In the staged event, a mock terrorist group attacked Centennial Park in downtown Fort Myers, testing city, county and Federal emergency readiness and response. Realistic and dramatic, this scenario depicted deadly, swirling clouds of hydrogen cyanide gas being released upon a large, innocent group at a Fourth of July outing. Volunteers portraying victims - complete with artificial wounds - were scattered throughout Centennial Park, and at one point a loud explosion rocked the area. Captain G. David Wheaton of Lee Emergency Medical Services (EMS) called the scene "a very common scenario in terrorist incidents," adding "We try to make it as realistic as possible."

Lee County’s emergency response is effective, efficient and well coordinated, with actions and responsibilities clearly understood between agencies ranging from our local fire departments to the health department to the FBI.

The first anthrax threat, or "event", occurred on a Friday morning last November, when Cameron’s British Foods in Cape Coral received a letter containing a tan powder. An accompanying letter stated that the recipients had been exposed to anthrax, a potentially deadly bacteria. Almost immediately after the initial 911 call was received, Lee County’s Emergency Operations Center had been activated, and as part of that activation the Lee County Health Department’s Rapid Response Team was notified. Acting as a member agency of what is called The Unified Command and Control Unit, the health department dispatched an epidemiologist to the scene. The Unified Command and Control Unit brings health, fire, EMS and law enforcement expertise to one centralized location, near to, but outside the immediate crisis perimeter - protecting those with the expertise to contain the situation, as well as that of the public, is considered paramount. The Unified Command and Control Unit orchestrates the actions of all involved, and also notifies the FBI of the event.

At the Cape Coral site, the health department epidemiologist offered expertise in the areas of potential public health threat, incubation period, symptoms and treatments, containment, and potential for spread and methods of decontamination. At the receiving hospital he met with victims and hospital staff. Further, the health department made follow-up visits, administered precautionary medications, and during the event acted as health liaison between Department of Health headquarters in Tallahassee and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, Georgia. A second threat was received recently by another county business, and the health department played a similar role.

"Terrorist acts can and already have occurred in Lee County," states Dr. Robert South, epidemiologist at the Lee County Health Department.

Terrorism As A Hoax – The Costs
"Hoax is a term I personally don’t like to use in relation to a terrorist incident", says South, noting that as part of the investigation it may be established that although a biological agent was not present, an act to terror in fact had still occurred. He explains that in all incidents there are many consequences and many victims:

• terror and long term physiological affects suffered by those possibly exposed
• dollar value of lost business due to closing and inconvenience
• clean up cost to business and government
• Evacuation of nearby homes, schools and businesses
• Danger posed when emergency vehicles go to the location
• closing down access roads during event
• closing down receiving hospital with diversions of other emergencies to other hospitals
• taking fire and police crews and equipment out of general service to work the incident

Government and the taxpayers suffer in every bioterrorist event. The cost can be several thousand tax dollars that could be used for other public needs, and may involve the time, manpower and equipment of any or all of the following:

• Federal officials - FBI, CDC, Postal Inspectors, EPA, FDA, USDA
• State - State Emergency Operations and Department of Health
• Local – Emergency Operations Center (EOC), city and county government, the Fire Department’s Hazardous Materials Unit (HAZMAT), Police and Sheriff’s Departments, and the Departments of Transportation and Public Safety.

The federal government defines terrorism as "...the unlawful use of force and violence against person or property to intimidate or coerce a government, the civilian population, or any segment thereof, in furtherance of political or social objective." If this is the intent, then the objective of the terrorist has been accomplished - with or without the use of a real agent.

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