Indianapolis Recorder, Indianapolis, Marion County, 3 September 2004 — Page 4

PAGE A4

THE INDIANAPOLIS RECORDER

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2004

Poll indicates Blacks believe education, income influence quality o[ life

Electronic Urban Report WASHINGTON- In a national poll of African-American registered voters commissioned by Black America’s Political Action Committee (BAMPAC), the m^ority of African Americans stated that education and income level had the greatest influence on their quality of life. The poll was conducted in July among 800 African-American registered voters via phone by Wilson Research Strategies. Forty-four percent of AfricanAmerican registered voters stated that educationhad the greatest influence on their quality oflife in America while 34 percent stated that income level had the greatest influence of their quality oflife. Only 14 peroentof African Americans cited race as having the greatest influence of their quality oflife in America In response to the poll findings, BAMPAC President and CEO Alvin Williams said, “As the poll results suggest, African Americans recognize and cite the tremendous influence that education and income level have on their quality of life in this countiy. The feet that race was not cited in large numberdoes not by any means indicate that race does not have an impact on the quality oflife, but it illustratesashift in focus among African Americans where we look at race as having less of an overall influence on our quality oflife when compared with education and income

level In this dectkai year, this sends a message to the candidates that this segment of the electorate will elect the candidate that they feel will increase economic opportunities and enhance the educational options available.” Other key findings of the poll include: • The most important issues to African Americans when choosing a candidate are the economy (34 percent); health care (12 percent) and education (llpercent). • Parents (2? percent) and music artists (19 percent) are the most influential members of the AfricanAmerican community followed by ministers (18 percent) and teachers (14 percent). • Sixty five percent of African Americans give their local public schools a grade of “C or lower. • Sixty-nine percent of African Americans believe that same sex marriages should not be legalized. • Secretary ofState Colin Powell is the most influential African-Ameri-can political figure. Powell earned this distinction from 38 percent of the respondents. Others listed included: Rev. Jesse Jackson (27 percent) and National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice (8 percent). Founded in 1994, BAMPAC is a non-partisan federal Political Action Committee committed to electing tomorrow’s leaders today.

TERRORISM ► Continued from Pag* 1 in our city, we’ve long been wellprepared.” The Indianapolis Fire Department, for example, has complete hazmat (hazardous material) teams in five of its stations. The hazmat teams are not only well prepared and equipped for normal industrial hazardous material incidents, but they also have additional training and capability to respond to weaponized agent type attacks. IFD has also been receiving training in the area of emergency decontamination, which enables rescue workers to decontaminate perhaps several thousand victims who are in a semi-panic mode after a chemical attack. Fire officials at the Indianapolis airport now have a special trailer that can decontaminate up to 1,000 people per hour. In addition, local hospitals have also developed decontamination capabilities. “This is important because we have found historically that in actual terrorist incidents that have occurred such as the terror attack in Tokyo (1995) and large scale hazardous materials accidents such as the cyanide release in Bhopal, India, that the victims don’t just hangaround atthe scene waiting for us to show up and hose them down,” said Robertson. “A lot of times they will be gone long

before public safety gets there and they will go either to the nearest medical facility or the medical facility they are familiar with to get themselves treated.” The fact that hospitals now have the capabilities to decontaminate, authorities don’t have to worry about victims endangering patients who are already in a medical facility. Law enforcement agencies such as the Indianapolis Police Department and Marion County Sheriff’s Department have been starting to train and equip officers with personal protection equipment, including gas masks and suits to help them navigate through hazardous environments during investigations. In an actual terrorist attack the police would also be responsible for such things as simply holding a perimeter and directing traffic and keeping people out of an area so they don’t become further victims. Additionally the SWAT team and bomb squad have been training along with the county health department and IFD’s hazmat teams to enter a scene and deal with any terrorists or devices that might still be on the premises. Attacks involving biological agents Qike anthrax) are a little more difficult to control, but local officials are also prepared for them

due to almost weekly practice with hoax scenarios involving someone who finds a suspicious powder, or a false letter with threatening language telling a receiver that they have been given anthrax. The only case in Indianapolis that actually involved biological agents took place in October 2001 when spores of anthrax were being found all over the East Coast A handful of five spores arrived in Indianapolis via postal equipment that was shipped from a Trenton, NJ., post office to a facility here for repair before it was realized that the Trenton facility was con-

taminated.

“There’s a much better chance for survival after a biological attack because there’s an incubation period in which the agents must wait to become active,” said Robertson. “For example, you could be infected with a cold virus right now but you wouldn’t start showing symptoms for another three or four days. It’s the same with anthrax or any other biological agent, with the exception of ricin. So as a weapon it’s not very effective. But as a tool of terror it’s highly effective because it’s an unknown. We do however, have hours and possibly days to respond to a biological attack as opposed to seconds or minutes for a chemical attack or explosion.”

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Citizens in Indianapolis also have little reason to worry about terrorists hijacking a plane at the Indianapolis International Airport. Dennis Roseborough, public affairs director ofthe Indianapolis airport, said that facility works closely with the new federal Transportation Security Administration (TSA) in conducting passenger checkpoints and other security operations. “We train with the TSA and we certainly have specialized equipment to deal with aircraft situations,” said Roseborough “We have installed a new 10-foot security fence around the airport, access gates that prevent vehicles from going through them and we also make sure traffic does not stop and stand at the curbs. Public safety officers keep traffic moving to make it difficult to coordinate an attack.” On the state level, authorities from a host of agencies have coordinated several efforts to in- ‘ sure the security of Hoosiers. “We meet on a monthly basis to focus on protecting our state,” said Earl Morgan, director of the Counter Terrorism and Security Council of Indiana. “But the biggest part of anything in terms of protecting Hoosiers starts with awareness of the citizens. They are the folks who are our brains, eyes and ears. They are the ones who are out and about in the community, travel the highways and work in business locations. We would like them to make sure they understand the need to connect with law enforcement officials when they see anything suspicious, unusual or doesn’t pass the common sense test. That kind of vigilance prevents big catastrophes that can cause a significant loss oflife.” Indiana has conducted buffer zoneprotectiontrainingformore than 80 law enforcement officers statewide. Buffer zones enable officials to construct a protective perimeter around critical pieces of infrastructure during major events, such as those that take place at the RCA Dome and Indiana Convention Center. In addition, many individuals have received training as facilities and events specialists who are charged with monitoring activities insideabuildingand identifying people who are looking or acting suspicious. Both state and local emergency and law enforcement personnel often work closely with federal agencies such as the FBI, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Department of Homeland Security, which recently announced its National Response Plan. James Loy, deputy secretary of Homeland Security, said the plan will pull together all federal response capabilities in an effort to work even more effectively with state and local agencies. “As we have seen in the past, the relationship that exists between local first responders and the federal government is crucial to ensure that swift and effective action is taken to confront the existence of a threat,” Loy said in a press release. “In many ways, the coordination we have witnessed between the financial services sector, local law enforcement and the federal government is an example of just how far we have come since Sept.

11.”

Robertson said citizens in Indianapolis shouldn’t be overly concerned about an attack, however, as most terrorists usually target cities that have major economic and symbolic significance such as New York, Las Vegas, Los Angeles or Chicago. If an attack were to take place, it would be more likely caused by a domestic militia or group angry at local government, such as those who blew up the federal building in Oklahoma City in 1995. “But if anyone decides to come here with harmful intentions, regardless of where they’re from, well be ready for them,” he said. FEMA is now offering citizens a publication called Are You Ready, which provides a step-by-step outline on how to prepare a disaster supply kit, plan for people with disabilities, or how to locate an evacuation a shelter. It can be downloaded online at www.femagov.