London blasts raise terrorism-alert level

Marisa O’Neil and Andrew Edwards

Thursday’s terrorist attacks in London prompted increased security on

local buses and trains, but otherwise had little effect on local

agencies’ already-vigilant stances, authorities said.

The Department of Homeland Security raised the terrorism-alert

level to orange -- the government’s second-highest level -- only for

public transportation, following explosions on subway trains and a

bus in London that killed at least 37 people and injured hundreds

more. The Orange County Transportation Authority, which operates

buses and 47 miles of Amtrak and Metrolink track, beefed up security

in response, spokesman Ted Nguyen said.

“We have been in contact with law enforcement agencies, including

the FBI Joint Terrorist Task Force and Orange County Sheriff’s

Department’s early warning group,” Nguyen said. “We did increase

security. We deployed transit police at our railroad routes to patrol

and are performing increased checks at all rail stations and

transportation hubs throughout Orange County.”

Newport Beach police have “specific deployment plans” to put into

action when the terrorism-threat level is raised, Sgt. Bill Hartford

said. But since the alert on Thursday was specific to public

transportation, those plans weren’t put into action, he said.

Officers are trained to look out for potential terrorism dangers,

he said.

“Since 9/11, we constantly monitor public works and the

transportation infrastructure of the city as part of our normal

patrols,” Hartford said.

Costa Mesa is also relying on security measures already in place.

“We haven’t raised our threat level,” Sgt. Marty Carver said.

“We’re responding to all calls we get. If anything to do with a bomb

came in, we would handle it accordingly.”

John Wayne Airport took “additional precautionary measures” but

was otherwise operating as usual, spokeswoman Jenny Wedge said.

“Passengers shouldn’t see anything different,” she said.

Airport officials already are encouraging travelers to arrive at

least two hours early for increased summer travel, she said.

In London, however, it was a different story.

Newport Beach-based Universal Guardian Holdings Inc. is a security

services firm that has a subsidiary called SecureRisks Ltd.,

headquartered in London. David Hopps, director of special risks for

London’s SecureRisks Ltd. said its employees were “very lucky” to

have avoided injury, since one of the explosions was about 400 yards

from Secure Risks’ offices.

“We in the United Kingdom have sort of lived with terrorism for

quite a number of years,” Hopps said by phone from there on Thursday.

“We lived through the Blitz. We lived through 25 years of the IRA

planting bombs in London, and the mentality is we’ve got to get on

with our daily lives.”

“I wouldn’t say we’re on a war footing, but we are not completely

relaxed about things.”

Another business unit in the Universal Guardian umbrella is

expected to unveil a new transportation security system in the coming

weeks, Chief Executive Michael Skellern said. He said events such as

the London bombings and the March 2004 Madrid attacks show the

vulnerability of transportation systems.

That’s despite precautions regularly taken throughout London.

Kristen Andersson, a Newport Harbor High School graduate and

former teacher at Paularino Elementary School, is now teaching in

northeast London. She said she noticed high levels of security in the

United Kingdom even before Thursday’s attacks.

“In the Tube stations and train stations, there are no trash

cans,” she said. “You can’t leave anything lying around. On the

trains, there are constant announcements to, ‘Please be aware of

people around you and packages that are left.’ And there are lots of

security people on foot, walking around.”

Andersson, 32, was in class with her 4- and 5-year old students at

Larkswood Primary School in Chingford -- about six miles from the

Liverpool Street station -- at the time of the attacks. She didn’t

hear what had happened until the morning recess, when most teachers

found text messages on their phones telling them of the explosions.

Many had trouble getting calls through to loved ones but were able

to reach them with text messages, she said.

The school day continued as normal, and the head teacher, or

principal, stayed late with children whose parents needed more time

to pick up their children.

All of London’s subway trains and buses were halted after the

attacks. That meant a disruption in a city that relies significantly

on public transportation.

“So many people are -- even now -- walking home from the city,”

Andersson said by phone some 10 hours after the attacks. “The

freeways are completely backed up. Cars aren’t moving. Everyone’s

trying to drive home.”

Andersson, who is moving with her husband, Thomas Andersson, to

his native Sweden in two weeks, said they’ll forego a planned trip

into central London this weekend.