“The designation of a new WMD Civil Support Team in New Jersey gives us a rapid response capability we currently don’t have and the CST is a major security enhancement that will help protect our residents and our critical infrastructure,” Smith said.

            Under the program, a 22-member team will be staffed by full-time National Guardsmen and women -- all paid in full by the federal government.  The designation also brings with it state of the art equipment which will be manned 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

 Smith said the team would be charged with being the primary respondent to any terrorist attack involving WMD, such as an attack involving biological, chemical, or radiological elements.

            “Once the CST is activated, our state will have a qualified, well-trained first line of defense that would be charged with helping coordinate and lead a response to any incident involving WMD, like the fall 2001 anthrax crisis,” Smith said.

            “The equipment provided includes a mobile lab to assess chemical and biological agents and a full communications suite to enable NJ first responders, health experts and scientists to analyze the threat and take swift and appropriate action,” Smith said.

            Smith, who led the New Jersey Congressional Delegation’s efforts to bring a CST to New Jersey, has also played a critical role in ensuring that federal homeland security officials provide adequate funding to safeguard the state’s major interstate highway network, airports, rail stations and rail corridors, bridges, manufacturing plants, and other critically important sites.

            Thanks to the efforts of Smith and the delegation, more than $100 million in homeland security dollars have been earmarked for New Jersey or joint-state security initiatives that include New Jersey.