Decade ago, deadly blast warns about new dangers

Elia Powers

Ten years ago today, Americans witnessed what was then the deadliest

terrorist attack on United States soil.

A truck bomb planted by Timothy McVeigh exploded outside the

Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, killing 168 people --

including 19 children -- and wounding hundreds more.

As commemorative events take place across the country, some

Newport-Mesa public safety officials are reviewing their policies and

assessing the lessons learned from the April 1995 incident.

Newport-Mesa Unified School District Risk Manager Connie Duddridge

was in her first full school year when the attack occurred.

“It made my job more relevant,” Duddridge remembers. “When I

started, one of my goals was to develop an emergency response plan

for the district. Oklahoma City made everyone realize the necessity

for it.”

Duddridge said she was surprised to learn that principals were

accustomed to handling security issues internally. The first step,

she said, was for schools to improve communication with police and

increase response time for potential disasters.

Students now practice regular intruder drills in addition to fire

and earthquake exercises. Duddridge said school officials are more

attuned to suspicious phone calls and unidentified campus visitors.

“We are prepared for a wider range of potential emergencies

because of high-profile attacks,” Duddridge said.

Sgt. Brad Virgoe of the Orange County Sheriff’s Department said

the Oklahoma City attack was one of three events -- including the

Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and the Columbine school shooting -- that

affected security policies both locally and nationwide.

The sheriff’s department now oversees the Orange County Terrorism

Early Warning Group that works with schools as they develop emergency

operation plans. It also manages the School Mobile Assessment and

Resource Team that investigates threats and reacts to attacks, he

said.

Sara Kaminske, manager of safety and emergency preparedness at the

Orange County Department of Education, said the Oklahoma City bombing

served as an important reminder to all employees.

“Whenever there is a major event, it’s important to think about

what could happen locally,” she said. “Safety in schools is an

evolving process, and these events highlight the need for constant

evaluation.”

Newport Beach Fire Department spokeswoman Jennifer Schulz said 10

years after the Oklahoma City bombing, Newport Beach is more capable

of handling a major emergency.

All city employees are now trained to be disaster service workers

in the event of a major attack, she said. Newport Beach is one of

many cities nationwide that offers an emergency response team to

train residents in disaster preparedness.

Security procedures at Costa Mesa City Hall and the Costa Mesa

Police Department were revisited and updated after the Oklahoma City

bombing, said Costa Mesa Police Lt. Ron Smith. He said the city has

also worked to update facilities and add security devices.

“If there was a change after Oklahoma City, it was how we viewed

terrorism,” Smith said. “This was the first time an American

terrorist carried out this type of attack on American soil.

“It brought the security issue to every city’s front door.”

John Wayne Airport spokesperson Justin McCusker said no new

procedures were implemented after the Oklahoma City bombing. Sept. 11

was the main catalyst for change, he said.

* ELIA POWERS is the enterprise and general assignment reporter.

He may be reached at (714) 966-4623 or by e-mail at

[email protected].