Public safety workers

­ police, fire and emergency medical services ­ have become

Department of Human Resources coordinator for District 4 emergency medical

services, addressing Peachtree City public safety workers and city officials

last week with the latest updates on bioterrorism.

"The military

has gone off to war on the battlefront, leaving us behind to fight the

war that has come to us," he said, preparing to identify the enemy.

In introducing Watson,

Fire Chief Stony Lohr said that information about biological weapons was

first offered to public safety responders and has now been expanded to

include all health care providers ­ physicians, nurses, hospital

and private practice personnel ­ with the overarching advice that

they use common sense and good judgment.

"We're spending

a lot of time running around on white powder calls," Lohr said, "and

this is not an overreaction. The world has changed."

Watson said the state

public health agency put together a packet of information locally, after

waiting for "something to come down" from federal sources. It

never did. Acknowledging that "we're not experts," Watson said

state health researchers collected findings of respected researchers and

put them in booklet form for health workers.

Watson emphasized

the importance of keeping the anthrax attacks in perspective. "The

intent of bioterrorism is to put fear into the country. Up to this time

[last week] we had nine confirmed cases, and three people have died. Last

year thousands of people died of flu, but there were no headlines about

that.

"The largest

known number of anthrax deaths in one location was the 70 people who died

in Russia [in 1992] when spores were released accidentally by the military.

People are at a far greater risk of death from smoking, not wearing seat

belts, and being overweight."

Characterizing EMS,

fire and police agencies as "the safety net for the public,"

Watson said he believes it would be a mistake to try to keep information

from the public. At the same time, he said, "With biological weapons,

one ill-informed comment can cause panic. Be very careful about what is

said.

"Public safety

responders must reassure the public that we're there for them 24/7. We

should do nothing to let down the public's perception of the fire department

and EMS," Watson said.

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