Saturday, October 13, 2001

State officials take the lead in preparing for attacks

AUSTIN - Much attention has been focused on Washington, D.C., and the Bush administration's response to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Most Americans, including those in Texas, approve of the way Bush is handling the situation.
   But the question is what have Texas officials done since the attack to protect Texans? State officials, under the leadership of Gov. Rick Perry, continue to aggressively examine ways to prevent attacks in the Lone Star State.
   Of course, even the most diligent efforts can't guarantee that Texas will be free from terrorist acts. But Texas officials have responded quickly and decisively to address the concerns and fears of residents.
   On Oct. 1, Perry issued an executive order creating the 21-member Governor's Task Force on Homeland Security, which is headed by Land Commissioner David Dewhurst, a former CIA official, Air Force officer and State Department employee. Former FBI Director William Sessions, a San Antonio resident, will serve as vice chairman.
   Task force members include current and former law enforcement officials, lawmakers, emergency workers and military personnel. The mission is to enhance the state's ability to identify individuals who might be planning attacks and to stop them before they occur.
   Perry's homeland security task force is a good move, but it is just one of the many positive steps that state officials have taken in the effort to deter terrorist attacks.
   Agriculture Commissioner Susan Combs formed a Texas Border Food Security Coalition of producer groups and associations. Combs said the coalition will examine any additional measures that may be needed to maintain "the best and safest food supply in the world."
   Attorney General John Cornyn created the Advisory Committee on State Infrastructure Protection to examine infrastructure security issues, including cyber-terrorism.
   And more than $1 million in grants will help the state in its anti-terrorism efforts. The funds will allow the Texas Department of Public Safety to expand and improve existing training for state and local emergency personnel.
   DPS officials will train state and local police officers in small and medium-sized departments and DPS troopers. More than 1,100 law enforcement agencies are eligible for the training.
   The training will include such topics as overview of global terrorism, counterfeit documentation detection, intelligence gathering and information sharing, threat assessment and threat deterrent efforts.
   The Governor's Division of Emergency Management within DPS has received funds to improve the ability of law enforcement agencies, firefighters and emergency medical teams to respond to terrorist events.
   On the alert for signs of chemical attack
   Officials will conduct terrorism training exercise programs at various sites around the state, and provide training in terrorist incident response for the State Emergency Response Team. Texas health officials are also watching for signs of a chemical attack.
   After the Sept. 11 attacks, the Texas Department of Health issued an alert to doctors, hospitals and other health care professionals around the state. The alert reminded them watch for suspicious symptoms and infections and to immediately report these to the local or state health department.
   ''The sooner we identify any disease outbreak, the quicker we can bring together local, state and federal resources and the more lives we will save,'' State Epidemiologist Dennis Perrotta said. ''We stay in touch with doctors and other health care providers, monitoring their reports and investigating unusual occurrences.''
   Despite the state action, Texans still need to be vigilant and aware of their surroundings. But it's comforting to know that if a terrorist act occurs in Texas, it won't be because of a lack of effort by state officials.
   Ty Meighan is chief of the Scripps Howard Austin Bureau and can be reached at 512-334-6640 or at meighant@scripps.com.
  
  

---

Ty Meighan is chief of the Scripps Howard Austin Bureau. You can reach him by phone at (512) 334-6640 or by email at meighant@scripps.com.

| Discuss about birdwatching | | Home |

---

---

[ Printer-friendly version ]
[ Subscribe to newspaper ]

SEND THIS PAGE TO A FRIEND

---

2000 Caller-Times Publishing Company, a Scripps Howard newspaper. All rights reserved.