One day in the near future, Calhoun County could have several locations where residents could pick up respiratory hoods and other items to use for protection in the event of a chemical weapons disaster at the Anniston Army Depot.They already would have undergone training on the equipment, and would have had a once-over by a paramedic. They would have filled out the proper paperwork, and their equipment would be recorded in a database that would allow officials to track the upkeep of each hood.
When this day will arrive depends on a host of variables, from how soon the federal government provides the necessary funding, to how quickly a manufacturer can provide the gear.
The date, to be sure, will not be tomorrow, next week, or maybe even by September, when the Army expects to begin testing its incinerator on nerve agent.
"It is doubtful that all this equipment will be distributed this year," said Mike Burney, director of the Calhoun County Emergency Management Agency.
Last week, the Federal Emergency Management Agency revealed that it has softened its stance against issuing the hoods. The news moved Gov. Don Siegelman to drop part of his lawsuit against the federal government, but Burney remains unimpressed. The money, after all, isn't in the county coffers yet, and it won't be until FEMA approves the county's plan for purchasing the hoods and teaching the residents how to use them.
But even as the county continues to express skepticism, the governor followed through on a promise he made earlier in the week.
"We retracted our motion for injunctive relief, and the court granted that (Friday)," said Siegelman spokeswoman Carrie Kurlander.
This effectively removes the direct threat to the incinerator's firing up, though the lawsuit still remains.
Given the history of a program that's been marred by discord between federal and local officials who don't agree on what is necessary to protect the community near the depot, Burney's staid reaction is expected.
As is his uncertainty as to the timeline, especially when you consider that the hood program has no precedent on U.S. soil.
About the only assurance Burney will make regarding scheduling is that a proposal for the hoods and other equipment will be ready within weeks. The county is in the process of contracting with the Institute for Emergency Preparedness at Jacksonville State University to create the bid specs and to do other planning.
While the county has waited for money for the hoods, for kits with duct tape and plastic and for protective suits for first-responders, Burney said he and his staff have moved ahead with other preparations.
Specifications for $6 million in software upgrades are being developed, and planning for the county's special needs population - the disabled and the elderly - is getting off the ground.
The EMA is preparing a public-information campaign that will provide information specific to the county in a calendar, brochures and handouts. County officials also are planning a radio and print campaign using local media.
"We're way ahead of the curve," Burney said.
Yet many issues remain unresolved.
Next week, EMA officials will participate in a meeting about the next stage of the region-wide media campaign, which they opted out of last year. The county has not decided whether it will participate. That decision depends on whether "we'll have input on what (information is) released into the community," Burney said.
Also pending before FEMA is a decision about which county schools will receive equipment that would make them airtight during an accident. The agency is expected to make a decision soon.
To the county EMA, however, it all comes back to the protective equipment - the hoods for residents and the suits for first-responders, as well as duct tape and plastic kits.
"Without the core items, the rest of the protective actions are invalid," Burney said.
