NMT Receives $2M for Counter-Terrorism

Domenici: New Mexico Tech to Establish Training Effort

WASHINGTON -- Senator Pete Domenici today confirmed that the New
Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology has received $2 million to
train state and local emergency personnel who would be the first line
of defense against domestic terrorist attacks.

The Justice Department funding released to New Mexico Tech was
secured by Domenici as part of the 1998 Commerce, Justice, State and
Judiciary Appropriations Bill. It will be used to establish a
training program for federally-supported first responder training, in
conjunction with the Energetic Materials Research and Testing Center
in Socorro.

"The recent attacks on U.S. embassies in Africa, as well as the
rise in terrorist acts domestically, show the need for an organized,
unified response by our emergency personnel," Domenici said.

"We cannot assume New Mexico is immune. Our goal is to have a
solid action plan in place should such a terrible event occur," he
said. "This training will also have the added benefit of making our
first responders better prepared for all emergency situations."

The effort will address training for national, state, and local law
enforcement, firefighters, emergency medical personnel and others
involved in first responder crisis management. Training would
incorporate planning for and response to terrorist weapons of mass
destruction, including chemical, biological and large-scale blast
devices.

New Mexico Tech will develop a three-day training curriculum
modeled after the Justice Department's Emergency Response to Terrorism
Basic Concepts course, which addresses the role of law enforcement
officers in crisis management and their coordination with other
emergency responders.

An additional five-day course will compliment the FBI's post-blast
investigation course by providing hands on emergency response training
using live explosives. Emergency personnel will be instructed in the
appropriate action at the scene of a terrorist event to include the
preservation of evidence, self protection, and the identification of
crime scene hazards.

In July, the Senate approved Domenici's request for $2.5 million in
1999 funding to continue support for the first responder program at
New Mexico Tech.

The 1999 Commerce, Justice, State and the Judiciary Appropriations
Bill contains $22 million--through the newly- established National
Domestic Consortium--for the national First Responder Training
program. The Consortium consists of New Mexico Tech, the National
Emergency Response and Rescue Training Center at College Station,
Texas, the Nevada Test Site, Louisiana State University and the U.S.
Justice Department at Fort McClellan, Ala. Sandia National
Laboratories will contribute to this effort.