MDN.ORG:
Missouri Digital News
MDN.ORG
Mo. Digital News
Missouri Digital News
MDN.ORG:
Mo. Digital News
MDN.ORG:
Missouri Digital News
MDN.ORG:
Missouri Digital News
MDN.ORG
Mo. Digital News
Missouri Digital News
MDN.ORG:
Mo. Digital News
MDN.ORG:
Missouri Digital News
JEFFERSON CITY - Faced with the prospect of imminent war with Iraq, state lawmakers and officials are evaluating Missouri's preparedness and considering roles it may be called on to play.
"We can't look at this just as an international war," Gov. Bob Holden said Monday. "We've got to be prepared in Missouri and across the nation."
Holden said Missouri is as prepared for war as it can be.
Pam Walker, who serves as the director of the Center for the Emergency Response for Terrorism within the Missouri Health Department, agreed. She said Missouri is infinitely better prepared for the types of emergencies that could arise than we were for 9/11. The center is staffed 24 hours a day to respond to emergencies and has a network of experts available to evaluate and address crises.
Thanks largely to a total of $20 million in federal grants, Walker said the public health infrastructure has been greatly strengthened. Both local health agencies and hospitals have received extensive training on how to recognize and manage different types of emergencies, she said, and lines of communication among health professionals, state officials and experts have been extended and fine tuned.
In addition, Walker said surveillance techniques for various types of biological attacks have been developed, and first responders from communities around the state have been trained to recognize such attacks.
Sen. John Griesheimer, R-Washington, who serves as chairman of the Joint Committee on Terrorism, Bioterrorism and Homeland Security, said there isn't much more the state can do to prepare for war, especially while facing a budget crisis. He called Missouri a "very low risk state" and said key targets -- including the Arch and Calloway Nuclear Plant -- are already under tight security.
"I hope we don't overreact," he said. "You really just have to go on with everyday life."
Specifically, Grieseimer said he does not favor tightening security at the Capitol Building.
"I feel it's the people's building," he said.
Sen. Chuck Gross, R-St. Charles, said while he thinks Missouri is much better prepared than other states, we still do not have the capacity to deal with large emergencies on our own.
"We're not prepared for a large international incident, as most states aren't, and we never were really designed to be," he said. "National defense has always been the prerogative of the federal government, and so we're a little uncertain about where to go with these things."
Rep. Jim Avery, R-St. Louis County, serves on the National Guard's aviation unit and could be called to serve at any time. Avery said he's anxious about the possibility of war, and particularly for friends who have already been called to serve.
Avery said that in terms of homeland security, Missouri is as prepared as any state, but said that isn't adequate. Avery said the country hasn't had enough time to prepare since 9/11.
"I definitely don't think that any state is prepared for what happens in Israel," he said.