Posted on 09/12/2001 7:05:44 PM PDT by Paraclete
Colorado's elite Guard unit on standby
By Mike Patty, News Staff WriterAURORA -- An elite Colorado National Guard unit trained to respond to terrorist attacks using weapons of mass destruction was ordered to standby Tuesday. Guard spokeswoman Deborah Smith said Colorado's 8th Weapons of Mass Destruction Civil Support Team was recalled by the National Guard Bureau in Washington and ordered to standby at Buckley Air Force Base to await further instructions. The team, the first unit of its kind in the United States to be certified by the secretary of defense, is made up of 20 members of Army and Air National Guard personnel. It is commanded by Lt. Col. Frederick Hoon, of the Colorado National Guard. Smith said the Defense Department has authorized 10 such civil support teams but only six, including the one in Colorado, currently hold credentials. The team is trained to assess suspected nuclear, biological, chemical and radiological events, advise local authorities of appropriate actions and facilitate the arrival of additional state and federal military personnel and equipment. The unit, authorized under the Defense Against Weapons of Mass Destruction Act of 1996 -- also known as the Nunn-Lugar-Domenici legislation -- is made up of experts trained in several disciplines. It is capable of being dispatched to a scene in 24 hours or less with the mission of providing early assessment, initial detection and technical advice. The Colorado team works with local, state and federal agencies including the Denver and Aurora Fire Departments, Colorado State Patrol, FBI, Buckley Air Force Base, local law enforcement, local hospitals, first-responder organizations and other military and civilian organizations. First-responders include firefighters, hazardous materials technicians, law enforcement officers, incident commanders, operators, dispatchers and emergency medical personnel. While the Colorado unit remained on standby, all National Guard facilities in the state were placed on Force Protection Condition Charlie, Smith said. That is one step below the highest level of alert, Condition Delta. The Colorado Guard also has set up an emergency operations center and contacted all unit commanders across the state.
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