200 Attend Program on Terrorist Threat

Orange County boasts no massive missile controls and no underground silos, but that didn’t stop about 200 people--mostly from law enforcement agencies--from gathering Monday in Huntington Beach to concentrate on one mission: to figure out what to do in case terrorists strike.

“Orange County is an alluring environment,” said U.S. Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Huntington Beach), who co-hosted the event with the Orange County Sheriff’s Department. “It’s the epitome of the good life, which I think makes it a fair target for a terrorist who wants to cause pain and suffering and get even.”

Monday’s program was prompted by President Clinton’s order last year that 120 cities start training their police officers and firefighters in nuclear, biological and chemical terrorism. Orange County’s three largest cities--Santa Ana, Anaheim and Huntington Beach--made the list.

Those who attended were schooled in sessions with intriguing titles such as “Toxic Terrorism,” “Cyberterrorism” and “Threat and Risk Assessment.”

Besides law enforcement officials, representatives from schools, water districts and even the Internal Revenue Service attended.

Although the program Monday didn’t involve any particular plans, or even showcase any commonly used weapons or procedures, officers said that if nothing else, they made the day useful by networking.

“This is a very complex area to respond to, as opposed to something like an earthquake,” said Major Gen. Robert Barrow, commander at the California Air National Guard. “This is too big, too open-ended for them to provide all the answers. But if nothing else, I made some new [contacts].”