Local FBI officials say recent threats are not linked to LV

Monday, Feb. 10, 2003 | 10:05 a.m.

Las Vegas FBI officials said there was no local connection to the national rise in potential terror threats announced Friday.

"The change was linked to an increase in chatter among groups we monitor in recent days," Daron Borst, special agent and spokesman for the Las Vegas office, said.

But the "chatter" did not indicate a threat targeted at any region or city, Borst added.

"Basically, the only thing we're doing is staffing our office 24 hours a day and increasing contacts to sources we have in the community," Borst said.

The FBI has between 115 and 120 agents in Nevada, the bulk of them in the Las Vegas metropolitan area.

"For now, everyone's on call," Borst said.

Clark County emergency officials announced they were "monitoring events" in light of the heightened alert.

County officials on Friday reviewed procedures to staff their coordination support room at the Emergency Operations Center. If an emergency were to occur, every room at the emergency center would be fully activated.

County officials said they are better prepared than ever to deal with terrorist attacks and other forms of emergencies.

"We have continually coordinated emergency preparedness plans between local, state and federal agencies since the 1995 Oklahoma (bombing) incident," said Jim O'Brien, Clark County's Emergency Manager. "Over the past several years we have performed comprehensive all-hazards planning, which includes terrorism. We are preparing the same way today as we were prior to Sept. 11."

There are also specific things that residents, neighborhoods, schools and businesses should do when an alert is issued, authorities said. Details are available at www.redcross.org.