SECURITY UPGRADES SOUGHT FOR CITY.

Byline: Harrison Sheppard Staff Writer

While officials insist Los Angeles is prepared for a terrorist attack, a security task force Friday unveiled a million-dollar list of equipment and programs it says the city needs to prevent and respond to terrorism.

Also Friday, the City Council rejected plans to upgrade security at the Civic Center, with some council members saying the plans didn't go far enough and others saying they were too expensive.

The city's Threat Preparedness Task Force recommended the purchase of additional protection masks for police and firefighters and more bomb- sniffing dogs as short-term measures, with longer-term recommendations expected later.

``The focus of today's recommendations is on the here-and-now - what matters can we implement now, practically, to increase our capability to respond and to deter and possibly prevent acts of terrorism in Los Angeles,'' said Councilman Jack Weiss, who spearheaded formation of the committee.

Among the group's recommendations which Weiss proposed to the council are purchases of 3,000 emergency protection masks for police and fire personnel, four bomb-sniffing dogs and handlers, more hazardous-materials personnel, and upgraded local intelligence efforts.

Also, Weiss' council motion asked the city Recreation and Parks Department to work with the county Health Department ``regarding what to do in the extraordinary and highly unlikely eventuality we would need to plan for the mass distribution of medicines in Los Angeles.''

The Recreation and Parks Department would identify, in advance, large facilities and parks throughout the city that could serve as emergency distribution locations after an attack with biological or chemical agents.

The equipment and bomb-sniffing dogs would cost more than $1 million, while city officials are studying the costs of the additional personnel.

Police Chief Bernard C. Parks said the bomb-sniffing dogs are particularly needed because bomb scares - mostly due to heightened awareness rather than specific threats - have increased dramatically since the Sept. 11 attacks. City government offices have been disrupted several times, with at least two evacuations of City Hall in the last month.

Parks said the LAPD bomb squad was called out 90 times in September - all false alarms - compared with 19 times in the previous September.

The dogs ``will allow us to have concentrated in the Civic Center area this asset, so we can ensure that downtown and the Civic Center is taken care of, that we can facilitate the running of the city government,'' Parks said. ``As threats come in they can easily, quickly be dealt with.''

Weiss said the recommendations are not a criticism of the city's capabilities to respond.

For the last four years, the city has also been studying security upgrades to the Civic Center - including City Hall and City Hall East. The City Council debated plans Friday for upgrades that included adding almost 40 security officers, relocating the security office and improving the security and fire systems. The plans would cost about $3.5 million this year with continuing annual costs of about $1.5 million.

Some council members were unconvinced the changes were worth the cost, while others said the city needs to do more and fretted they looked like they were protecting themselves and not doing enough for the rest of the city.

``I'm not going to throw good money after bad today,'' said Councilman Nate Holden. ``What we have might be inadequate. But at the same time, if it gives us 80 percent or 90 percent security and you spend $5 million more to get 95 percent, is it worth it to go that extra mile?''

Jon Mukri, head of the city's Department of General Services, said he will try to come up with new plans within a few weeks that address the council's concerns.

AT A GLANCE

Here are some key recommendations of the task force:

--Purchase 1,700 emergency protection masks for the Los Angeles Police Department and 1,300 for the city fire department.

--Add four bomb-sniffing dogs and handlers to the LAPD.

--Provide more hazardous-materials suits and equipment for the LAPD and more equipment to detect biological agents. Also, increase the number of personnel equipped to respond to and investigate hazardous-materials incidents.

--Improve intelligence on terrorists by permanently assigning police and fire department representatives to a countywide Terrorism Early Warning Group which now has only part-time staffing from the city.

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AT A GLANCE (see text)