Local officials fret over timing, amount of federal terror funds. (Up Front).

L.A. County soon will receive the nation's only First Responder, a $285,000 command and control vehicle equipped with wireless Internet access, software for mapping and satellite-based data and voice transmission systems.

Converted from a Chevrolet Suburban by Raytheon Co., the vehicle was purchased in part with federal funds and is expected to aid local law enforcement in the event of a terrorism incident.

But so far there's little else where that came from.

While Congress has appropriated $3.5 billion for the funding of agencies that would respond first to terrorist attacks, it's unclear how much of that will come to L.A. And whatever money does become available is expected to take months to reach local authorities.

Until then, L.A. County officials, who say they need $200 million to adequately protect the area in the event of an attack, are left wringing their hands with many plans in place but no way to fund them.

What do local officials say they need?

It's a long list, ranging from beefed up sheriff's and police forces to installation of a new communications system linking law enforcement personnel in L.A., Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, Ventura and Kern counties.

"It's not just funding first responders," said L.A. City Councilman Jack Weiss, who heads the council's public safety committee. "It's preparing cities more broadly for the next wave of terrorist attacks. We don't know what the next wave will look like, but we know it's coming and that it is likely to (hit) a major city."

'Inexcusable delay'

U.S. Rep. Jane Harman, D-Redondo Beach, member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, criticized the holdup.

"That money will not get to the first responders for months because of the government system we have," Harman said. "The delay is inexcusable and there's plenty of blame to go around."

She said she would soon propose a supplemental bill calling for $7 billion in additional first response money. "We're on Orange alert, attacks could come any day and we have zero new dollars from the federal government in the hands of first responders," she said.

What little money the county has received for homeland security this fiscal year, which began Oct. 1, 2002, has come in bits and pieces, according to Debbie Lizzari, assistant administrative officer with the county Chief Administrative Office.

Allotments include $24.6 million from the Center for Disease Control for bioterrorism prevention and small pox vaccinations; $3.6 million from the Health Resources and Services Administration for hospital preparedness; and $1 million for communications upgrades.

Much of the needed funding involves law enforcement.

"At the present time, we don't have adequate resources," said Chief Doyle Campbell, head of homeland security for the L.A. County Sheriff's Department.

Local police departments are basically charged with handling homeland security autonomously.

But given existing resources, such coordination may be difficult. Area police and fire departments, for example, are often on different radio frequencies.

More training

Also necessary is law enforcement training on anti-terrorism and weapons of mass destruction, including live-action exercises like the Operation Nighthawk scenario recently played out at Los Angeles International Airport that simulated a terrorist attack. The LAX test cost $400,000 and was funded solely by the Los Angeles Police Department.

Currently, there is no permanent training mechanism that brings together the county's 80-plus public safety agencies.

There's also a manpower issue. The LAPD wants several dozen more police officers hired for its homeland security bureau. Until the funding is appropriated, the department would have to continue to rely on existing personnel. Campbell's top priority is hiring 40 deputies to investigate terrorist links.

Other needs cited by officials include:

* Securing the Ports of L.A. and Long Beach with perimeter control cameras and alarm systems, fencing and a worker credentialing system.

* Personnel and equipment to conduct intelligence gathering and analysis of terrorist activities for the county Terrorism Early Warning Group, which coordinates information sharing among public safety and other departments.

* Construction of a high-risk inspection facility at the ports. Currently, suspicious containers are often hauled miles inland before they are inspected.

* Upgrading the L.A. Fire Department's communications systems. The money would replace three VHF radio systems and pay for a 100-foot-high tower.

* Bomb containment vessels for the LAPD and sheriff's bomb squads that are considered preferable to the departments' existing vessels because they do not have "open" tops.

Sooner or later, federal money will trickle down to the county and city level, but local public safety officials don't believe it will be adequate.