Editorial: Valley preparing for terrorist attacks

Friday, Oct. 19, 2001 | 4:20 a.m.

The Sept. 11 terrorist attacks left local governments around the nation scrambling to see if they, too, were vulnerable. As Steve Kanigher reports in a story in today's Sun, emergency plans are in place in case Southern Nevada is hit by natural or manmade disasters, including explosions and bioterrorism. Emergency planners also are looking for ways to improve the response of public safety workers and medical professionals.

But the public should be realistic in its expectations. Even emergency managers acknowledge that it's difficult to gauge the valley's preparedness because we've never experienced terrorism before. And no matter how well a city is prepared, there is only so much that can be done in light of all the unknowns. Before Sept. 11 who could have foreseen that 19 terrorists would be able to hijack four jets and crash three of them into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon? Still, emergency preparation -- and with it trying to predict the unthinkable -- is a vital job in a world where terrorists have no qualms about murdering innocent people.