 or by e-mail at lolita.harper@latimes.com.