"I cannot say if the word 'anthrax' was used," Flood said. "When you have something initially, you try to be as quick as possible. . . . We weren't going to go into a whole dissertation" about the suspicion of anthrax, he said.
Fairfax leaders emphasized that -- as was the case Sept. 11, 2001 -- fire and police departments are always first-responders in such emergencies.
_____Live Discussion_____
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Transcript: Fairfax's Gerald E. Connolly (D) discussed coordination between government officials.
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Events Leading to Anthrax Alert
_____More on Preparedness_____
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Anthrax Alarm Uncovers Response Flaws (The Washington Post, Mar 17, 2005)
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New Tests For Anthrax Negative (The Washington Post, Mar 16, 2005)
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Officials Say Fairfax Was Out of Loop (The Washington Post, Mar 16, 2005)
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Anthrax Facts (The Washington Post, Mar 16, 2005)
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Negative Results But Very Real Fears (The Washington Post, Mar 16, 2005)
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More Preparedness Stories
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| ___ Guide ___ Personal Preparedness Guide
 Dirty bombs, anthrax and smallpox: an informative guide to understanding the threat and protecting you and your family.
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"It's not the Army or Navy who responds -- it's local government," Connolly said. Had his county known of a potentially similar incident at the Pentagon, "we might have taken some early measures to double-check the Skyline facilities," he said. Fairfax has dozens of federal buildings that could be targets for bioterror attacks, officials said.
A public health advocate called sharing information "Public Health 101."
"Had they had a heads-up about an incident in one area, they would have been able to say very quickly [about Skyline]: You have two data points, which is a trend," said Shelley Hearne, executive director of the Trust for America's Health, a nonpartisan advocacy group.
Rep. James P. Moran Jr. (D-Va), who represents areas where the facilities are located, said he is preparing a letter to Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld asking why information was withheld on the Pentagon mailroom investigation.
"You could say it's all moot because there wasn't a crisis," Moran said. "But we had a flaw in the system. We have to assume that at some point, we will detect something real and lethal."
Staff writer Lori Montgomery contributed to this report
