Homeland Security Training Center

Camp Gruber's Homeland Security Training Center is on the verge of shutting down. As the News on 6 first told you last month the Center's funding runs out the end of July. <br/><br/>New funding

Wednesday, May 5th 2004, 2:30 pm

By: News On 6

Camp Gruber's Homeland Security Training Center is on the verge of shutting down. As the News on 6 first told you last month the Center's funding runs out the end of July.

New funding is uncertain and as the News on 6's Rick Wells tells us, the exercise currently underway at the Training Center could be the last.

Actor: â€œThatâ€™s my husband.â€ Sheâ€™s an actor, the firefighter is real, this is an exercise from last year, testing first responders on their ability to handle the results of terrorist attacks, and the situations are made to look as real as they can.

Broken Arrow Fire Captain Jerome Karasek: "You can read it in the books. You can see it, but then applying it and having the pressure applied is pretty authentic." Camp Gruber is home to something they call the National Homeland Security Training Center.

Since it opened in July of 2002 it has conducted 30 of these exercises designed to confront first responders with circumstances they might face in the aftermath of a terrorist attack. When they can they integrate police fire and EMS agencies in the same exercise.

Ed Bundy with the Homeland Security Training Center: "They're able to share knowledge and resources and again learn what each other does so if an actual incident occurs it's not the first time they've worked together.â€

The problem is if funding isn't renewed from somewhere the exercise currently underway at Camp Gruber will be the last. Last year the funding came from the US Department of Defense. This year the $3.8-million request went to the US Homeland Security Department, so far the center has heard nothing.

The News on 6 contacted US Congressman Brad Carson's office in Washington to see if he might be willing to intercede on behalf of the Training Center funding. So far, the News on 6 hasnâ€™t heard back.