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SAN FRANCISCO – The Federal Transit Administration's top official was in San Francisco on Wednesday to welcome about 100 transportation and security officials to a two-day forum on terrorism response coordination. 

FTA Administrator Jennifer Dorn traveled from San Jose, where a similar forum was conducted Monday and Tuesday for South Bay transportation officials. Wednesday's stop is the fifth of a 17-city tour in which FTA officials create a networking event for regional transportation officials and provide intelligence. 

A flurry of transportation and safety meetings occurred around the country following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks but Dorn said these current forums are going to be of more use because a coordinated effort was made to study the entire nation and then disperse that information locally. In addition, she said U.S. officials have talked to counterparts in other countries such as Israel to learn how they deal with terrorism. 

One of the key aspects of the federal effort is a comprehensive study of the country's top 37 transportation systems, including BART, AC Transit and Muni. Dorn said analysts scrutinized each system's security plan and developed recommendations that will be shared at the forums. 

Assistant Alameda County Sheriff Robert Maginnis said he is confident that the Bay Area is ready for anything, especially after developing a security plan for the 2012 Olympic host city bid that is under way. 

“In order to qualify, you have to have yourself together,” Maginnis said. 

Dorn acknowledged that the Bay Area is recognized as a leader because of its experience with earthquakes but said that is only one of an unknown number of potential scenarios. Terrorism can take many forms, she said, and what works for earthquakes might not be directly relevant to other, manmade disasters. 

“The plans have to be dynamic,” Dorn said. 

San Francisco Deputy Police Chief Richard Bruce, who is the head of the Special Operations and Security Detail, is in charge of a Police Department unit that responds to terrorist threats. Bruce was appointed to the position Aug. 5 but he said it took only four days for him to realize he needed some help coordinating a real-life response. 

Bruce was referring to a tip received Friday that terrorists were rumored to have been plotting to take a military airplane and attempt to crash it into the Golden Gate Bridge. The threat, which was deemed not credible, triggered a security alert through the weekend and caused Bruce to realize the importance of forums like the one Wednesday so local, state and federal officials can prepare for the next unexpected problem. “It's a dilemma we're going to face every day,” Bruce said.