By John Kiesewetter
The Cincinnati Enquirer

WEST CHESTER TWP. - Somewhere in this Butler County community is a "critical facility" for homeland security that gets around-the-clock police protection during code-orange high alerts.

All Police Chief John W. Bruce will say is that it's a private company, not a government facility. And, he added in response to a query, it's not Banthrax Corp., which manufactures the Safe-T-Dome tabletop anthrax containment device in West Chester. Nor, he said, is the facility in question the Islamic Center of Greater Cincinnati, which drew police protection immediately after Sept. 11.

The security detail ordered here by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in March and April - during the height of the Iraqi war - came to light at a recent township trustees meeting.

A check for $17,062, to reimburse police overtime expenses, was presented to trustees by William Turner, director of the Butler County Emergency Management Agency.

"It's been real teamwork to get this carried out in the township," Turner said.

Carried out where?

"I've got to think how much I can say," Turner said, pausing a moment.

Then he said: "I don't want to say any more."

Turner did say that the government ordered around-the-clock protection again at the West Chester company - and at a Monroe site - in late December and early January during another code-orange high alert. Overtime reimbursements have been requested for those assignments, he said.

He wouldn't discuss the Monroe site, either.

jkiesewetter@enquirer.com