An Iowa Emergency Management official starts work today on his first shift in the Emergency Operations Center at the Olympic Games. Pat Hall is Iowa’s public assistance officer and explains his duties in Salt Lake City.He’ll be the night shift operations officer from 10 p-m until 8 a-m. His main responsibility is to coordinate Utah state and federal agencies should a terrorist-type event or other emergency occur at the Games. While many fear the international event is a prime target for terrorism, Hall says he’s not worried.Hall says he’s taking on the job for one week to gain experience in case Iowa ever lands an event of that magnitude. As for recreation, Hall says he’s going to Salt Lake City to perform a task, not to be entertained by the world-class sports. Still, he may be able to sneak away during his off time to see a game or two, but he says the schedule is tight and tickets cost a lot. He says there are no free-ticket “perks” at the Olympics, even for top security personnel.
