Is there any way to prevent a chemical attack?
Despite recent efforts to improve domestic preparedness and public awareness, many experts say U.S. training, equipment, and field-tested response plans remain inadequate. Moreover, few systems are in place to equip U.S. hospitals to cope with massive influxes of casualties; enable police, firefighters, and paramedics to communicate and share information; and establish clear lines of authority among federal, state, local, and health-care bodies. Readiness varies greatly from city to city and state to state, and many smaller municipalities have conducted no practice drills at all. Experts say disaster preparedness should be central to hospital and emergency-service planning. Since the mid-1990s, the 120 largest U.S. cities have received tens of millions of dollars annually in federal funding for training, exercises, and equipment to respond to chemical attacks. Such efforts intensified after September 11. Many response plans build on long-standing procedures for hazardous-materials clea
