The role of fire fighters throughout the nation has changed - probably forever. More accurately, it has dramatically expanded to include homeland defense, a concept that, prior to Sept. 11, 2001, had not been prominent in this country's preparedness strategy since World War Two.

In the immediate aftermath of the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, it became stunningly clear that homeland defense has become a vital and frightening aspect of a new war - a conflict against terrorism that will be fought within America's borders, as well as overseas. It soon became equally clear that, on the home front, fire fighters will be at the front lines of this unique kind of conflict.

Before the attacks, fire fighters were concerned about putting out blazes of all kinds and sizes and in the process, protecting lives and property. They still are, just as much as they ever were. However, now and for the foreseeable future, they also must be concerned with protecting lives and property from international terrorists. The challenge has become a whole lot tougher, as if it wasn't difficult enough already. The mission is enormous, as are the stakes. Following are two excerpts from a widely-quoted article headlined "City by city, terror war goes local" that appeared in the prestigious Christian Science Monitor:

Just as America is relying on fire fighters, "the troops" are relying on America's commitment to giving them the resources they require to do the job.

"If the World Trade Center attacks reinforced one lesson, it's that cities are the first line of defense in most any disaster. Until Sept. 11, most cities had some kind of emergency response plans in place. But they were often for hurricanes or industrial accidents or some other more conventional calamity. Few, if any, were prepared for the kind of biological, chemical, or other evil deed that terrorists might devise."

In other words, cities are likely battlegrounds in the new war and the defense strategy on those local fronts must take into account every kind of weapon from explosives to bioagents and deadly chemicals. The key "troops" in this defense effort? Fire fighters!

These realities raise some significant issues. To effectively meet their greatly expanded challenge, fire fighters must be provided with specialized training and equipment. Just as America is relying on fire fighters, "the troops" are relying on America's commitment to giving them the resources they require to do the job.

"Simply stated, we must be trained for new contingencies and equipped to deal with them," said MAFF President Jim Thompson. "This includes training in biological and chemical warfare. Similarly, training in the evacuation of buildings, especially high-rise structures, should be mandatory for all fire fighters. Further, all our people should be inoculated against Hepatitis, Anthrax, Smallpox and every other bio-agent terrorists might use."

Among other major considerations for protecting and arming front-line personnel in the new war, certain equipment and safety procedure requirements stand out.

"We need to be able to protect ourselves when we enter a suspected contaminated scene," Thompson said." Merely having surgical rubber gloves is far from sufficient. Hazardous material suits are an absolute must. In addition, protocols for decontamination of facilities also need to be established and implemented for fire fighters, in the event they accidentally come into contact with any biological or chemical agents."

The Christian Science Monitor article, which pointed out that not just New York City and Washington D.C. are affected by the war on terrorism, but smaller towns as well, noted that these issues are being addressed in some jurisdictions: "...cities are already considering dramatic action to pay for new personal protective equipment and training," it said. "Kings County, Wash., which includes Seattle, is considering a one-time $3 million property tax increase to help pay for all the new expenses."

It also observed that before Sept. 11 "the federal government had earmarked $8.7 billion to combat terrorism," but "only about $300 million was expected to go to local authorities."

Amy Smithson, a bio-terrorism expert at the Henry L. Stimson Center in Washington, asserted that "The moneys have to get to the locals."

Thompson cited another crucial area of concern - the need for true teamwork between all fire fighting and law enforcement entities.

"This is a very critical point all of us must address. We have to work together by sharing information that will result in saving innocent lives," he declared. "President Bush's creation of a Homeland Defense cabinet post and naming former Pennsylvania Governor Thomas Ridge to the position was a very positive step in this area."

Importantly, the Homeland Security Council that was established concurrently with Ridge's appointment is charged with managing the development and implementation of homeland security policies and coordinating these policies with state and local governments.

"This move will be wasted, however, unless agency disputes and jealousies are set aside and a truly cooperative effort is achieved on a continuing basis," Thompson said.

How important are factors such as interagency cooperation, specialized training and proper equipment?

"The US military would never think of sending troops into combat that are poorly trained and insufficiently equipped, and would never put its personnel at risk without having gathered and shared all available intelligence," he declared.

"Simply stated, we must be trained for new contingencies and equipped to deal with them. This includes training in biological and chemical warfare. Similarly, training in the evacuation of buildings, especially high-rise structures, should be mandatory for all fire fighters."

"To do any of those things would ensure defeat. The same is true on the home front. And, make no mistake, this country is at war, has been since last Sept. 11, and will continue to be both overseas and within its borders.

"In the homeland defense against terrorists who are armed with chemical or biological or more conventional weapons such as bombs, it would be unthinkable to send first-line troops - fire fighters - into battle without everything they require to do the job."