Local agencies will use such a plan, and it is up to the federal government to work within this system. The Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996 directs the President to establish an interagency task force on testing, training and evaluation. The task force is to determine the feasibility and advisability of establishing a facility that recreates urban and suburban environments to permit effective testing, training and evaluation of personnel responsible for responding to chemical and biological weapons incidents. The initial federal efforts to assist first responders will be for awareness training. There is an urgent need for this interagency task force to complete its work by identifying such a training site in the U.S. and funding assistance for local fire departments to attend such training.
Immediate action is needed.
The need for all the items I have listed above is now. It is with the utmost urgency that I stress to you that all the funding in the world will not do any person in this country any good if training is not delivered to those people who need it. I of course speak of the local fire and emergency personnel of the United States. Please realize that since the government funding was approved, nothing has reached the fire and emergency first responders. Since that time we have seen our fire and emergency personnel thrust into dangerous situations, in part due to the lack of available training.