HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) -- A national terrorism drill in Connecticut next week will be the first test for Gov. M. Jodi Rell's homeland security agency, which is only a few months old and still working out its job descriptions.
Dozens of agencies are participating in the drill that is set to begin Monday and centers around simulated attacks in Connecticut and New Jersey.
In Connecticut, no agency will be more heavily scrutinized than the newly created Department of Emergency Management and Homeland Security, which has been racing to consolidate agencies under one roof even as it prepares for the drill.
''We're trying to do so many tasks,'' said James ''Skip'' Thomas, Connecticut's homeland security chief. ''We're starting a new agency. Plus you've got all the day-to-day operations that we have to deal with in emergency management. Plus the legislature has many expectations of us as an agency. To say we've been extremely busy would be a significant understatement. We're going straight out.''
Those participating in the drill, called TOPOFF, do not know how it will unfold. It is designed to test the state's communication plans in a chaotic environment. For Connecticut, those plans, flow charts and leadership pyramids are so new, some haven't even been finalized.
''If you really want to test something's strength, acid test it,'' said Kerry Flaherty, director of the new agency's emergency management operations. ''This is really the acid test.''
Rell expressed confidence in her team last week, predicting it would pass the terrorism test ''with flying colors.''
She gutted the homeland security agency when she took office, replacing the leadership of a department that was criticized locally even as it drew accolades nationally. Lawmakers had accused officials of misusing federal money on no-show overtime. Those charges were disproved, but the inquiry crippled the agency's reputation.
Today, the agency has a number of new faces at the top. Most are veterans in public safety, but the agency is still operating out of numerous offices and on several payrolls.
Leadership teams also are in flux at the Department of Environmental Protection, which will respond to the mock chemical attack, and at the Department of Public Safety, which includes the Connecticut State Police.
''I don't think terrorists would wait for the best time (for us) to launch an attack,'' said Public Safety Commissioner Leonard Boyle. ''I think it's probably not the optimum time for us given the transition period, but it's going to be baptism by fire and we'll learn a whole lot from it.''
Thomas said the timing of the drill does have some benefits: Because many of the procedures are still evolving, they will be easier to change if next week's drill exposes any weaknesses.
''I think it's also a good opportunity to see what our strengths are,'' Thomas said. ''And if we need to, we can make some modifications as we go.''
