Anne Arundel police and fire authorities have secured funding for a new marine vessel that will patrol and safeguard county waterways in the event of a terrorist attack.
“Unfortunately, we can?t be naive about the fact that it?s not a matter of if another terrorist attack will occur, it?s a matter of when,” said Battalion Chief Matthew Tobia, an Anne Arundel fire spokesman.
“This vessel will allow us to meet our homeland security responsibility from a chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and etiological nature.”
County Executive John R. Leopold recently directed the Office of Emergency Management to secure state and federal grant funding for a maritime vessel to respond in water emergencies, including terrorist attacks with weapons of mass destruction.
“I am extremely pleased to report that these funds will be used to bolster the safety and security of our residents along one of our most difficult-to-defend portals ? our shoreline,” Leopold said in a statement.
The 35-foot-long vessel, which is still being designed, will be equipped with emergency response teams from both the police and fire departments, said Anne Arundel police Sgt. Jeff Fratantuono, commander of the marine unit.
It will safeguard the county?s 533 linear miles of shoreline, which is more than any other political subdivision in the U.S., and provide support for specialoperations teams, water rescues and water-related emergencies that require fire, medical or law enforcement assistance.
“Ever since 9/11 our goal has been to take advantage of the opportunity to partner in a joint commission,” Tobia said.
“The fire department?s responsibility is to mitigate the hazard and treat any patients, while the police responsibility is to investigate any incident that could be a terrorist threat.”
The operation will save taxpayers money by merging staff from both departments and will provide some relief to the three fire department vessels already patrolling the waterways, officials said.
Fire boats responded to five water emergencies in a three-hour span Sunday, Tobia said, which is only a fraction of the estimated 300 to 400 emergencies they respond to each year.
The new vessel is expected to be completed by summer 2009, but until then a whaler vessel will serve as the substitute.
