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Friends of the Fourth
District:
The combined port complex of Los Angeles and Long Beach is one of
the largest possible targets for a terrorist attack in the country.
A major incident at the port complex could severely weaken the
national economy and cripple the economy of the County of Los
Angeles.
In the event of a terrorist attack, units from the Los Angeles Port
Police, Port of Long Beach Harbor Patrol, Los Angeles Fire
Department, Long Beach Fire Department, and Coast Guard are likely
to be the first emergency responders on scene. In addition,
civilians may need to both care for themselves and help others until
help arrives. The Department of Homeland Security and FEMA have
recently nationalized a civilian volunteer training program known as
CERT: Community Emergency Response Teams. The program, originally
created by the Los Angeles Fire Department in 1985, is designed to
create a well-trained civilian emergency work force to assist
emergency personnel during disaster situations.
The County of Los Angeles has recently received federal funding for
Community Emergency Response Teams as part of the nationwide
Homeland Security effort to help communities become safer, stronger,
and better prepared for preventing and handling terrorism, crime,
and natural disasters. The County will receive $202,000 for CERT
training and $1.4 million for Emergency Operations Planning updates.
CERT training is an integral part of our strategy to quickly and
effectively respond to terrorist attacks and major disasters
throughout the County of Los Angeles. The presence of well-trained
Community Emergency Response Teams at strategic targets like the
Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles will greatly enhance our
capacity to respond in an emergency.
The ability of a community to effectively recover from the
devastating effects of a natural disaster or terrorist attack
requires the active participation, planning, and cooperation of all
levels of the population. The County of Los Angeles is working hard
to facilitate that preparedness and has set a goal of providing CERT
training to 100,000 residents in high-risk areas such as the port
complex within the next ten years.
DON KNABE
Supervisor, Fourth District
County of Los Angeles
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