SOUTHLAND SECURITY TO PATROL GAMES.

Byline: Troy Anderson Staff Writer

Los Angeles will send heavy reinforcements to Salt Lake City to try to make the Olympics the most secure in history.

The Los Angeles Fire Department has assigned 70 people, 10 alternates, four search dogs and their handlers from the department's Weapons of Mass Destruction Urban Search and Rescue Task Force.

The Los Angeles County sheriff will lend six members of its bomb detail requested by the sheriff in Salt Lake City.

The FBI's Los Angeles office is sending a large number of SWAT team agents and those specialized in hazardous materials and weapons of mass destruction.

The county health department will dispatch doctors, nurses and other volunteers.

Federal authorities in Southern California are assembling a large cache of equipment, including hazardous materials suits, protective masks and radios that it will ship to Salt Lake City.

``I think it's going to be the best-protected Olympics ever,'' said sheriff's Sgt. John Sullivan of the county Terrorism Early Warning Group. ``They will have extremely good coverage.''

Since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, a myriad of city, county, state and federal agencies have been working to ensure the 17-day Winter Olympic Games beginning Feb. 8 are safe.

Since the attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon, the federal government has added $55 million to the Olympics security budget, increasing it to $300 million, or three times the security budget of the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta.

A total of 60 local, state and federal agencies will police the games.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency plans to stage their six Weapons of Mass Destruction Urban Search and Rescue Task Forces, on a rotational basis, near Salt Lake City. The Los Angeles urban search and rescue team is one of 28 in the nation.

Los Angeles city fire Emergency Services Bureau Assistant Chief Dean Cathey said his urban search and rescue team was recently upgraded to one of the six ``weapons of mass destruction task forces'' in the nation after some of its members went to New York City after the terrorist attacks to help.

``In the unlikely event that some sort of incident would occur, we'll be staged in an area away from the Olympic venues, but readily accessible to them,'' Cathey said.

The team will be traveling with its own equipment and supplies - worth $2 million - as FEMA requires of all 28 teams across the nation.

``We're taking with us a cache of equipment and logistics support supplies that weighs close to 70,000 pounds,'' Cathey said. ``It enables us to be totally self-sufficient for 72 hours.''

During the time the team is there, Cathey said the members will be training.

``We'll be doing a lot of training, even though we just came back from New York City. We were there 10 days working on the World Trade Center incident.''

Los Angeles city fire Battalion Chief Tom Burau, who went to New York City Sept. 11, said the team has been together since the 1994 Northridge Earthquake and is now highly trained and in a constant state of readiness.

``New York was frustrating from the standpoint that, even with our canines, we didn't make any live finds,'' said Burau, who is based out of Sherman Oaks. ``But you don't give up. Any possibility is the driving force. The end result was, gee, we didn't find anybody, but we helped New York in its time of need.

``A neat sideline story is that the pilots on the airplane in New Jersey told us, congratulations, we just made history. We are the only plane in the air in America.''

From all indications, Burau said, no one is aware of any threat to the Olympics, and most of the team expects to take the opportunity to fine-tune their training.

``This team all have jobs in other fire stations. It includes doctors from private practice, canine search handlers and structural specialists,'' he said. ``To bring us all together, which is what we want to do anyway, that's why we participate in this program and train as a cohesive unit.''

Ken Buzzell, president of United Firefighters of Los Angeles City, Local 112, said he's not concerned about Los Angeles being vulnerable while all the team members are in Salt Lake City.

``It's not like we are sending everyone we have,'' Buzzell said. ``(And) Salt Lake City is close enough that if there was a terrorist attack in Los Angeles, they could be here in two hours.

``The military could clear air space for it, and the federal government is paying for it, so it's not like it's going to cost the city money.''

FBI Agent Matthew McLaughlin said the various public agencies are working together so ``cohesive groups'' will be in Salt Lake City.

``All our hazardous material and bomb technicians know all the specialists from the counties and cities and have worked together since the Sept. 11 attacks,'' McLaughlin said. ``If something happens, you just point them at it, and they should be able to resolve it pretty efficiently.''

Sheriff Lee Baca, who would oversee the response to a disaster or terrorist attack in Los Angeles County from the county's Emergency Operations Bureau, said the sheriff in Salt Lake City asked him to send his Arson-Explosives Detail.

``I'm pleased that members of the Sheriff's Department have volunteered their time to make sure those games are safe,'' Baca said.

Arson-Explosives Detail Lt. Bill Dunn said the team will respond to any suspicious packages or automobiles.

``The deputies will be taking their individual hand tools, but the vast bulk of equipment is being provided for us, including some clothing,'' Dunn said. ``You won't find a lot of Southern California deputies with clothes in their closet to accommodate Salt Lake City in the winter. Last time I checked, the high was about 30 degrees.''

Sullivan, of the county Terrorism Early Warning Group, said the preparations are essential because of the global threat terrorists pose.

``It's a vulnerable point in time, as all Olympics are,'' Sullivan said. ``When you do planning for a special event, consideration is given to the rest of the country. Part of the reason they are developing a network is so they have an umbrella that covers the entire country so you don't leave an area vulnerable.''

Virginia Hastings, director of county Emergency Medical Services, said a medical disaster team comprising doctors, nurses, paramedics, pharmacists and others will be available in case of an emergency.

``We actually developed the Los Angeles team following the Northridge Earthquake,'' Hastings said. ``If anything extraordinary happens, there would be other teams activated by the federal government that would move in.''

Even McDonald's restaurants are sending 19 of their best employees from Southern California, including six from the San Fernando Valley, to serve athletes food and drinks, participate in special recreational activities and attend the Games.

The Valley employees - Jenny Barohona of Encino, Lucia Romero of Mission Hills, Roberto Chavira of Panorama City, Theresa Contreras of Panorama City, Sonia Vaquerano of Panorama City and Alfredo Romero of Van Nuys - are among 400 gold medal winners chosen through worldwide competitions held last year in 121 countries for their service, speed, accuracy, personality and teamwork.

``Having the opportunity to represent my restaurant, my community and my country at the Olympic Winter Games is a dream come true,'' said Lucia Romero. ``I look forward to meeting with my McDonald's counterparts from around the world.''

CAPTION(S):

photo

Photo:

(color) LAFD Battalion Chief Robert Willcox, left, checks equipment headed to Salt Lake City.

Hans Gutknecht/Staff Photographer