Owners getting ready for bioterrorist threat.

A building's HVAC system poses the biggest security threat in the event of a bioterrorist attack, a terrorism expert told participants at a seminar last week sponsored by the Building Owners and Managers Association of Greater New York Inc.

"It's important to look at the in infrastructure of buildings, the air and water systems, and who has access to the building," said Jerome Hauer, managing director of Kroll Inc., who advised former President Clinton about terrorism in 1998.

Hauer was among speakers at the BOMA seminar entitled "Rebuilding Our Skyline" held at the Marriott Marquis. Speakers from Brookfield Financial Properties, the Mayor's Office, Verizon, Con Edison, the Fire and Police Departments, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and gave updates about clean-up and rebuilding efforts in lower Manhattan since the Sept. 11 attack on the World Trade Center. They also gave suggestions for ways building owners and managers can prepare for possible attacks in the future:

Hauer said he receives 20 to 30 calls a day from owners and managers seeking advice about precautions needed to combat a bioterrorist attack. With recent reports of Anthrax being sent to news organizations, the Washington, D.C. office of Sen. Majority Leader Tom Daschle, and Gov. George Pataki, owners are questioning whether they should buy gas masks, or take other measures to secure buildings.

He told the audience that a building's HVAC system poses the biggest threat and that owners and managers should secure outside air intakes and ensure basic intruder prevention. They should also know how to shut down air systems. He advised against buying gas masks saying they would be worthless during a real emergency. He also advised against taking antibiotics saying it could actually hamper a person s ability to fight Anthrax exposure because of resistance build-up, he said.

"There are huge stockpiles (of antibiotics) that can be moved into an area in the event of an emergency," Hauer said.

BOMA International issued a memo recently saying the FBI was not aware of any specific bioterrorism threats, but the release of a toxic chemical into an air handling system is a credible threat. Some prevention measures suggested by BOMA were:

* Building and system managers should be instructed to cut, off the air handling system immediately upon being advised of the release of a toxic substance external to the building. This measure will stop the spread of the toxic substance throughout the building.

* Building and system managers should be instructed to place the air handling system. on "full (or 100%) outside air" immediately upon being advised of the release of a toxic substance internal to the building. This simple measure will dilute the toxic substance already within the air handling system and speed up its removal from the building.

* Building occupants should be instructed to seek "shelter in place" in areas where air movement is low. Occupants should be instructed to stay away from windows and to old places where air movement is brisk (for example, elevator shafts and system managers)

* Building and system managers should be advised that military and commercial detectors for toxic chemicals and biological pathogens are of little or no use as in-line monitors within an air handling system. The response time of currently available detectors is too slow to impact the spread of any toxic substance within a building or system.

Also issued at the seminar was a tio sheet for handling suspicious packages. Among ways to identify them are from a postmark or name of sender that is unusual, a letter that is lopsided or unusually thick, a letter or package that is heavy for its size, an almond or other suspicious smell, or handwriting that is not familiar.

If a package is suspicious it should not be open and segregated in an unused room. An attempt to verify the sender should be made and, if the letter or package remains suspicious, the police should be called.

While some building owners are preparing for the threat of new attacks, others are still coping with the aftermath of the Sept. 11 attack. Edward Fallon, director of operations for Brookfield Financial Properties, said the company owns eight million SF of office space in close proximity to Ground Zero, including the World Financial Center.

A footbridge connecting the World Financial Center to the World Trade Center was used by 50,000 people daily and, when the first plane hit, was used by 10,000 to 15,000 people to evacuate. Fallon, who showed pictures taken in the days following the tragedy, said there were no injuries or fatalities in Brookfield properties as a result of the attack.

"The biggest reason we were able to accomplish this was that we had an evacuation plan in place," he said. "We were horrified and shocked, but not surprised, by this attack."

Several Brookfield properties suffered damage during the disaster, largely from dust that came into the buildings after windows were broken as a result of the attacks. However, One Liberty Plaza was expected to open Oct. 22, 1 World Financial Center Nov. 19, 2 World Financial Center by the end of the year and 3 World Financial Center in four, to 12 months, Fallon said.

"No matter how hard we get hit, we stand up," he said. "And we'll begin standing up on Oct. 22 when One Liberty Plaza opens."

Paul Crotty, of Verizon, said that once the company finishes restoring service to the 14,000 business and 20,000 residential customers impacted by the attack, it will begin replacing the lines that were lost. There were 200,000 voice, 100,000 centrex, 3.6 million data circuits and 10 cell sites affected by the disaster, Crotty said.

John Miksad, chief distribution engineer for Con Edison, told a similar story saying three of the five substations that supply power to lower Manhattan were affected by attack. Two were completely destroyed. To address power needs, the company ran large "extension cords" from working substations and will build a new substation to meet projected needs for summer 2002.

"It usually takes 18 to 24 months to build, but we'll do it in eight," he said.

Deputy Mayor Robert Harding gave an update about the city's plans for restoring lower Manhattan to its condition prior to Sept. 11. He said 25 million SF and 80,000 to 100,000 jobs were lost in the disaster.

After he spoke at the seminar Harding was scheduled to travel to Washington to seek federal aid for the city. He said it was important for the city to request aid while memories of the attack are still fresh.

"As time goes by, the emotion of what happened fades into memory," he said.

He said it was important for city officials and others to ensure Congress that the city is seeking only what it is entitled, not to "fill budget holes" that existed prior to the event.

"We want to get what we are entitled to with this act of war. This wasn't just an act of terrorism, it was an act of war," Harding said.

"It's the federal government's responsibility during acts of war to keep this country whole."