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CNN Live Today
Guarding the Golden Gate
Aired May 22, 2003 - 11:04 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: With the nation on high alert, police have stepped up patrols of San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge. Today the California landmark is also the scene of a disaster drill, scheduled before the increase of a terror alert.
CNN's Mike Brooks joins us live from Sausalito, California with details.
Good morning, Mike.
MIKE BROOKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.
We're in Fogy Marin County, on the north end of the Golden Gate Bridge, where in just about two hours a training exercise will begin involving 10 different agencies. Now they'll be testing their contingencies on response to anything from a hazard material spill, an earthquake, or a possible terrorist incident.
Joining us right now is Mary Currie, the spokeswoman for the Golden Gate Bridge district.
Good morning. Thanks for joining us.
So tell us a little more about what's going on this morning.
MARY CURRIE, PUBLIC AFFAIRS DIR., GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE DIST.: We've got a field exercise involving all of our law enforcement partners that work with us to secure the Golden Gate Bridge. We do an annual drill. This drill will include a field exercise where we'll be involving a bus hostage takeover situation, and it's a great opportunity for everyone to come together and test their assets, resources and communications.
BROOKS: Now at high, orange level right now, this was planned prior to this. It just happened to coincide with the orange alert.
CURRIE: That's right. It's coincidental that we're in an orange alert. We did consider not doing the drill, but we figured everyone has to be here anyway on the orange alert, and we wanted to bring it together during the orange alert and go ahead. It's a great opportunity for us.
BROOKS: Now when is this going to kick off? In about two hours?
CURRIE: In about two hours, that's right. It will go on for a couple of hours, and it's a great opportunity for people to bring together the assets and the communication to make sure everything is working smoothly.
BROOKS: Mary, thank you very much. Appreciate it.
Now the exercise, as I said, is going to include 10 different agencies, from law enforcement, emergency planning. It's all going to take place right underneath the Golden Gate Bridge. Now this is on the north side, right near the hiker, biker trail that was actually shut down yesterday, and it's where you see the generators. It's going to take place right underneath there, and it should be kicking off within about two hours, so a little bit later, hopefully the fog will clear, we'll be able to see the San Francisco Bay, and we'll be able to see the beautiful Golden Gate Bridge, as they play out this disaster drill/training exercise -- Carol.
COSTELLO: All right, we'll check back with you, Mike Brooks, reporting live from California this morning.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired May 22, 2003 - 11:04 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: With the nation on high alert, police have stepped up patrols of San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge. Today the California landmark is also the scene of a disaster drill, scheduled before the increase of a terror alert.
CNN's Mike Brooks joins us live from Sausalito, California with details.
Good morning, Mike.
MIKE BROOKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol.
We're in Fogy Marin County, on the north end of the Golden Gate Bridge, where in just about two hours a training exercise will begin involving 10 different agencies. Now they'll be testing their contingencies on response to anything from a hazard material spill, an earthquake, or a possible terrorist incident.
Joining us right now is Mary Currie, the spokeswoman for the Golden Gate Bridge district.
Good morning. Thanks for joining us.
So tell us a little more about what's going on this morning.
MARY CURRIE, PUBLIC AFFAIRS DIR., GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE DIST.: We've got a field exercise involving all of our law enforcement partners that work with us to secure the Golden Gate Bridge. We do an annual drill. This drill will include a field exercise where we'll be involving a bus hostage takeover situation, and it's a great opportunity for everyone to come together and test their assets, resources and communications.
BROOKS: Now at high, orange level right now, this was planned prior to this. It just happened to coincide with the orange alert.
CURRIE: That's right. It's coincidental that we're in an orange alert. We did consider not doing the drill, but we figured everyone has to be here anyway on the orange alert, and we wanted to bring it together during the orange alert and go ahead. It's a great opportunity for us.
BROOKS: Now when is this going to kick off? In about two hours?
CURRIE: In about two hours, that's right. It will go on for a couple of hours, and it's a great opportunity for people to bring together the assets and the communication to make sure everything is working smoothly.
BROOKS: Mary, thank you very much. Appreciate it.
Now the exercise, as I said, is going to include 10 different agencies, from law enforcement, emergency planning. It's all going to take place right underneath the Golden Gate Bridge. Now this is on the north side, right near the hiker, biker trail that was actually shut down yesterday, and it's where you see the generators. It's going to take place right underneath there, and it should be kicking off within about two hours, so a little bit later, hopefully the fog will clear, we'll be able to see the San Francisco Bay, and we'll be able to see the beautiful Golden Gate Bridge, as they play out this disaster drill/training exercise -- Carol.
COSTELLO: All right, we'll check back with you, Mike Brooks, reporting live from California this morning.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
