In his first public remarks on a plan to bring protective hoods to county residents, Anniston Mayor Chip Howell said Thursday he has some concerns about the plan.
Howell told a luncheon meeting of the Anniston Kiwanis Club that shelter-in-place should not be discarded as a protective measure. He said the city council doesn't yet have the information to make a decision on the plan for the hoods, which was reported in the Star this week.
"I'm not going to Monday-morning quarterback the Calhoun County Commission," Howell said. "FEMA is trying to demand the city council to select (a protective hood). The idea of shelter-in-place has somewhat been discredited. Shelter-in-place at least needs to be an option."
FEMA wants both the Calhoun County Commission and the Anniston City Council to sign off on a specific protective hood. The agency has not yet said whether the requirement is negotiable.
Howell said after the meeting his office has not been officially informed of FEMA's plan and the city council has not formed a formal position on the matter. He said decisions on the city's position in the ongoing incinerator issue would have to come with input from the entire Anniston City Council.
FEMA has yet to make the protective hood plan public. The county hasn't received protective hoods from the federal government.
News of a requirement that the city approve the hoods that are selected came as a surprise to the council and to Howell, who said it was not anticipated because the city had not been involved in the process.
"The only exposure the council had in the process was my attendance in meetings last year, and I expressed my feelings to the EMA and to the federal officials," Howell said.
Council members said Thursday they'll discuss the issue later and perhaps formulate an official position.
The protective hoods perform the same function as gas masks, but officials say they are larger and easier to use.
"I'm open-minded, and I have an opinion that emergency workers and first-responders should definitely be provided with masks and protective clothing," said Councilman John Norton. "It's my understanding that training will be necessary so that they will be able to properly use a gas mask.
"I am not presently convinced that members of the general population will utilize gas masks if one is made available to them. But if individual citizens decided they do want a gas mask, it's not going to do them any good unless they've had adequate training on how they are to be used."
Norton said he believes hoods that are issued to residents not trained in their use could be dangerous. "I am informed that there are studies that have the same opinion."
Howell addressed a few other issues in the Kiwanis meeting, most notably the city's financial status and McClellan.
Howell said the city has recovered from the post-Sept. 11 economic doldrums and has $8 million in reserve as well as a special $4.5 million reserve that requires four council votes to access.
Regarding McClellan, he told Kiwanians of the city's attempt to give Anniston majority representation in the Anniston-Calhoun County Joint Powers Authority Board. He said the city ultimately will have responsibility for more than 100 miles of roads and 30 bridges on former fort property.
Howell also said he'd like more involvement in the JPA from the local business community.
