Agencies prepare for possible threats

Deepa Bharath

Local public safety officials said they are prepared for any

disasters or emergency situations that war may bring.

Officials said security was already heightened in Newport Harbor

when the Homeland Security Department issued a high orange alert on

Monday following President Bush’s address to the nation, asking

Saddam Hussein to leave Iraq or face war.

“At orange alert, we’re at full staffing,” said Harbor Patrol Lt.

Greg Russell. “We’re also watching the harbor entrance more closely.”

Russell said his department receives constant alerts from various

agencies, including the Customs Department and the FBI.

“They tell us to watch for certain types of vessels or about kinds

of weaponry that may be used in an attack,” he said.

If the alert level escalates to red, which is the highest level,

Russell said the department will call on reserve officers and add

more boats to increase patrol strength.

“We’ve also been cross-training with Newport Beach Police and the

U.S. Coast Guard,” he said.

Police and fire department officials in both cities said they will

watch events carefully, revise their respective emergency plans and

monitor potential threats to the area.

“We’re very much on top of what’s going on and how it’s going to

affect our city,” said Costa Mesa Police Chief Dave Snowden. “But at

this point, I don’t know of any direct threat to our city.”

Newport Beach Police Sgt. Steve Shulman echoed Snowden’s beliefs

and said he does not believe there is an imminent threat to the city.

“We have increased deployment right now with orange alert,” he

said. “But if it escalates to red, we may take several steps,

including closing public buildings such as City Hall, notifying

target areas, informing the public through the local media and

working with the [Orange County] Sheriff’s Anti-Terrorism Task Force

to get up-to-date information and intelligence.”

John Wayne Airport is also prepared with a full complement of

deputies and bomb-sniffing dogs, said spokeswoman Ann McCarley.

There will be no checkpoints outside the airports, but deputies

will continue to check vehicles going into the parking lots, she

said.

Officials announced on Monday that two of the access roads into

the airport would close this morning, but said Tuesday that all

access roads will remain open until further notice.

“There are some measures that are visible to the public and other

more sensitive issues are not,” she said.

* DEEPA BHARATH covers public safety and courts. She may be

reached at (949) 574-4226 or by e-mail at deepa.bharath@latimes.com.