Bill Murray, CEO of the Jersey Coast Chapter of the American Red Cross, Tinton Falls, has announced that Bill Beatty of Whiting has been appointed to serve on the regional Weapons of Mass Destruction/Terrorism Task Force. The task force is comprised of both career and volunteer staff personnel from New Jersey, New York and Connecticut.
"Beatty was selected for this very important task force because of his extensive experience as a disaster volunteer for almost two decades and for the leadership capabilities he has displayed as director of Disaster Services at our chapter," said Murray.
All members have extensive backgrounds in disaster response with the Red Cross.
Beatty said, "The most significant difference between a weapons of mass destruction (WMD) event and natural disaster is that a WMD event involves a crime at its source. This will necessitate the heavy involvement of law enforcement at all levels of government."
"The Red Cross must be able to take into account the additional security requirements and interaction with law enforcement that working with these types of disasters will entail," he continued.
Beatty added, "Because of the Sept. 11 attacks, the timeline for developing a safety and security disaster response function has been placed on a priority so that we can respond with increased emphasis on safety and security issues."