A recent study conducted by the National Fire Protection Association has concluded that most of the country's fire departments lack the equipment and training to handle a terrorist attack. The study, which was ordered by Congress and funded by the US Fire Administration, reports that most departments are lacking in resources and do not have an emergency plan to handle any type of terrorist or other large-scale event.

Most fire officials, who are struggling with increased demands for services in a time of budget cuts, are not surprised by the report. While politicians are talking about bioterrorism training and preparing for chemical weapons attacks, local fire departments are scraping to find money to keep fire stations operating. Although the President pledged $3.5 billion for first responders in the wake of September 11, the funds have not yet been released.

A lack of training for terrorism incidents was one of the most pressing concerns highlighted by the NFPA study, which consisted of a survey of more than 12,000 fire departments. Researchers used projections to tabulate nationwide statistics from the survey results. John Hall, the NFPA researcher who led the study, said the findings apply to cities and towns of all sizes, although smaller communities tended to have more acute needs. "Every year, departments are being asked to do more things and do their traditional jobs with greater sophistication, greater efficiency and greater effectiveness," he said. "It's very challenging."

Among the findings:

* Only 11 percent of the nation's fire departments can handle a rescue involving the collapse of a building with 50 occupants. Nearly half of departments consider such an incident outside their scope.

* Only 13 percent of departments can handle an incident involving chemical or biological agents that injure 10 people. Only 21 percent have an agreement from regional agencies to help handle such an incident.

* An estimated 40 percent of firefighters involved in hazardous material response lack formal training in that area.

To view the report in it's entirety, visit http://nfpa.org

Note: Emergency Film Group has produced the Terrorism Response Series, a video-based training series that helps emergency response personnel to be pro-active in preparing for and responding to WMD incidents. The series consists of 11 DVDs or videos plus accompanying Leader’s Guides.

The Dispatch is a publication of the Emergency Film Group. We welcome your questions and comments at info@efilmgroup.com