Anniston Star
July 20, 2003

Officials still lack equipment, training for chemical accident

By Nathan Solheim
Star Staff Writer
07-20-2003

Some local first responders would not be ready to deal with an chemical weapons accident at the Anniston Army Depot if one were to occur this summer.

Firefighters, police, sheriff's deputies and paramedics all would be called into action if chemical agent were to escape the depot's confines.

The sole agency designated to go into a "hot zone" - an area where chemical agent is present - won't be trained or have the appropriate equipment until January.

The recent talk of starting the incinerator has some local officials in charge of agencies that would be first responders under the Calhoun County Emergency Management Agency's emergency operations plan concerned about their readiness, while others say they are as prepared as they can be.

Several recent developments point toward the Army starting destruction of the 2,254 tons of munitions now stored in igloos on the northern section of the depot some time this summer.

The Army has proposed a plan to start, although several safety preparations federal officials have agreed to fund are not completed. Gov. Bob Riley has indicated his decision on whether he will sign off on the plan could come within two weeks.

The final remaining legal obstacle facing the Army's incineration plans, a permit from the Alabama Department of Environmental Management, is close to being issued. Riley received notice last week from ADEM of the permit's imminent approval.

Calhoun County Sheriff Larry Amerson, when asked if his agency is prepared, answered with a "yes and no."

"Right now, we've had some challenges with it because the resources and equipment we thought we needed, we don't have," Amerson said.

Under the EMA's plan, the sheriff's office would be responsible for securing an area around a plume of gas if it were to escape the depot grounds.

But Amerson said several issues remain to be resolved for his agency to respond effectively and safely.

The sheriff's office is not linked to the EMA's computer network. Amerson said that's important because such a connection would allow his deputies to see a plume in real time rather than relying on information from the EMA.

Amerson said the link would also enable deputies to quickly establish roadblocks and security checkpoints around a plume. The quick response, he said, would facilitate an evacuation and prevent people from entering the hot zone.

Amerson also said the deputies' protective suits are for "escape only" and may not provide enough protection for all situations a deputy might encounter while responding.

More deputies are needed, Amerson said, to respond to an accident. Right now, he said, there are more roadblocks than deputies to man them.

The EMA has responded to this need by appointing volunteer firefighters to back up the deputies; but Amerson said it would be difficult to coordinate their deployment during, say, working hours.

"The public safety people of his county is the resource to protect this community," Amerson said. "To help people evacuate and treat the injured and work any car wrecks. I think we could have been listened to more."

Meanwhile the Anniston Fire Department - tapped by the Chemical Stockpile Preparedness Program as the sole agency authorized to enter a hot zone - hasn't procured all the necessary equipment and hasn't started training firefighters yet.

Plans call for the department to become hazardous materials (HAZMAT) responders. Because of their existing qualifications as paramedics, the firefighters also would deliver medical services inside the hot zone. The department also would perform any HAZMAT decontamination needed because of an accidental release.

Anniston just recently started receiving millions of dollars in federal funding to purchase the equipment and pay for the training. The Anniston City Council has placed several orders for the equipment over the past month.

Anniston Fire Chief Bill Fincher said his department probably won't have all the equipment and complete training before about January. A lot of HAZMAT equipment must be made to order, he said.

As the only agency that could enter a hot zone, the Anniston Fire Department would have to serve in a much more limited capacity until they receive the proper training and equipment.

"I think once we get everything in place, we'll be in good shape," Fincher said. "You know you just have to cover the bases fairly well in the equipment and the training that we need to obtain, but I think we'll have the basics covered."

Other first responders in the EMA's plan would include each police department in jurisdictions hit by a plume of chemical agent. Paramedics in those jurisdictions also would be responsible for responding.

In Anniston, the Anniston Police Department would be classified as a first responder to an accident and would be responsible for traffic control and keeping the peace.

Anniston police Chief Johnny Dryden said his department will get training and equipment over the next few weeks and should be ready by mid-August.

"We'll be as ready as we can be," Dryden said.

At the Anniston Emergency Medical Service, Marvin Southard, the director of operations, said his organization is close to being ready.

"Training has been going on for quite some time," Southard said. "And it's still going on."

Despite the first-responder preparations dragging out somewhat, EMA officials said there aren't many problems that can't be worked through.

The EMA tests the response to a chemical accident once a year on a large scale and several other times on smaller scales.

David Ford, a spokesman for the EMA, said the response changes over time and with each scenario, but he said the most recent exercise went well.

"If I'm remembering correctly, I don't think we had any real problems with the first-response community," Ford said.