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69 °F Forecast | Road Cams Tuesday, September 28, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal How To Guide Wellness Connection Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Rogue Valley's Finest EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People MARKETPLACE Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Classifieds Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend July 15, 2004 Medford Fire Station 6 firefighters, from left, Randy Horner, Erin Sawall and Capt. Dwayne Prose, disassemble a $32,000 decontamination shower provided by the federal government. The conveyor system in the center is for showering nonambulatory patients. Mail Tribune / Bob Pennell Prepared for the worst Federal terrorism-response equipment implemented by Jackson County agencies By DAMIAN MANN Mail Tribune At $32,000, it has to be the most expensive portable shower ever seen in Jackson County. "It is designed quite specifically for weapons of mass destruction," said Medford fire engineer Erin Sawall. Funding for the new decontamination shower is part of more than $3.6 million from the federal government that has flowed to local public safety agencies to get them ready in case the unthinkable happens in the Rogue Valley. Firemen at Fire Station 6 in Medford recently began training on how to use the shower, which has been field tested in Iraq and can be installed in less than 10 minutes to wash ambulatory and nonambulatory patients. Four more showers are on order and will be placed in Jackson County’s three hospitals and at the hospital in Josephine County. Advertisement "We are a relatively small community in the U.S.," said County Administrator Sue Slack. "There is a lot of money going into this county from Homeland Security." Randy Schoen, deputy chief of operations for the Medford Police Department, said the majority of the new equipment — from the $240,000 mobile command center to the $9,000 chemical and radiation detectors — will enhance law enforcement’s day-to-day activities. "If a truck (loaded with hazardous materials) tips over on Interstate 5, we can put on protective gear to direct traffic," he said. A $1.2 million communications system developed by the Pentagon will give officers the ability to transmit data at high speeds from their patrol cars, eventually transmitting live video, said Schoen. Much of the equipment was already on the police department’s wish list. "I don’t think any of it’s overkill," he said. Medford police will use some of the equipment during bomb scares or when explosives are found. Still, Schoen said, "We don’t have anything to believe that we’ll be a target for a terrorist event." In the future, Medford police plan to get military-grade night vision and infrared detection equipment. "These things are going to enhance our ability to operate in the dark," he said. While the money and equipment have come in quickly from the federal government, Schoen said planning is still lacking among all the agencies that will be part of the regional response team. Hospitals, county health officials, police departments and the sheriff’s department are part of a bio-terrorism committee that will also include Josephine County. Mike Curry, the county’s emergency management program coordinator, said that in 2002 the grants began coming in to help local communities better prepare in case of a terrorist attack on the order of Sept. 11, 2001, or worse. Because communication sometimes failed during the World Trade Center disaster, the federal government decided to beef up radio equipment and data transmission throughout the United States. As a result, most of the grants are earmarked for communication equipment, said Curry. "The county’s been the recipient of a great deal of money," said Curry. "Hopefully we’ll never have a terrorist event to use these things." What $3.6 million buys in protection More than $3.6 million in grants has been earmarked for the Rogue Valley to beef up emergency services in case of a terrorist attack: $130,512 in 2001 — protective gear, a decontamination shower (delivered recently) and to outfit the planned regional response team. $646,286 in 2003 — four decontamination showers (still on order), detection equipment, personal respirators, communications equipment, a mobile command center with satellite dishes and a high-powered camera. $175,611 last week — radios for hospitals and health agencies, protective gear. $89,400 last week — radios for Ashland Police Department and funds for law enforcement terrorist prevention program. $245,230 this week — portable radios for law enforcement, mobile computers and wireless cards. $254,934 this week — mobile computers for regional emergency services. $1.2 million, including a recent $676,594 grant — a military-grade communications system for Medford. Allows the system to be expanded into the city’s urban growth boundary and into Central Point. $17,342 this week — protective suits in case of a bio-terrorist disaster in Medford. $578,922 in 2003 — reimbursement by federal government for additional security at the airport provided by the sheriff’s department. $334,242 in 2002 — reimbursement by federal government for additional security provided at the airport by the Medford Police Department through Nov. 30 2003. Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities