Simultaneous Drills in Virginia Test Terror Response

Hoses were connected to hydrants, victims were tagged and triaged on the lawn and commanders conferred in the middle of Crystal Drive and gave rapid-fire orders to turn off water mains and evacuate the wounded.

Throughout the two-hour exercise, workers strolling to and from lunch just kept on strolling, more concerned about finding shade in the heat than they were about the five firetrucks, lights flashing, parked askew on the street.

It might have been a testament to how well the emergency exercise was publicized to minimize alarm -- fliers were widely distributed in advance in Crystal City, and signs were posted by the Virginia State Police.

Or maybe it just takes a lot to rattle those who work in the shadow of the Pentagon and still vividly remember what a real terrorist attack looks like.

While the drills are hardly lifelike -- firefighters yesterday neither entered the building nor kept on their heavy coats when the afternoon heat got too intense -- officials said the exercises are a vital part of creating an integrated network of responders who can effectively communicate and work as a team.

The goal is to avoid "what we saw at the World Trade Center," said Ryan Broughton, a designated observer and controller at the Crystal City drill. "Here, police are integrated. Everyone is on the same page."

Communication lapses in the face of potential terrorist threats have continued to make headlines since Sept. 11, despite efforts to improve emergency response.

D.C. police officials, for example, had no idea that fighter jets and helicopters were being deployed over Washington to intercept an errant plane last month, even though they had a sergeant in the federal Homeland Security command center and the ability at their own headquarters to monitor what was taking place.

John Jester, director of the Pentagon Force Protection Agency, said the drills are all about being on top of the game, in this case, managing resources when faced with more than one attack.

Data collected from the drills will be analyzed and used to tweak procedures.

"The more you do this, the better the plans are," Jester said. "You can't just write a plan. You have to test it."