Biden's LV Security Detail

When someone like VP Joe Biden visits the Lehigh Valley, it's obviously a challenge for law enforcement and emergency management personnel on every level. How did they keep VP Joe Biden safe and out of harm's way while he was here?

Yesterday, I spoke with some Northampton County emergency management officials. Although they were unable to tell me everything, they did share a few interesting details that provide a glimpse into exactly what is involved.

"We were really busy," explained one of these officials. He told me that the county was in charge of making sure that everyone - state police, feds and locals - could talk to each other. That went off without a hitch.

The state police took care of transportation logistics. When Biden was en route along Route 22, the entire highway was closed. Cruisers blocked traffic at exit ramps until the VP's vehicle had passed through the area. Overhead, a chopper monitored everything, from the VP's progress to the blocking of all exits. I was told the wait was very minimal.

Unfortunately, the staties missed a big one, one of the Route 33 exits pouring traffic onto Route 22. The chopper kept calling for help, but nobody would reach the exit in time. So the helicopter landed smack dab on the exit ramp itself, blocking traffic until the VP had gone by.

How cool is that!

I was also told that, for some reason, the FBI needed to borrow a few chemical suits from emergency management. Maybe the Northampton County Bulldog, Ron Angle, had gas.

Was there a command post? Yep, but I have no idea where it was located.

Because the VP's trip to the Blue was purely political, I understand John Callahan's congressional campaign will have to pay for most, if not all, the security coverage provided.

That's gonna' be one big bill.

But in the end, all this security coverage failed. They forgot the one thing the really needed to protect Joe Biden.

Duct tape.