State's homeland security has 'come a long way'

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The budget belatedly approved by Congress includes $3.5 billion for local police, firefighters and emergency personnel, a year after being promised by the Bush administration.

South Carolina's share of that money should come to the state within the next several weeks, said Homeland Security Director Robert Stewart.

He said most federal planning and response money earmarked for state and local agencies thus far has reached its destination.

Stewart is not aware of any delays that have caused immediate problems for local departments.

He said the Department of Health and Environmental Control received about $15 million in federal funding to upgrade facilities and prepare for biological terrorism, and the State Law Enforcement Division spent $5 million on a new computer crime center to track cyber-terrorism.

Also, a SLED tactical bomb squad should be in operation by the end of this month, and COBRA (chemical, ordnance, biological and radiological) teams are being trained in Greenville, Charleston and Columbia that will be fully equipped to respond to a major act of terrorism.

"We've come a long, long way, but we still have a way to go," said Stewart, who still holds the job as chief of SLED. "I'm not going to tell you we're totally prepared."

Stewart also said the National Guard will be able to deploy a 22-man civil support team on a 24-hour basis, and that police departments across the state have agreed to share resources in a major disaster.

Thomas Watson, president of the 180-member South Carolina Chiefs Association, said federal money that comes to the state is divided among local jurisdictions, and committees of fire, police and emergency workers decide how it should be allocated.

He said some of the federal money designated for one department may end up being switched to another.

"We have got quite a bit of money to finance these special response teams," Watson said.

"Any department in itself is not going to handle a major catastrophe," said Watson, who is also chief of police at Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport. "We're going to all have to come together."

Scott Wendelken, emergency management director for Greenville County, said all federal and state aid promised has been delivered in a timely manner, and that fire and emergency crews should have adequate equipment to respond to a terrorist attack.

Rather than focus on getting the money, Wendelken said attention has been paid to training and new equipment.

"There was so much money designated for this," he said. "We haven't had any problem with that."

Among federal funds also headed to states is part of $6 billion approved for a biological air testing program that will detect agents such as anthrax.

So far, larger cities have received funds for that program, but South Carolina hasn't yet, Stewart said.

The Associated Press contributed to this article.