(The Quad City Times posted the following article by Kay Luna on its website on March 19.)
CLINTON, Iowa — Bridge foreman Jerry Naughton is used to seeing heightened security at the hulking swings-pan railroad bridge, owned by Union Pacific Railroad, over the Mississippi River at Clinton.
After the terrorist acts of Sept. 11, 2001, a security guard was moved to the foot of the bridge, which carries 60-70 trains a day across the Mississippi River along the railroad’s main east-west line from Los Angeles to Chicago.
Around-the-clock security was set up again Tuesday, after the U.S. Department of Homeland Security identified the bridge as one of two critical assets in the state that require extra protection against possible terrorism.
More than 250 sites across the country, mostly bridges and military bases, were pinpointed for special watch under the nation s new heightened security alert. The only other site in Iowa listed as critical was the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad bridge in Fort Madison.
“We have not been given any specific threat information,” said Ellen Gordon, the director of the Iowa Emergency Management Division. “I want to stress that these are precautionary measures only. As always, citizens must be alert and cautious, but there is no need for alarm. ”
Wally Henry, Clinton County s emergency management coordinator, definitely was concerned when he received a phone call at home late Monday about the railroad bridge security concerns.
He said the state’s emergency management office included him in a conference call that night with other officials, but left details of the security plans up to local jurisdictions to iron out.
Henry and other officials scrambled Tuesday to decide what action to take, while being careful to consider the needs of the railroad.
“That still is railroad property, ” Henry said. “We want to try to work in conjunction with them. ”
Henry huddled throughout the day with Clinton County Sheriff Rick Lincoln, Clinton Police Chief Brian Guy, Clinton County Board of Supervisors member Grant Wilke and other law enforcement officials.
The group came up with a rotating list of officers from the city police department, county sheriff’s department, Iowa State Patrol and Iowa Department of Natural Resources to guard the bridge at all times.
The guards will be in place until further notice from the state. Henry said local law enforcement agencies will cover the costs of sending guards to the bridge, while making sure the rest of their jurisdictions also are protected.
“Our first line of defense is to make an obvious presence known down there, ” Henry said. “And if current events escalate, so will our method in dealing with it in equal proportion.
“Nothing has been voiced in terms of a threat, ” he added. “This is a Class 1 precautionary level, as far as we’re concerned. ”
Mike Andrew works as a swing-span operator, opening and closing the bridge’s swing span several times throughout his eight-hour shift in a 20-by-20 shack nestled high on the bridge.
He opened the span Tuesday for the first time this season to allow barges through.
As he worked from his perch, Andrew said he doesn’t know if the bridge needs security from terrorism. He said workers had to show identification when they arrived for their shifts after Sept. 11, 2001.
“The thing about this place,” he said, “if something happens, there’s no place to go up here. “