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news
Funding addresses
anthrax fears
By Jamie Rogers
On-line Forty-Niner
Long Beach Mayor
Beverly O'Neill addressed resident's fears of bioterrorism
Oct. 10 when she requested funding from the House Subcommittee
on Water Resources and Environment to help beef up security
in the area. This came shortly before six people in
the United States tested positive for anthrax infections.
U.S. Rep. Stephen Horn, a former president of Cal State Long
Beach, sat on the panel and said he supports the funding request
made by O'Neill.
Mary Ellen Grant, spokeswoman for Horn, said the congressman
is investigating how prepared federal, state and local agencies
are for biological attacks.
"At this point [Horn] is still monitoring actions,"
Grant said. "Our focus is homeland security and helping
the agencies that handle terrorism."
Kathy Wieder, O'Neill's chief of staff, said that an additional
$190,000 is being spent each month on added security since
the Sept. 11 attacks. So far, however, the City of Long Beach
Department of Health and Human Services has not had any raised
costs due to anthrax scares.
"We have been responding to some incidences in the city,
although to date there have been no viable threats,"
said Michael Johnson, manager of support services to the department.
"[We have used] mostly staffing that is already in place.
We only had to roll out staff to about 15 different calls,
but it could [cost money] eventually if people start demanding
treatment they do not need."
Johnson said it is important to remember that people are generally
not at risk for anthrax.
"The amounts of people that have actually been exposed
are small and exposure does not mean you are actually going
to come down with the disease," Johnson said. "Probably
the greater threat to folks these days is the flu season."
Should any anthrax cases arise in Long Beach, Johnson said
the department of health is prepared.
"We work very closely with the fire department,"
he said. "We have been planing for incidences like this
since 1998."
Johnson said the health department would work closely with
the University Police, the Student Health Center and the Hazmat
center on campus should any incidences of anthrax exposure
occur at CSULB.
Stan Skipworth, captain of the University Police, said they
have had a program in place to deal with bio-emergencies although
he could not comment on the specifics.
"We have a program," he said. "It incorporates
all of the safety programs that have been in place for many,
many years. All of the staff is up to speed on their training
and we continue to maintain a state of readiness."
The Student Health Center at CSULB does not have any specific
anthrax emergency plan, according to Marilyn Perkins, secretary
to the director of the center, but Johnson said the health
department would work with the health center to screen and
treat any students who were infected.
"Anthrax is readably treatable by penicillin and a wide
range of antibiotics," Johnson said. "There has
been a lot of hype about this and we just want everybody to
stay calm."
An emergency preparedness will be held Thursday at Bixby Elementary
School, 5251 E. Stearns St. to help prepare area residents
for a possible emergency, train them how to deal with suspicious
mail and advise them on ways to keep themselves and their
families safe and calm.
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