With President Bush raising the federal terror alert level to
orange Tuesday
– the second-highest level – Gilroy’s first responder agencies
have been warned to be extra vigilant of possible threats to public
safety.
GILROY – With President Bush raising the federal terror alert level to orange Tuesday – the second-highest level – Gilroy’s first responder agencies have been warned to be extra vigilant of possible threats to public safety.
Starting Tuesday, the Gilroy area California Highway Patrol began working 12-hour, over-lapping shifts instead of their normal eight-and-a-half hour shifts, according to CHP spokeswoman Terry Mayes.
The CHP is in charge of patrolling the area’s power plants, reservoirs, bridges, dams and other possible terrorist targets, and Mayes estimates her office will log 80 hours of overtime during the heightened security alert.
On Tuesday, Gov. Gray Davis said in a press conference that he expected the overtime paid to the CHP during the heightened terror alert to come from the federal government, not the state.
“What this means is there will be an additional four to nine officers on duty at all time,” Mayes said. “But it’s not only because of the terror alert, it’s also because of the holiday weekend.”
The Gilroy Fire Department will also be asked to be on a heightened sense of alert while the terror level stays at orange, but they will not use additional staffing like the CHP, GFD Chief Jeff Clet said.
The GFD is currently working on a deal to purchase specialized gas masks, antidotes and equipment that can be used in the event of a weapons of mass destruction terror threat, Clet said.
Officials don’t consider there to be any major targets for terrorism in South County, but due to the city’s proximity to densely populated San Jose, local police and firefighters would likely respond to any incident of terrorism in the county.
“There is no specific target in this alert, so we are advising our police and fire to remain extra vigilant,” said City Administrator Jay Baksa, who is also the director of the city’s emergency services.
