State officials are putting together an organization that will use a network of volunteers to identify any possible terrorist activity that could occur around probable targets such as water reservoirs or railroads, a Jefferson County official said.
The organization, known as West Virginia Watch, will be headed up by a statewide coordinator named by Gov. Bob Wise, Jefferson County Commission President James K. Ruland said last week.
Each county will be asked to name a coordinator, who will oversee a group of volunteers, Ruland said.
Each volunteer will be responsible for keeping an eye on specific landmarks or facilities that could become a terrorist target, such as a water reservoir, an electric generating facility or a rail yard where railroad cars filled with chemicals are often located, Ruland said.
For the volunteers, the task can be as simple as observing the facilities every day on the way to work.
Any suspected terrorist activity would be reported to the state director through a toll-free telephone number, Ruland said.
