Editorial: Old habits die hard

Friday, Dec. 19, 2003 | 4:58 a.m.

WEEKEND EDITION Dec. 20 - 21, 2003

One of the more important lessons of Sept. 11 was that our public agencies need to work more closely together. We hope this lesson isn't being forgotten by the federal government, which is making homeland security funding more complicated than it should be.

First, there was a distribution problem that kept high-profile cities such as Las Vegas waiting for funds. Then there were issues with the amount of funding available. While these issues are being worked out, others are cropping up. The latest is funding for hydration units. These are worn by responders in the event of chemical or biological emergencies. They are worn in conjunction with gas masks, so that responders do not need to remove their protective gear to receive water. They're particularly essential in places like Southern Nevada, where it gets exceedingly hot in the summer.

The gas masks themselves can be bought with the federal grant money. The hydration units cannot. Getting the units on the approved funding list is an issue now being taken up by all five members of Nevada's congressional delegation. This level of involvement, for such an obvious decision, should not be necessary.

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