Preparing for biological emergencies no easy task

Thursday, Dec. 6, 2001 | 9:45 a.m.

While the Las Vegas area has received federal money to buy biological and chemical monitoring equipment, officials are finding the gear in short supply because Americans have bought up most of the country's supplies.

Las Vegas emergency manager Timothy McAndrew said the city has received a $280,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Justice to purchase respiratory equipment and other personal protective gear for firefighters, police and emergency medical workers. But he said the biological and chemical monitors that are also funded by the grant will be more difficult to acquire.

"We're hoping to have everything received by next summer," McAndrew said at the Clark County Local Emergency Planning Committee's quarterly meeting Tuesday at the Orleans. "With items like personal protective equipment, enough of them are produced so that they are ready to be shipped. But biological monitors are in short supply and in high demand because of the anthrax issue."

McAndrew said the county already has one biological monitor but is in line to acquire a second monitor through the federal grant. The monitor can be used to detect deadly pathogens such as anthrax, small pox and botulism.

"As soon as the equipment arrives we want to turn it over to local agencies as quickly as we can," he said. "We don't want it sitting in a warehouse."

Mike Myers, coordinator of the Metropolitan Medical Response System, said the Las Vegas City Council on Dec. 18 is scheduled to approve a $136,000 federal grant that would enable the county to stockpile certain antibiotics and antidotes in the event of a bioterrorist attack.

Local hospitals are preparing to decontaminate at least 2,000 patients each if necessary in response to such an attack.

"We're also trying to meet with every hospital to get a terrorism task force working," Myers said.