PDF Emergency Response to Terrorism Download
- Author:
- Publisher: DIANE Publishing
- ISBN: 1428981195
- Category : Disaster relief
- Languages : en
- Pages : 103
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Examines the Federal Government's programs that are designed to assist State and local emergency officials in preparing for a terrorist attack involving nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons. Witnesses: Charles Cagin, Acting Assist. Sec. of Defense (Reserve Affairs), DoD; John Eversole, Chicago Fire Dept., and Chair, Haz. Materials Comm., Internat. Assoc. of Fire Chiefs; Mark Gebicke, Dir., Nat. Security and Preparedness Issues, GAO; Catherine Light, Dir., Office of National Security Affairs, FEMA; Barbara Martinez, Deputy Dir., Nat. Domestic Preparedness Office, FBI; and Ann Simank, Oklahoma City Council Member, on behalf of the Nat. League of Cities.
The Metropolitan Medical Response System (MMRS) program of the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) provides funds to major U. S. cities to help them develop plans for coping with the health and medical consequences of a terrorist attack with chemical, biological, or radiological (CBR) agents. DHHS asked the Institute of Medicine (IOM) to assist in assessing the effectiveness of the MMRS program by developing appropriate evaluation methods, tools, and processes to assess both its own management of the program and local preparedness in the cities that have participated in the program. This book provides the managers of the MMRS program and others concerned about local capabilities to cope with CBR terrorism with three evaluation tools and a three-part assessment method. The tools are a questionnaire survey eliciting feedback about the management of the MMRS program, a table of preparedness indicators for 23 essential response capabilities, and a set of three scenarios and related questions for group discussion. The assessment method described integrates document inspection, a site visit by a team of expert peer reviewers, and observations at community exercises and drills.
Emergency Response to Domestic Terrorism analyzes the emergency response to the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City on April 19, 1995. Terrorism is a complex threat, and the American government is expected to deter or intervene in every attack. For that reason, the government must be better prepared to respond to acts of terror. One critical element is to understand what constitutes an "effective response." To answer this key question, the author examined the existing literature and interviewed thirty-one elite participants in the emergency response to the bombing. The result is a unique qualitative case study that analyzes the response efforts undertaken after the bombing to draw conclusions about their relative success or failure. Emergency Response to Domestic Terrorism looks at the nature and interrelationship of bureaucratic structures involved in the response, the organizational networking between the response bureaucracy, and the impact of bureaucratic culture on the response. The work contributes to the existing literatures in both emergency response and bureaucracy. First, theoretical arguments about bureaucracies and their function are put to the test as they are applied to a specific crisis situation. Second, interview materials with key individuals who were on the scene of this American terrorist disaster are provided. Third, the emergency response literature is examined to determine whether the Oklahoma City bombing exhibited the anticipated response challenges. In addition, the work provides insights into the extent to which response communities are familiar with federal response guidelines. The overall results of the study are applicable to emergency response to terrorist incidents and to natural disasters. By bringing together the academic and the practical aspects of emergency response, the work will appeal to students, practitioners, and policymakers. Further, it will foster better understanding of public policy and public administration in general.
The Federal Criminal Code was found to have no specific prohibition against terrorist acts and threats; however, a multitude of Federal laws, both substantive and procedural, may be used to apprehend and prosecute suspected terrorists. Efforts should be made to examine State governments' capabilities in dealing with disruptive terrorist incidents, and to inventory Federal government resources available in each State. The review should determine the recent incident and future potential of terrorist activity, the governor's statutory authority to declare a state of emergency, the role of a comprehensive emergency manager, law enforcement ability to gather adequate intelligence about terrorist groups, and State criminal code provisions for prosecution of terrorists.