Wednesday, February 19, 2003
|
Wednesday, February 19, 2003 |
|
F'ville looks at 'soft targets' like shopping centers By JOHN MUNFORD
The Fayetteville Fire Department has joined Fayette County's other emergency agencies in the planning process to prepare for a possible terrorist attack on Fayetteville. Many of Fayetteville's firefighters have training in hazardous materials response, and those capabilities will be used in case of a chemical or biological attack, said Fire Chief Alan Jones. "Probably the biggest challenge is to make sure we approach things in an organized manner and not reacting to things as they come up," Jones said. Although Fayetteville doesn't have a big-ticket target, Jones said there have been warnings that terrorists could move to "soft" targets that don't have as much security. He gave the Fayette Pavilion as one example of a soft target. Which is not to say you should stop shopping there. Just be more alert about your surroundings, Jones said. "I'd be concerned about any place you go and have a lot of people present," Jones said. Jones also surmised the threat of a terrorist attack is "not going to go away in our lifetime unfortunately." "It's always been there, just now it's magnified so much," Jones said.
|
||