The system used by the state to track the West Nile virus will soon be used in the event of a bioterrorist attack, and to monitor other emergencies and disasters throughout Pennsylvania.

The computer tracking system is being modified by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to be available for use in other emergencies, said Richard McGarvey, Pennsylvania Department of Health (DOH) spokesman.

The revised system, which is being called PAIRS (Pennsylvania Incident Reporting System), will link Pennsylvania agencies such as the DEP, DOH, Department of Agriculture and Emergency Management Agency, McGarvey said. All departments have helped to modify the system to be used.

The West Nile tracking system takes data imputed by counties' emergency management coordinators and maps them, McGarvey said. With PAIRS, officials from various parts of Pennsylvania would input data on anything from car accidents to chemical spills.

The new data system would allow department officials to link seemingly unrelated incidents reported by other departments to see a cause-effect relationship, McGarvey said. "The system helps us understand what is taking place and who is at risk," he added. In the event of bioterrorism, state officials would be able to pick up on trends earlier than they would without the system. "[PAIRS] allows us to take information that comes from other parts of the state that may seem unrelated and to put it together to spot trends," DEP spokesman Ron Ruman said.

The DEP is still working to fine-tune the new reporting system, Ruman said. They hope to have PAIRS working by this summer, but no exact time frame has been established, he said. "[The department] is continuing to work on PAIRS -- they're working on doing it right rather than fast," Ruman said.

Modeling PAIRS after the West Nile system is a good idea because tracking the virus is something the state has become familiar with and has learned how to deal with through history and experience, said Stephen Abrams, emergency coordinator for Penn State and the State College area.

Using the system for things other than bioterrorism is also great preparation for a possible emergency, Abrams said. By practicing with the system, state officials would already know the routine of the system and be prepared to use it in an emergency, he said.

"It's the same as a fire drill back in school -- you practice it so much that if a fire actually started, you'd automatically know where to go," he added.