We believe that the resident and non-resident programs of the NFA offer an excellent existing delivery system that should be utilized to the maximum extent possible. On the issue of equipment there is a clear and demonstrated need for sophisticated detection equipment. Simply stated, we need to know what we're facing. This cannot be a one-shot deal but rather a continuing partnership between the federal government and local fire and emergency responders. Local fire departments simply do not have the resources to purchase all of the protective equipment necessary to deal with a large scale chem-bio attack.
Federal assistance is vital.
The ability to engage in a large scale decontamination effort demonstrates yet another equipment need. Some federal groups, such the Marine Corps' Chemical Biological Response Force, have some decontamination abilities. However, they can only be most effective when pre-positioned in anticipation of a specific event. The effectiveness of these capabilities are greatly diminished when geography dictates a response time of six to eight hours. The fire and emergency services will be responsible for the triage, emergency medical treatment and transportation of the sick and wounded resulting from a terrorist incident.