Jonesboro, AR – (JonesboroRightNow.com) – April 3, 2024 – A grant from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security will enable Craighead County and the Jonesboro Fire Department to purchase and equip a truck to detect weapons of mass destruction and other threats, according to Craighead County Judge Marvin Day and Fire Chief Martin Hamrick.
The $637,800 grant is part of a statewide grant Homeland Security awards yearly nationwide, Hamrick said. In Arkansas, there are five WMD response teams, he said. The NEA response team, which is manned by about 12 members of the Jonesboro Fire Department, covers 17 counties in this area of the state. If a threat is detected this area, Hamrick said, the team is dispatched to the scene.
The grant will enable the team to use infrared technology which identifies what material is encased in a package, Hamrick said. It can detect radiation, chemicals, poisons such as ricin, among other items. If a lethal threat is determined, the team notifies the FBI office in Little Rock and the 61st Civil Support Team of the Arkansas National Guard. Both groups will respond to the threat, Hamrick said.
If a lethal item, such as anthrax or ricin is detected, the team notifies area hospitals so they can prepare for the possibility of incoming casualties, Hamrick said.
“You can’t be too careful,” Hamrick said about threats. “You have cases of domestic terrorism as well as several other possible incidents.”
Last year, the NEA team responded to three suspicious packages, all of which turned out to be negative, he said.
The team undergoes training four times a year along with the other Arkansas teams, with outside experts presenting information. He said the grant will enable the team to upgrade equipment, some of which may be out of date. Attempting to keep up with constantly improving technologies can make some equipment out of date within the matter of a couple of years, Hamrick said.