Pentagon Offers Aid Against Terrorism

As the anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombing nears, the Pentagon has begun a training program designed to help 120 cities deal with the potential terrorist use of chemical, biological or even nuclear weapons.

Local police, firefighters, medics and other emergency workers will learn to identify such deadly weapons, deal with victims and carry out any decontamination that might be required, officials said Wednesday at a Pentagon briefing.

Under this year’s $42.6 million program, the military will set up a multi-service “Chem-Bio Quick Response Force,” of up to 500 people. Members of the force will travel around the country training local officials, and the Pentagon plans to set up a hot line and an Internet site with further help.

Denver offered to be the pilot city for the program, and a team arrived there Monday to assess its needs.

Besides Denver, the next eight cities to be studied are New York; Los Angeles; Chicago; Washington; Houston; Kansas City, Kan.; San Diego; and Philadelphia.

The remaining cities are Detroit; Dallas; Phoenix; San Antonio; San Jose, Calif.; Baltimore; Indianapolis; San Francisco; Jacksonville, Fla.; Columbus, Ohio; Milwaukee; Memphis, Tenn.; Boston; Seattle; Atlanta; Honolulu; Miami; and Anchorage, Alaska.

The FBI decided which cities needed to be looked at, the officials said, but any community can request assistance.