September 13, 2001 | KU Radio News Line

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News release: KU law enforcement training prepares for terrorist attacks 'anyplace, anytime'

 •KU News Resource Page: War on Terrorism


Contact: Frank Barthell, University Relations, (785) 864-8869.

Radio News Line text:
KU sponsors terrorism seminar for law enforcement officers

THE KANSAS LAW ENFORCEMENT TRAINING CENTER WILL BE OFFERING A TRAINING SEMINAR ON RESPONSE TO TERRORIST ATTACKS ON OCT. 10 AND 11 IN HUTCHINSON. ED PAVEY IS DIRECTOR OF THIS UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS PROGRAM. HE SAYS THE SEMINAR IS DESIGNED FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS. IT FOCUSES ON DEVELOPING A COORDINATED COMMUNITY RESPONSE TO INCIDENTS INVOLVING WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION.

Pavey: "They will be looking at what some of the common terrorist threats are or perceived threats, what the coordinated response to an incident of this type would be, what are some of the weapons of mass destruction, including hijacked airliners all the way down to bacterial type contaminates that could be delivered into an area." (21 sec.)

PAVEY SAYS THIS IS THE SECOND YEAR THAT K-U WILL BE SPONSORING THE SEMINAR.

Pavey: "And this is just another example that KU's been involved in trying to be proactive by providing this kind of training so law enforcement, public safety responders can be trained and go back to their communities to develop some kind of planning." (13 sec.)

IN WATCHING TELEVISION COVERAGE OF TUESDAY'S TRAGEDY, PAVEY WAS IMPRESSED WITH THE RESPONSE BY NEW YORK CITY POLICE, FIREFIGHTERS AND OTHER PUBLIC SAFETY OFFICIALS.

Pavey: "It appears that they have jeopardized their own safety to enter those buildings and to begin the evacuation process. It's one of these things that you train for every day and your instinct is reversed back to your training and you don't think about the repercussions of your own personal safety." (20 sec.)

PAVEY SAYS REGARDLESS OF THE INCIDENT AND LOCATION, EMERGENCY RESPONSE PROCEDURES ARE THE SAME.

Pavey: "First they need to set up a perimeter in a situation like that and try to contain it as well as they can, to treat, rescue, identify the injured and get them taken care of and just try to bring some stability to the scene." (16 sec.)

PAVEY SAYS THE BOMBING OF THE FEDERAL BUILDING IN OKLAHOMA CITY IN 1995 HAS ALERTED KANSAS PUBLIC SAFETY OFFICIALS TO THE NEED FOR EMERGENCY PLANNING IN RESPONSE TO TERRORIST ACTIONS.

Pavey: "The Oklahoma City incident several years ago makes people realize it could happen anywhere, anytime and you have to be prepared, and you have to have some sort of plan that you have developed and practiced through scenarios so that you are ready for it when it does occur." (16 sec.)

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