Fellow Red-staters: Anybody seen a "WMD Disaster Response" trailer?

[Bossy Monkey]

Or anybody else, for that matter.

I'm in Columbia SC, and saw a Sumter County (one county east, 40 miles away) Sheriff's Department pickup pulling a large trailer labeled "Special Operations" and "WMD Disaster Response." It was the size to be a mobile lab, and of course this might be a perfectly reasonable considering that there are a couple of military bases in Sumter County. On the other hand, the fact that it was in Columbia indicates either that it was just delivered (5 days before the election; that couldn't be politically motivated, could it?) or that somebody ordered them to drive it around in Columbia a bit (ditto). I'll go see if I can find anything out about these, whether they're in other cities, and how long they've been around. Anybody know about this?

[elehhhhna]

1. FEMA has a big "simulated catstrophe" scheduled for 11/2. Yes--

11/2. Like they had in NYC on 9/11. Maybe it's conveniently being pot there for the FEMA "exercise"?

Use the search DU feature--there's been lots of talk about this...

[Bossy Monkey]

2. Thanks, I'll look, but I was more interested in the county-level WMD labs

Presumably, FEMA would have their own. Interestingly, this seems to have gone completely under the radar, at least as far as Google searches that my limited intellect can come up with go. Guess I'll have to bite the bullet and try the Homeland Security site.

[Tsiyu]

3. Keep us posted on this one

There is NO telling what the Feds are up to in the next few days.

[Bossy Monkey]

9. I couldn't find poop; either I'm an idiot of for some inexplicable reason

it's on the down-low. I'm such an idiot, I couldn't even find out whether Sumter County sheriff Tommy Mims (retiring) is a Republican or Democrat, which obviously would bear on the story. Couldn't find crap at Homeland Security except that they're training 28 FEMA teams; nothing about local WMD response teams. Sumter Co Special Operations actually has a page, last updated in May; it doesn't mention anything remotely bearing on WMD disaster response, or even Hazmat. Just... strange.

[Bossy Monkey]

14. Definitely an idiot: "or," not "of"

Gotta learn to read one of these days.:P

[Bossy Monkey]

15. I couldn't find anything. It might have fallen to the archives though.

I'd be grateful for any links.

[sangh0]

4. Homeland Security funding to states that aren't threatened

are being used to buy all sorts of fancy equipment, while places like NYC are starved of funds.

IOW, all you saw was some political pork on wheels.

[Bossy Monkey]

5. That was my first thought, but if so they would at least crow about it

here, though of course not in the national media. My best guess given that I can't find any such crowing is that somebody just repainted their HAZMAT team truck for political purposes. Can't remember offhand what the party affiliation of the Sumter Co sheriff is; will check it momentarily.

[One_Life_To_Give]

6. Sounds like a mobil command center

Alot of police and fire units have mobil command facilities for large incidents. Additionally any trailer having equipment to edeal with a hazardous materials incident, Industrial or WMD, would have to have a very large amount of equipment to be of any use. What with DeCon facilities, various levels of protective suits, etc.

[Bossy Monkey]

7. Right, but why label it WMD instead of HAZMAT?

Seems politically motivated at best

[One_Life_To_Give]

8. Budgeting

I can get federal funds for a WMD response vehical. But a hazmat truck for a fire at the hardware store. Well doesn't get the same level of federal attention. Hence not as likly to get funded.

You might be surprised at just how much stuff is need to fight terrorism. That also happens to be really handy for a bunch of other stuff that doesn't have a budget.

[sangh0]

10. Bingo

It's political pork on wheels

They put WMD on it to impress the dummies about how much bush* is doing to protect us.

[txindy]

11. They actually labelled it "WMD Disaster Response?!" LOL!

Talk about propaganda! Was "Disaster Response" already taken or something? :eyes:

[jdj]

12. yes, the GOP is probably just paying someone to drive it around.

or they may be transporting "detainees" to one of those "holding centers" at one of those "undisclosed locations."

[Bossy Monkey]

13. Yeah, if I'd known it were going to be this tough to find info on it, I'd

have just taken a picture. I did double, triple, quadruple, etc., takes on it; I literally couldn't believe that anybody would be that foolish to write that on the truck.

Sumter Co. is home to a fairly major military base, but then so is Richland (Columbia) and we somehow get by with fire department trucks labeled Hazmat Team.