Officials Discuss Bioterrorism

The two federal lawmakers fielded questions regarding the state's emergency response resources and whether they have been insufficiently allocated.

The discussion, held at the N.C. Biotechnology Center, came one week after Attorney General John Ashcroft warned the nation to be on a heightened state of alert to possible terrorist acts.

A panel of FBI, state emergency management and state public health personnel briefed local officials and legislators about regional planning adaptations for a possible terrorist threat.

Bill Roper, dean of the UNC School of Public Health and the former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, also was a member of the panel.

Reps. David Price, D-N.C., and Bob Etheridge, D-N.C., explained their anti-terrorism response plan. Local mayors, police and fire chiefs, and public health officials from the Triangle provided feedback.

Price acknowledged a lack of federal funding to deal with a possible terrorist threat, partially blaming the Bush administration for requesting a minimum in funding for state and local preparedness.

In order to address the funding problem, Price and Etheridge will push the Homeland Security Task Force, proposed by the House Democratic Caucus.

"It's a $7.5 billion package," Price said. "We know this is going to go beyond what the administration has requested."

Etheridge focused on the importance of protecting the food and water supply, as well as strengthening the military. He also expressed the need for bipartisan support for anti-terrorism legislation.

"It's really all about all of us fighting this together," he said. "This piece of legislation, if we get it passed, will allow us to take away one of terrorism's biggest weapons -- fear."

Eric Tolbert, the state's emergency management director, said North Carolina must continue to focus on building bottom-up capabilities to combat everything from chemical explosives to cyberterrorism.

"We're standardizing a three-tier level local response system," Tolbert said. "Each county has the opportunity to customize as they see fit."

David Martinez, the FBI's local special agent and weapons of mass destruction coordinator, said a joint terrorism task force based in Charlotte recently expanded its member agencies to include the military, the State Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Secret Service, U.S. Customs and a number of law enforcement offices located throughout the state.

"North Carolina does indeed stand head and shoulders above many states in the country," Martinez said. "The FBI is not only looking at health issues, but also agriterrorism and cyberterrorism. It doesn't have to be bombs, it doesn't have to be biological. It could be a combination -- a small bomb with radioactive components, called a dirty bomb."

Local health, rescue and law enforcement officials raised serious concerns about funding and understaffing and complained that federal agencies continually fail to disseminate information in a timely fashion.

The State & National Editor can be reached at stntdesk@unc.edu.