Anti-terror team trains in Sterling
A regional Homeland Security team is using an empty building in Sterling to train for a terrorist attack. Members of the Illinois State Police Weapons of Mass Destruction Tactical Team, a SWAT team of sorts for terrorist threats, are practicing at the Wayne-Dalton building.
The team has 25 members and serves an area stretching from Rockford to Lee County to Mercer, Henderson and Bureau counties. It is one of 10 regions in Illinois devised by the Illinois Emergency Management Agency, said member Mitch Lee, of the Rock Island Sheriff's Department.
Because the team is made up of law enforcement officers from throughout the area, centrally located Whiteside County is a good place to meet, said Lee, adding that the anti-terrorist group trains twice a month.
The team had an "administrative day" Monday, checking equipment and trying out new frequencies added to their communication systems. Team members will do a "dry run" of a potential threat in the building today, Lee said.
Some team members have been trained to handle chemical and radiological threats, as well as how to combat suicide bombings, he said.
They don't just respond to terrorism - when a train recently derailed in southern Illinois, a group of officers from the regional team responded, Lee said.
Reach Jim Butts at (815) 625-3600 or (800) 798-4085, ext. 570.
