WATERLOO -- When the airliners slammed into the World Trade Center towers and the Pentagon, the first question on the minds of local emergency officials was "could it happen here?"

The question that obviously followed was "are we prepared?"

In the five years since Sept. 11, Black Hawk County agencies have had to rethink strategies for dealing with catastrophic events.

With the help of federal grants, area organizations have received about $1 million for tools and training to respond to the threat of terrorist attacks, said Frank Magsamen, former head of the county's emergency management agency.

"We are certainly more prepared than we were Sept. 11, 2001," said Capt. Bruce Arends of the Waterloo Police Department. "We've got equipment that will help us out. … I think the training issues have opened the eyes of law enforcement people. There were issues we used to take for granted. Now we investigate."

"Is it 100 percent foolproof? No. I don't think they can ever guarantee that," Arends said.

Flight

The most visible changes following the Sept. 11 attacks have been in air travel.

In 2000, travelers flying Northwest Airlink didn't have to pass through a metal detector or have their luggage screened when they boarded at the Waterloo Regional Airport. The screening came when they arrived in Minneapolis to meet connecting flights.

But after the attacks, screenings became mandatory at every airport. Authorities clamped down on any carry-on item that could conceivably be used as a weapon.

"The basic thing for us since 9/11 is everyone at the airport is just more aware of security," said Brad Hagen, airport director.

A private company handled screening at the airport until employees with the federal Transportation Security Administration took over in November 2002.

The TSA has better detection devices, and improvements have been made to the fences and gates around the property.

From dirty bombs to tornadoes

Waterloo Fire Chief Ned DeBerg and Hazardous Materials Team Leader Gary Ciddio sort through a trailer packed with gear to fight chemical spills and poisonous gas releases.

Ciddio climbs out of the trailer with something that looks like a bulky laser pistol.

The pistol is actually the APD-2000, which samples the air in a 10-meter area and reports what chemicals it finds. It even has a built-in Geiger counter to detect radioactive material.

The sampler -- along with a remote sensor that radios readings back to a command center, new breathing equipment with specialized filter built into the regulators and tools to rescue people from collapsed buildings -- are just some of the things paid for with assistance from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

"The bottom line is local agencies would not have the budget for these type of items," Magsamen said.

Sheriff's deputies and police received chemical protective suits, and the sheriff's office tactical team got heavy-duty bulletproof vests with the Homeland Security money.

Allen Hospital bought portible hazardous materials decontamination showers, an isolation room and added protective suits.

And much of the equipment doesn't simply sit on the shelves waiting for terrorists to strike.

Fire officials are quick to point out the hazardous materials gear can be used during an accidental chemical leak caused by a truck or train accident.

Rescue equipment like a "stair chair" obtained by Sartori Ambulance can work just as well to remove injured people from buildings damaged by tornadoes.

Homeland Security-funded night vision optics have been used to track suspected burglars or drug dealers, said Deputy Tony Thompson with the Black Hawk Sheriff's Office.

"This is practical, day-to-day stuff," Thompson said. "Being able to afford it through federal funding is a good deal."

But while the federal government has been funding equipment for first responders, budgets closer to home have actually meant fewer police and firefighters on the front lines.

In September 2001, the Waterloo Police Department had 119 officers. Today the force has 116, Arends said.

DeBerg said firefighter staffing has remained fairly constant, but he noted this year he isn't re-hiring to fill a vacancy left by a retirement so he can meet his budget.

Awareness

The assessments that followed the Sept. 11 attacks caused emergency officials to take notice of potential hazards like the anhydrous ammonia tanks that dot the county.

"We look at things a little differently now," Thompson said.

And when it came time to planning for problems, authorities broadened their scope.

In the past, disaster training meant police officers and firefighters practicing together, DeBerg said. Now they bring hospitals, the health department, schools, the Red Cross and even the street department into the action, he said.

And, like the gear, the training has benefits beyond terrorist attacks.

"The type of training we have done is really going to help us in the Midwest with the flooding and tornado-type emergencies," DeBerg said.

As a result of the increased focus on security, the Northeast Iowa Response Group -- the hazardous materials team made up of Waterloo firefighters that is sent to spills and leaks in 11 counties -- will be designated one of 14 weapons of mass destruction responders in the state.

Similarly, the regional Law Enforcement Intelligence Network office based at the Waterloo Police Department received a Homeland Security grant to fund a full-time officer and civilian. The LEIN staff passes along tips and information about crimes to other law enforcement agencies in the state and educates businesses that are possible terrorism targets, Arends said.

Contact Jeff Reinitz at (319) 291-1578 or jeff.reinitz@wcfcourier.com.