Reports say state not ready for possible terror attack

INDIANAPOLIS --Despite several years of preparation, Indiana doesn't have enough trained people or specialized equipment to cope with a large terrorist attack, according to studies for the State Emergency Management Agency and the U.S. Justice Department.\nOne study looked at potential terrorist targets and the readiness of local agencies. The other outlined a three-year strategy for beefing up the state's resources.\nBoth were completed earlier this year and released this month to The Indianapolis Star, which requested access under the state's public records law.\n"The bottom line is that, at present, Indiana does not have adequate equipment and personnel trained to respond to a significant terrorist event," noted the strategy report prepared by Innovative Emergency Management, a risk-management firm based in Baton Rouge, La.\nThe other report was prepared by the Battelle Memorial Institute, a nonprofit research group in Columbus, Ohio.\nState Emergency Management Agency officials insist Indiana's readiness isn't as bad as the reports suggest. The agency has been working with the state's larger cities and towns since 1997 on how to respond to a large-scale terrorist attack.\n"The training that we have been doing is more generalized training," Deputy Director Phil Roberts told the Star.\nHe and other officials say the state already knew more needed to be done. But the state needed to complete a county-by-county inventory and three-year plan to receive $4 million in federal funds for additional equipment and training.\n"This is not something that is going to be done in a year," said SEMA Director Pat Ralston.\nHow much training and equipment are needed in individual counties can't be determined from the public version of the reports because the state's emergency management officials, citing security concerns, blacked out these details.\nAlso blacked out were the specific types of personal protection gear, biological and chemical detection devices and other equipment the state hopes to buy.\nRoberts acknowledged the extra measure of secrecy might be partly a case of post-Sept. 11 jitters.\nSome information, for example, will soon become advertised in purchasing documents. However, he insisted the state would like to keep some details secret because terrorists, if they knew what type of detection equipment was in use, might figure out a way around it.\n"I don't think it's in the state's best interest to let people know exactly how we're preparing for this," he said.\nSEMA has devised a plan to divide the state into 11 emergency response regions. Each would be stocked with a trailer full of protective gear, radios and other equipment, which could be quickly hauled to the site of a terrorist attack or natural disaster. Additional training would be provided for local response teams.