MOSQUITO TRUCKS - Safety measures tightened

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Oct. 3, 2001, 9:54PM

Safety measures tightened for mosquito trucks

By ROMA KHANNA Copyright 2001 Houston Chronicle

In response to community fears that mosquito control trucks could become tools for terrorists, Harris County officials have stepped up safety measures for their drivers and equipment.

Since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, an average of 25 people a day have called the county's Mosquito Control Division to express concern over the late-night activity of its trucks, according to Sandy Kachur, a spokeswoman for the Harris County Health Department.

"There has been a lot of speculation that these trucks could be hijacked," Kachur said. "People are calling to say they saw a truck driving in their neighborhood at 4 a.m. and want to know if it was us."

Under the new guidelines, mosquito control truck drivers must call their supervisors every half-hour to ensure they are in control of their vehicles, in the right location and on schedule. Drivers previously were required to phone in every hour during their seven-hour shifts.

The Mosquito Control Division now also requires inventories of equipment and chemicals, all of which are kept locked. Trucks are checked each morning and every night before the beginning of a shift to ensure no one has tampered with them.

The increased precautions, enacted Sept. 23, come primarily as a response to heightened public concerns and not a fear the trucks are the potential targets of terrorists, Kachur said.

Mosquito control trucks usually spray from 8 p.m. to 3 a.m. Sunday through Thursday in neighborhoods around sites where St. Louis encephalitis activity has been confirmed.

-- Anonymous, October 03, 2001


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