Firefighters seek additional training for terrorist attacks
By Karen Blakeman
Advertiser Staff Writer
Firefighters got a head start on preparing for terrorist attacks and other disasters when Honolulu received a federal grant after the Oklahoma City bombing, the Honolulu fire chief told the Hawai'i House Select Committee on War Preparedness yesterday.
And unlike some other venues on the Mainland, "first response" emergency workers at every level of government work closely in the Islands, Chief Attilio K. Leonardi said. But the state needs a new training facility and firefighters need more salaried hours for training in order to be fully prepared to face a terrorist attack.
Yesterday was the 22nd day of the 60-day session.
Leonardi and the chief of the city and county emergency medical services testified about war readiness yesterday before the 10-member committee, which is looking into ways to mitigate the impact of a war on Hawai'i.
The committee also heard ideas from military leaders in the state on how to best support Hawai'i's military community during a war.
Firefighters need a state-funded training facility to learn how to find and rescue people buried beneath rubble in the event of a terrorist attack, Leonardi said, and the chiefs have been unsuccessful in convincing legislators in the past six sessions that the training should be a priority.
When it comes to preparation for facing a terrorist attack, Leonardi said, "If you're not prepared by now, you're in big trouble."
Robin McCulloch, chief of the city and county Emergency Services division, said paramedics and Hawai'i's medical facilities are equipping themselves with chemical warfare antidote injectors and antibiotic supplies in case of biological warfare.
Paramedics have been trained how to react to radiation in the event of a "dirty bomb," and doctors and nurses have been surveyed to determine how many would be willing to help near the scene of a nuclear attack. Fifty percent of them said they would, McCulloch said.
McCulloch also praised the willingness of Hawai'i's agencies to work together, and said he appreciated the assistance the military provides to EMS on a daily basis.
But Hawai'i's isolation would still prove a problem in the event of an attack, he said. When the World Trade Center was bombed, more than 100 ambulances, from jurisdictions many miles away, were dispatched to the scene. That won't happen in Hawai'i, he said, and more ambulances are needed.
Military leaders said they are most concerned about the families of deployed military members.
Navy Capt. Steve Barker said that in the event of a disaster such as the bombing of the USS Cole, family of the military members will descend upon the state, and many of them will be in need of accommodations, childcare and grief counseling. The military will need assistance from the civilian community, he said.
Army Col. David Anderson said families that don't have children in school will likely return to the Mainland when a spouse leaves on a long deployment. He said that to prevent that from happening, he would like to see the state offer economic incentives for the extended family to come to Hawai'i.
