Anthrax Scare Initiates New Anti-Terrorism Plan
Source: Florida Today
January 17, 2001
MELBOURNE, Fla. - Parts of Brevard County’s new
anti-terrorism plan were put into action Saturday night when two
landscapers discovered a homemade sign that said it had been coated in
the deadly bacteria, anthrax.
Bob Lay, director of Brevard’s Emergency Operations
Center, said that even though the sign didn’t seem to be a terrorist
threat, "it should be taken seriously." He said he was pleased with
the way the agencies worked together to manage what could have been a
crisis.
Created in December, the plan specifically addresses
what each county agency, including the school district, port
authority, rescue and law enforcement divisions, should do if a
terrorist were to attack somewhere in Brevard or in the state of
Florida. This plan will be included in the county’s emergency plan,
which also includes strategies for hurricanes and other disasters.
Anthrax, a highly infectious disease found in sheep and
cattle, can be fatal to humans if not treated immediately. Many health
officials have expressed concern that the bacteria, which is not
illegal to possess, could be used as a tool of biological warfare.
The sign was sent to the FBI Crime Lab in Tampa. Final
bacteriological test results were expected Tuesday but were not
released. However, preliminary results released Monday do not indicate
the presence of bacteria spores, the Sheriff’s Office reported.
"I wouldn’t consider (Saturday’s events) as a terrorist
act," Lay said Saturday. "But the plan, at least the parts that were
implemented, worked well."
The landscapers, who had been working at a vacant gas
station on the northwest corner of U.S. 1 and Suntree Boulevard, found
the sign about 5:15 p.m. Saturday.
Within 15 minutes, law enforcement officials closed U.S.
1 from the Pineda Causeway to Viera Boulevard and two restaurants had
been evacuated.
The road was reopened two hours later, although Suntree
Boulevard remained closed until almost 11 p.m.
Within moments of the sign’s discovery, workers with the
Brevard County Sheriff’s Bomb Squad and Brevard County Fire-Rescue’s
Hazardous Materials team were placed on standby.
Sheriff’s Chief Deputy Bob Sarver, Lay and Kenny
Merritt, district chief of the Brevard County Fire-Rescue, held a
conference call with federal agents to evaluate the situation. The
decision then was made to have the Tampa crime lab take over the
identification of any potential chemical threat.
Under the anti-terrorism plan, national agencies
including the FBI, will assist local agencies with their
investigation. They will not, however, take over any investigation.
In addition to testing for anthrax, the FBI is checking
the sign for fingerprints in hopes of identifying its creator, said
Sarver.
If caught, the person who planted the sign could be
charged with making a false bomb report, Sarver said. The
second-degree felony carries a 15-year prison sentence.
Copyright © 2001 FLORIDA TODAY
by Jennifer Ellis
http://www.floridatoday.com/news/local/stories/2001/jan/loc011701i.htm