Bioterrorism: Control Begins Locally

By Kelly Novak, Research Manager, NADO Research Foundation

Controlling the outbreak and spread of bacteria, virus and disease has become a national priority since September 11. The growing concern over the United States vulnerability to such outbreaks, has confirmed that terrorists do have the capability to carry out bioterrorism attacks.

Bioterrorism detection begins at the local level, which is why state health departments, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and local governments are working together to ensure that local bioterrorism response guides are in place and that local leaders have the ability to coordinate responses. In many rural areas, where much of the nation’s food and water supply originates, regional development organizations have the resources and experience to ensure successful response preparation and contamination control.

Regional Communications

Community leadership and local data are two of the best resources that regional development organizations have to contribute to the preparation against the threat of bioterrorism in rural areas. Regional development organizations, like the Southern Iowa Council of Governments (SICOG), an EDA funded district, have the capacity to find and offer local bioterrorism training opportunities and develop guides that are relevant to the communities they serve.

SICOG recently announced an online terrorism workshop by the Public Entity Risk Institute for small and medium size communities to the 64 cities and towns SICOG serves. Tim Ostroski, Executive Director of the SICOG, said, “We were able to identify that the training would benefit our communities, get the notice out and get people involved. Sometimes simply acting as a leader or a champion is what’s needed.”

Other regional development organizations have taken the lead on bioterrorism defense and response planning for their communities because they have data. They have collected this data because they wear many different hats, such as being the rural transportation planning organization, the Area Agency on Aging and the region’s Census data affiliate.

Experience

Many regional development organizations have experience from involvement in real life biohazard situations that can be transferred to bioterrorism defenses, and by being involved in the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA’s) Project Impact. According to the NADO Research Foundation Membership 2000 Survey, more than half have geographical information systems (GIS) equipment and have used GIS for disaster related mitigation planning, such as flood mapping.

The Kankakee-Iroquois Regional Planning Commission (K-IRPC), a six-county EDA funded district in northwestern Indiana, has been involved in responding to water contamination for several years. The region has many livestock farms and occasional sewer overflows that have resulted in E.Coli (Escherichia coli) contaminations, a bacteria that comes from the feces of all warm-blooded animals. Certain strains are deadly to humans, creating toxins that cause intestinal hemorrhaging.

Christopher Larson, K-IRPC’s Executive Director explained, “E.Coli is a serious local health and economic problem and it doesn’t stop there. Unhealthful strains in water bodies have prohibited recreational water use statewide and the fact that local food processing plants use the water supply, extends the threat of contamination nationwide.”

K-IRPC recently responded to an E.Coli incident using the state’s community development block grants (CDBG), state lottery funds, community partnerships and GIS data to extend city water supply services to one contaminated community.

For More Information Contact: Christopher Larson, K-IRPC, at 219/253-6658; Tim Ostroski, SICOG, at 641/782-8491; Public Entity Risk Institute, www.riskinstitute.org, at 703/352-1846.

Editor’s note: NADO is co-sponsoring a satellite and web broadcast, “First Responders Combat Bio-Terrorism,” on March 21, 2002 from 1-3 PM Eastern Standard Time. The broadcast will showcase and promote a regional approach to bio-terrorism threats by city, county, state, and federal agencies and regional councils, as well as the "first responders" of local governments. To find out how you can participate, contact Laurie Thompson at NADO 202/624-5948. Videotapes will be available two weeks after the broadcast at a cost of $40 each. To order, contact Phyllis Pines at the National Association of Counties, 202/942-4299.

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