Critical infrastructure vulnerability assessment for urban terrorist attack scenarios

Decontamination Plan

One major challenge facing the U.S. Homeland security is how to protect the nation's airports. The most striking thing is that the U.S. airports have continued to be vulnerable despite the enhanced security measures that have been implemented therein after the terrorist attack that occurred on September 11, 2002(Lenckus, 2011). In this paper, I will present and explain the plan and strategies for decontaminating two of the nation's airports, namely the Baltimore International Airport (BWI) and the San Francisco International Airport (SIA), in the event of a chemical terrorist attack. To promote a better understanding of the relevance of this decontamination plan, it is worth taking a brief look at why these airports are vulnerable to terrorists' attack.

Why Both Airports Are Vulnerable

Broadly speaking, due to the problem of unauthorized ramp access (a situation that have not changed even after the 9-11 terrorist attack), most international airports in the United States, including the BWI and SIA, are insecure from terrorist attacks. It is sufficient to note here that the ramps of the major international airports have been used by aliens as well as drug smugglers since September 11, 2001 due to the fact that they are wide open to penetration. This calls for a great concern because the same method that the smugglers used to bring illegal drugs into the United States can be used by the terrorists to smuggle in firearms, chemical biological and nuclear devices. (Farah, 2011).

Another reason that makes these airports vulnerable is that protecting public places is a very difficult exercise. Providing 100% protection for such places will not only be too costly and disruptive but can also create new vulnerabilities.

Having explained why these two airports are vulnerable and hence can be the likely targets of the terrorists, I will now proceed to discuss the decontamination considerations and procedure in the event of a chemical attack on them. This will be the topic of the following section.

Decontaminating BWI and SIA -- Proper and Initial Considerations

Generally speaking, toxic and lethal chemicals are particularly attractive weapons to terrorists owing to their availability and relative ease of dispersal. It is important to note here that if a chemical attack occurs in an airport such as the BWI and the SIA, the result will be very catastrophic. In addition, because of the time involved to remediate the airport following such attack, the economic losses will be equally significant. This fact serves as a wake-up call for all airports and airlines in the United States to make preparations not only to decontaminate the area but also to make emergency preparations for the treatment of the passengers that may be contaminated by such chemical substances.

In the event of a chemical attack on BWI and SIA, both passengers/mass and facilities decontamination will be necessary. Hence, prior to undertaking any exercise aimed at detecting and analyzing the chemical agent, mass decontamination and treatment should be resumed promptly.

Mass Decontamination

In the event of a chemical attack to BWI and SIA, this will involve the decontamination of large number of people in the airports. Such chemical attack will normally make the thousands of victims who use these airports to be in a state of panic thereby creating scenes of collective hysteria. In this kind of situation, to help control panic and keep order, mass decontamination will require the assistance of the police and both the airport and Homeland Security personnel. And since the victims may, in some cases, be forcibly rounded up and then treated in impromptu or designated decontamination areas, mass decontamination under these circumstances can take on some of the features of mass arrests. Generally speaking, close collaboration between the police and fire departments will be necessary for successful mass decontamination in this kind of scenario. In addition, to help maintain calm, augment or replace rescue and security personnel, and assist with the decontamination procedure, volunteers may also be needed.

It is important to note here that the decontamination exercise itself will be done on fixed or mobile facilities. Generally speaking, most airports usually have at least one decontamination facility as a way of preparing for such attacks. And mobile decontamination facilities that have the capability of generating decontamination foams in large quantities are used in newer airports.

Facility Decontamination

As a way of decontaminating these airports, the airport officials and other relevant agencies will be required to ensure that:

1. The airport (the release site) are completely evacuated;

2. The airport are properly ventilated;

3. A plan is established so as to carefully monitor and assess the airports and other affected areas;

4. All areas where the chemical agent is present are decontaminated;

5. After thorough testing of the airports and other affected area, the public are given proper assurance that the threat has passed.

It is sufficient to note here that it will be a large and complex undertaking to restore BWI and SIA airports to operation after the chemical attack. Generally speaking, the first responders who may be the airport security, paramedics, and the National Guard will perform the first operation, which involves using air-sampling equipment to detect and identify the kind of chemical agent used (such as sarin). Sampling would follow once the compound is identified, the aim being to determine the extent of contamination as well as the areas that requires immediate decontamination. To ensure public safety and restore public confidence, the airport security and other relevant agencies must state with confidence that no harmful residue remains following decontamination before the airports can re-open for business. This they can do through a press conference and any other convenience means.

Having explained the decontamination considerations and procedures for BWI and SIA airports, I will now turn to the roles of the first responders. This will be covered in the following section.

The Role of First Responders