Lawmakers urge personal water systems for police

Suzanne Struglinski and Jace Radke

Thursday, Dec. 18, 2003 | 8:25 a.m.

WASHINGTON -- Metro Police officers need personal water systems to work with the gas masks they would use in the event of a major emergency, but cannot buy them with federal grant money.

The congressional delegation wants to change this and is willing to produce legislation to make it happen.

All five members of the delegation -- Sens. Harry Reid, D-Nev., and John Ensign, R-Nev., and Reps. Jim Gibbons, R-Nev., Shelley Berkley, D-Nev., and Jon Porter, R-Nev. -- sent the Homeland Security Department's Office of Domestic Preparedness a letter on Wednesday, asking it to consider adding the equipment, known as personal hydrating units, to the list of items that can be bought using grants made through her office.

"It is extremely important the first responders physically exerting themselves in a potential biological or chemical attack or when fighting fire and heat to receive water," the Congress members wrote C. Suzanne Mencer, the office director.

"When hydrating units are used with gas masks, first responders are able to receive water without having to remove their masks and potentially exposing themselves to harmful agents or retreating to a safe environment and potentially depleting manpower in an emergency situation."

"If you believe it is necessary for statutory authorization from the Congress to approve these items, we would certainly be interested in working with you to expedite legislation to give the Secretary of Homeland Security such authority," according to the letter.

Jerry Bussell, director of homeland security for Nevada, said that the hydration units illustrate a bigger problem with the way homeland security funding is distributed by the Office of Domestic Preparedness.

"It's a perfect example of someone sending down grant criteria lists that are so restrictive that they don't allow first responders to get the equipment they need," Bussell said. "You get a piece of equipment and find that there is something else you need to make it function optimally, but if it's not on an approved list you can't get it.

"This is indicative of some of the problems we have to deal with."

Currently the Office of Domestic Preparedness distributes lists of equipment that can be purchased with federal grant money.

Bussell said he supports the delegation's request.

"We're sending messages up constantly that we need a little more discretion on what equipment is needed for first responders," Bussell said. "Of course the people in charge will probably listen a little better to requests from our delegation."