Ohio's counterterrorism nerve center quadrupled in size yesterday, a move that state and federal officials said should help sniff out potential acts of terrorism before they occur.
Ohio's counterterrorism nerve center quadrupled in size yesterday, a move that state and federal officials said should help sniff out potential acts of terrorism before they occur.
State officials christened the new Strategic Analysis and Information Center during a ceremony at the Ohio Department of Public Safety's headquarters on the Hilltop. Better known as the "fusion center," the 9,000-square-foot facility houses Ohio's 39 terrorism watchdogs, a variety of computers and a giant monitor that displays current happenings.
Yesterday, it showed CNN, traffic cameras and weather maps.
Ohio's original fusion center opened in 2005 in the Ohio Emergency Management Agency building on W. Dublin-Granville Road.
Fusion centers caught on nationally in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attack, which revealed a lack of coordination among federal, state and local agencies that are supposed to track terrorist threats and respond to emergencies.
Ohio's fusion center includes officials from the Department of Public Safety, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the Columbus Division of Police and other agencies.
The U.S. has 72 fusion centers, Ohio officials said.
"It really serves as that information-sharing platform for the federal government to get the information on the plans and techniques to give them a better ability to detect unlawful activity," said Bart R. Johnson, the principal deputy undersecretary for intelligence and analysis at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. He spoke at the dedication ceremony yesterday.
Johnson assured that the newfound intelligence-sharing capabilities wouldn't be used to violate civil liberties or infringe on privacy. About two hours after he spoke, lawmakers on the state Controlling Board authorized spending on the Camera Integration Project, which will allow authorities to access public and private camera systems at schools, roadways, state and federal buildings and private facilities from a single location.
Ohio Department of Homeland Security officials said the fusion center will be staffed from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays, with duty officers on call at other times.
About 80 percent of staff time is spent evaluating routine law-enforcement information, while the other 20 percent is spent examining specific threats and communicating with federal authorities, according to the state homeland security office.
Dispatch reporter Jim Siegel contributed to this story.
jnash@dispatch.com