FBI opens anti-terrorism center

DAILY BRIEFING

FBI opens anti-terrorism center

The FBI on Friday opened a new office that will train and equip local police, fire and rescue workers to respond to chemical, biological or nuclear attacks by terrorists, the Associated Press reported.

Attorney General Janet Reno said the FBI's new National Domestic Preparedness Office "will assume overall responsibility for coordinating the government's efforts to prepare America's communities for terrorist incidents involving weapons of mass destruction."

The department created the office in response to complaints by local and state officials who said federal aid for training and equipment is inadequate.

If a terrorist attack occurs, the first to arrive at the "chaotic and dangerous" scene are local rescue squads, Reno noted. "For many victims, what these first responders do in those first few minutes can mean the difference between life and death," she said.

The office will train state and local workers, distribute money to buy equipment, set up joint federal-state-local practice exercises and work with state and local officials to draft contingency plans, Reno said.