Terror grant sparks debate

Friday, Feb. 8, 2002 | 9:31 a.m.

SUN CAPITAL BUREAU

CARSON CITY -- Part of a $10.4 million federal terrorism grant for Nevada should be used for training doctors and nurses and buying medical equipment, Attorney General Frankie Sue Del Papa said.

Del Papa told the Homeland Security Committee Thursday that if there are mass casualties in Nevada, nurses and law enforcement personnel will be on the front lines.

State Health Administrator Yvonne Sylva said a recent controversy involving high medical malpractice insurance premiums could force the trauma center at University Medical Center to close because of a lack of physicians.

If the state suffered a major attack, Sylva said there would not be a trauma center to handle the injured.

State Epidemiologist Randall Todd said the state has not received federal guidelines in regard to using the money, though part of it will go toward planning, he said.

A health care subcommittee of the Homeland Security Committee will be expanded to develop recommendations. It will look into round-the-clock disease reporting, health care provider training, control of infectious disease outbreaks and setting up regional medical centers to accommodate up to 500 people.

Sylva said the life-saving facilities may be situated in rural Nevada. Evacuations may be required from the urban centers during an outbreak, and the rural centers must be able to fulfill that need, she said.

In addition, Del Papa said lines at security checkpoints at McCarran International Airport are getting longer. This could have an "economic impact," because visitors may choose not to return to Las Vegas.

She urged the Federal Aviation Administration to "make sure we are at capacity and move them (the public) through."

She said it "behooves" the FAA to cooperate, possibility getting more workers on the job during the rush hours.