Walking in Washington, D.C., Ventura County Undersheriff Craig Husband heard the explosion when American Airlines Flight 77 slammed into the Pentagon across the Potomac River.
Husband, in the nation's capital for a law enforcement conference, saw hundreds of panicked government employees pour out of office buildings after learning of the terrorist attacks.
"Everything shut down and Washington turned into a ghost town. I just wanted to go home and be with my family," he said.
A year later, Ventura County law enforcement and public health officials are still learning from the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks while fine tuning a response plan in the event of a local strike.
There are regular patrols now at Oxnard and Camarillo airports and at the Port of Hueneme, officials said. Communication has vastly improved between federal and local law enforcement agencies, officials said.
The county's largest water provider--responsible for delivering supplies to 80% of Ventura County residents--has hired security officers and shored up anti-contamination measures at its six reservoirs and along 135 miles of pipeline.
Husband said commanders receive regular briefings from intelligence officers in the county's Terrorism Working Group, made up of department representatives and public health officials.
Deputies and commanders trained to chase down criminals have added to their duties the gathering of information on possible terrorist attacks, Husband said.
"It altered our mission and expanded it," he said of the events of Sept. 11. "We view our mission now as one in which the front-line officer could get information that is a small piece of the puzzle that might provide info on a terrorist attack."
The World Trade Center and Pentagon attacks demonstrated how local police and fire departments can be thrust into warlike events long before military personnel are dispatched.
"We learned from that experience that local law enforcement are the first people to respond," Husband said. "We have a primary role in protecting our residents from terrorist attacks. It's the local beat cop that sees everything. It's not going to be someone in Washington."
Nearly 300 of the Sheriff Department's 800 sworn officers, as well as dispatchers and other non-sworn employees, have undergone intensive counterterrorism and bioterrorism training. More training is planned, he said.
