Berkley told Nevada should have gotten anti-terror funds

Afsha Bawany

Thursday, Aug. 28, 2003 | 9:13 a.m.

Officials in charge of Nevada's homeland security and emergency response said Wednesday that Las Vegas should not have been overlooked in special federal funding to prepare it for a terrorist attack.

During a roundtable discussion with Rep. Shelley Berkley, D-Nev., about 50 representatives from various Nevada homeland security offices and emergency response organizations discussed the responsibility and resources the state needs to meet it.

Jerry Bussell, chief of the Nevada Homeland Security Office, cited reasons Nevada should have been included in special city funding lists. He said the state has critical infrastructure that needs to be protected, such as Hoover Dam, and possibly Yucca Mountain.

Bussell said Las Vegas is vulnerable because it has 18 major hotels located near the nation's eighth-busiest airport, and terrorists could target Hoover Dam.

"How can we be excluded?" Bussell said. "We not only need a regional approach but each state should have its own established model."

Berkley wanted to meet with emergency workers before heading back to Washington to lobby for more homeland security funds.

"We still need to fund better communication devices. We don't have that," Berkley said.

Berkley said Nevada still needs 7,000 health-care workers in case of a chemical or biological attack.

Berkley said since last year improvements have been made in the effort, citing a new state department of homeland security, improvements at McCarran International Airport and monthly meetings that first response teams have with each other.

She said Nevada received funding for the number of residents who live here -- but not the tourists.

"What we need to include are the 36 million visitors," Berkley said. "We have a long way to go."