San Francisco May Charge Residents Who Own Bioterrorism Detectors
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) _ San Francisco is considering legislation to charge people large fees for possessing biological agent detectors which are used to detect bio-terrorist attacks, but some are calling this a case of a solution looking for a problem.
KCBS' Barbara Taylor Reports:
San Francisco Board of Supervisors President David Chiu introduced the legislation on Tuesday. The devices, marketed to companies and building owners, claim to detect biological weapons such as anthrax, but are untested and could cause costly false alarms, Chiu said.
The response to a false alarm about bioterrorism could cost the city about $500,000 in the first 24 hours of the response, according to Chiu's office. He said the ordinance was "relevant to a post 9/11 reality" and was inspired by similar legislation in New York City.
The ordinance would require anyone who possesses one of the detectors to register it with the city, abide by various requirements, and pay a licensing fee. The owner of the device would also need to have a facility response plan in place in the event of an incident, and would have to pay penalties if there were false alarms. That could cost anywhere from $5,000 to $10,000. It would cost $1,700 to register one of the devices.
Chiu acknowledged people buy the devices in order to stay safe, but said "we need to make sure we don't create unnecessary public alarm when there is no need."
It is unknown how many of the devices can be found in the city, and there has never been a false alarm.
"There's no nationally recognized process to ensure that these are accurate and precise, or that they work well," said Doctor Erica Pan of the San Francisco Health Department.
The devices can be purchased online, and cost anywhere from a few hundred dollars to a few thousand.
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