Coordinating Response to a Terrorist

Coordinating Response to a Terrorist Bombing

Te immediate concern following a terrorist bombing at a university is, of course, the safety of the student body, faculty, and other personnel in the affected buildings at the time of the attack. Contacting emergency medical services as soon as the bombing occurs can be crucial in saving lives; activating these first responder units is a natural first step in responding to these incidents. Local fire departments, including the university's own fire department if applicable and the city/county department of the locale where the university is located, are also a part of this first response, and can limit the threat to life and health that structural damage, fire, and other hazards that are potential results of a bombing present. These responses may seem obvious, and indeed they are generally known by members of the lay public given the current geopolitical climate, but there are other entities and teams that need to be contacted with great speed in order to effectively respond to a terrorist bombing.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have issued guidelines for recommendations in dealing with the surge of medical needs for victims of the bombing (2007). Contacting local hospitals and other nearby emergency service organizations, when needed and available, can be key in providing enough to lead time to effectively triage and begin treatment for the large and sudden influx of victims that can be expected after such an incident (CDC 2007). Burn and trauma units should be made especially alert, and hospital systems for calling in extra emergency services, which should already be in place as part of an emergency plan, should be activated to increase the number of available personnel (CDC 2007).

In addition to the immediate and ongoing medical concerns of the victims of the bombing, ensuring that the university campus is secure and that no other imminent risks to life or property exist is also a priority (DHS 2010). FEMA operates urban search and rescue that typically are engaged after large-scale natural disasters but that can be effective in searching for survivors and preventing further risk from structural damage and degradation (DHS 2010). The Department of Homeland Security has also helped to prepare guidelines for local emergency response units, which should have plans ready for securing the university area, ensuring that no other explosive devices are present, and maintaining general security during a time of what will almost certainly be mass panic (DHS 2010). Depending on the placement and extent of the damage to the university, temporary shelters, food, and water may need to be made available for students and potentially others that find themselves stranded and without shelter as a result of the bombing; local business such as supermarkets that have quick command of large amounts of product can be very useful in providing these services in the immediate aftermath of an attack.