Homeland security grants help agencies prepare for disasters as well as terrorism

Sept. 11, 2011, Lancaster Eagle Gazette

By Jessica Alaimo

CentralOhio.com

If terrorists were planning another large-scale attack against the United States, it’s unlikely their next target would be in Chillicothe.

Still, Sept. 11, 2001, was a wake-up call to public safety officials in this southern Ohio community.

As Assistant Fire Chief Steve Gallagher pulled out the key to the padlock that secures the county’s hazmat trailer, he said he has had one more question at each local disaster in the county since 9/11: Did someone do this on purpose?

The U.S. government has given Ross County agencies $1.3 million in homeland security grants in the decade since the Sept. 11 attacks.

While the money helped mitigate potential terrorist threats, much of it also helped the county be more prepared for any kind of disaster — natural, accidental or intentional.