Nevada to host only live exercises against terrorism

Friday, July 11, 2003 | 11:12 a.m.

State and local emergency management officials are gearing up for a major terrorism exercise next month that will include a role for President Bush and coordination from the nation's military watchdog against domestic terrorism.

Nevada is the only state that will perform live exercises as part of "Determined Promise '03," which will take place from Aug. 18 to Aug. 28.

But Northern Command, which will coordinate the exercises from its headquarters at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado Springs, Colo., will also be conducting "paper" simulations of hurricanes, shipping disasters, riots, border security problems and other calamities to test its ability to handle multiple terror-related incidents simultaneously.

Newsweek magazine reported in this week's edition that Gen. Ralph "Ed" Eberhart, commander of Northern Command, will be in Las Vegas for part of the exercise. Command spokesmen did not return phone calls seeking comment.

But Jerry Bussell, special adviser to Gov. Kenny Guinn on homeland security, said Thursday that he will be meeting for the first time with Eberhart in Colorado on July 23 and 24 to discuss details of the exercise. Bussell said the Nevada portion of the exercise, which will include a simulated plague attack and wildfires, represents a golden opportunity for state and local first responders to hone their skills.

"It's a great opportunity for Nevada," Bussell said. "It's going to give us a chance to respond to a significant incident at every level, from local, county and state levels to FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) and the president of the United States."

Bussell said the most important aspect of the exercise from Nevada's perspective will be the aftermath analysis, known in emergency management lingo as the "hot wash." This will include compilation of a report over the month following the exercise that will be presented to Guinn and first response agencies, he said.

Bussell predicted that the most glaring weaknesses could involve communications, including radio equipment. That is an area the state hopes to shore up through terrorism preparedness funding from the federal government.

"We'll be scrubbing down what we did right and what we did wrong," Bussell said. "We're playing it in real time to see if our procedures work. If we identify a weakness, I would correct that weakness by scheduling another exercise to bring that element up."

Live exercises involving police and fire units and public health officials will be conducted at Indian Springs Air Force base and in that town. It is expected, for instance, that the air base will be used to fly in "push" packages that contain emergency food and medical rations.

The Clark County Government Center will also be used by the county's emergency management staff to run computer simulations and help coordinate the exercise. It is possible that relief agencies such as the American Red Cross and Salvation Army also will participate.

Clark County Emergency Manager Jim O'Brien said the county has participated in other terrorism exercises since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, but this will be the first involving a large-scale operation coordinated by the military.

"The scenario in Nevada is one of 12 that will take place around the country during a heightened state of alert," he said.

Many of the exercise details remain unknown, however, which is part of the point of having an exercise. The purpose is for the first responders to be prepared to handle the unexpected.

"We don't want to clue in our players yet," O'Brien said. "We want them to evaluate the situation and then tell us what they find."

Even Bussell -- whose role will be to advise Guinn on how to respond to the simulated terrorist attack -- has not been filled in on all the details.

"I expect there to be quarantine and isolation," Bussell said. "But I don't know when things will happen or to what degree."

Because all of the action in Southern Nevada will occur at places such as Indian Springs and in the county government center, Las Vegas Valley residents won't even be aware that an exercise is taking place.

"It will be like a computer game but the decisions that are made in the exercise will be real," Bussell said.

O'Brien said he thought the military chose Nevada over other states for the live exercise partly because it is faces the potential of having its emergency resources taxed at a faster rate than might occur in a larger state such as California. But Bussell said Nevada's stature as a relatively small state also makes it easier for the state to coordinate its emergency responders.

Northern Command, which became activated last fall, has been assigned to provide military assistance to civil authorities during terrorist attacks.