By Carrie Sheffield
County and state officials are asking citizens for an increased vigilance against terrorism while repeating that Utah is not under a specific terrorism threat.
The request came after the Bush administration raised the national homeland security threat level Friday Feb. 7 from “elevated” to “high.”
“We are recognizing what is happening to us nationally, and we”re talking with local police departments, but we”re not planning to raise our threat level,” said Tammy Palmer, spokeswoman for Utah Homeland Security. “Right now there is no specific threat to Utah.”
Utah”s level of warning was raised to “elevated” last September following a national increase in warning levels.
Palmer said Utah”s level was raised “because of the significance of Sept. 11,” even though there was no perceived credible threat to Utah at that time either.
Palmer said Utah”s security relies on several sources.
“Utah Homeland Security works with the FBI. We communicate with them daily,” Palmer said. “We”re also asking the public to continue to be vigilant, to watch for suspicious activity and report it to local law enforcement agents.”
Dave Bennett, lieutenant of the Emergency Services Division for Utah County, echoed Palmer”s sentiments.
“You can”t rely on law enforcement to do it all,” Bennett said. “We”re so dependent, just like a neighborhood, on watch programs. Citizens have to be mindful of things going on around. I think the National Homeland Security is asking people in general to be more aware of things going on around them.”
Bennett said Utah County has a network of resources if it were to face attacks.
“We”d respond to it, but we”d request assistance from some of the local fire and medical departments,” Bennett said. “If people were exposed to chemical or biological agents, we”d have to decontaminate them, and we have equipment to deal with that.”
Public Information Officer Justin Jones of the Utah County Health Department said the county would be prepared if an attacked occurred.
“We have plans in place to react to any biological attack,” Jones said. “We”re going about our business on a day-to-day basis as normal. We”re just being a little more vigilant in understanding that the threat has increased.”
Jones said following Sept. 11, every local health department received funding through public health preparedness grants.
Utah County received a $400,000 grant this year to hire a full-time emergency response planner, epidemiologist and public information officer.
“All of these stem back to the incidents in and around Sept. 11, including the anthrax victims that were reported back east in New York, Florida and Virginia,” Jones said.
Utah”s Health Department received 3,000 doses of vaccinia, the small pox vaccine, Thursday night from the Center for Disease Control.
The vaccinations will be distributed among the state”s health departments within the next few weeks, Jones said.
He also said the department has a list of health care professionals who have volunteered to receive small pox vaccinations.
“If someone came into the emergency room with small pox, then we would have a team that has already built up their immune systems to be able to deal with the small pox,” Jones said.
After dealing with small pox, the county will focus on other health threats, Jones said.
“There are around 10 specific bio agents that we know have been weaponized or can be easily weaponized,” Jones said. “Each of these bio agents requires a specific reaction. We”re in the process of developing a plan for reacting to all hazards.”
Utah”s Department of Homeland Security developed guidelines for citizens to prepare for a terrorist attack. The guidelines are available at the department”s Web site at www.des.utah.gov.
“We”re asking the public to take an all-hazards approach,” Palmer said. “Approach an attack the same way you”d approach a natural disaster. Make sure you have a family and personal preparedness plan and a 72-hour kit.”
