How prepared is Los Angeles County for a biological terrorism attack?
Los Angeles County has emergency response plans in place to deal with hazardous chemical or biological events, as well as other disasters; the County agencies exercise these plans on a regular basis. These plans involve the coordination of multiple agencies involved in law enforcement, public health, fire, emergency medical services, and disaster response, in conjunction with other city, county, state, and federal officials. For example, Public Health has developed systems for rapid detection and investigation of disease outbreaks that could be the first indication of a biological attack. Early detection will be very important so that persons at risk can be identified and managed appropriately Stockpiles of antibiotics that are effective against the most likely bacterial bioterrorist agents are already in place locally and will be made available in the event of a bioterrorist attack.
