LEARNING TO FIGHT TERROR FIRE CREWS TAKE COURSES TO PREPARE FOR WORST SCENARIOS.Byline: Greg Botonis Staff Writer LANCASTER - Firefighters are getting state-mandated anti-terrorist training in an effort to be prepared for everything from explosions in heavily populated pop·u·late tr.v. pop·u·lat·ed, pop·u·lat·ing, pop·u·lates 1. To supply with inhabitants, as by colonization; people. 2. areas to biological weapons attacks. The training is funded by preparedness pre·par·ed·ness n. The state of being prepared, especially military readiness for combat. Noun 1. preparedness - the state of having been made ready or prepared for use or action (especially military action); "putting them training aid in the Homeland Security Act The Homeland Security Act (HSA) of 2002, Pub. L. No. 107-296, 116 Stat. 2135 (Nov. 25, 2002), introduced in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 attacks, created the Department of Homeland Security in the largest government reorganization in 50 years, since the Department of and is required of all fire crews, law enforcement staff and any other ``first responders first responder First response personnel Emergency medicine A person employed in the public sector–EMT, fire fighter, police, volunteer EMS–whose duties include provision of immediate medical care in the event of an emergency; FRs have basic emergency ,'' including private ambulance services. ``Seeing as how the world has changed since 9-11 with terrorism, we want to be prepared,'' said Firefighter Steven Harper, who leads the First Responder Operations-Terrorism Consequence Management curriculum. ``It's part of L.A. County's commitment to the community we serve.'' Funds from the Homeland Security Act also provided Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. County firefighters with new equipment, including protective suits for use in biological and chemical attacks, radiation-detection equipment and new breathing apparatuses. ``Hopefully, we'll never have to employ this training, but it's necessary to be able to assist the public if something does happen,'' Harper said. Training for Los Angeles County firefighters began earlier this month with the first north county firefighters to go through the eight-hour overview course completing their training on Thursday. The instruction includes a broad overview of how to deal with explosions in places such as a courthouse, as well as biological and chemical attacks and mass casualty scenarios. The majority of the training is done in classrooms. The last part demonstrates how firetrucks can be used as decontamination stations A building or location suitably equipped and organized where personnel and materiel are cleansed of chemical, biological, or radiological contaminants. and how to prepare people exposed to biological or chemical agents for transport to the hospital. Scheduling of training gets tricky, according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. Capt. Joel Harrison, who heads the Antelope Valley's firefighter training center. The firefighters are not allowed to leave training under any circumstances, so other fire companies have to be assigned to emergencies in their place. Harrison said it could take up to ten weeks to get all north county firefighters through the training. CAPTION(S): photo Photo: (color) Firefighters watch a demonstration of a truck's spray function, which could be used in decontamination decontamination /de·con·tam·i·na·tion/ (de?kon-tam-i-na´shun) the freeing of a person or object of some contaminating substance, e.g., war gas, radioactive material, etc. de·con·tam·i·na·tion n. after an attack. Jeff Goldwater/Staff Photographer |
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