Hampton, Virginia Is Not Necessarily

Hampton, Virginia is not necessarily one of the biggest cities in the United States. However, it is a relatively large urban sprawl, and is thus open for a potential terrorist attack. In such an event, the city could possibly be on its own to respond to such an emergency without the aid of external assistance. A review of the city's plan does show some clear strength in following NIMS guidelines, but could be improved upon.

The city's emergency plan in the event of a natural disaster or terrorist event has been laid out. That is one of the variables that really make the city's plan align with the standards laid out by National Response Team's guide the National Incident Management System. There are measures which force local emergency responding agencies to comply with in terms of training, drills, and preparation (FEMA 2011). The plan details a very thorough chain of command which would step into place and manage emergency responses from a central location (City of Hampton 2012). This therefore correlates with many of the NMIS standards which demand a strict preemptive strategy that can then be rolled out with as much efficiency as possible in the event of a terrorist attack.

However, there are some clear issues which could be improved upon in order to prevent more widespread damage in the event of a major terrorist attack which would impact 25% or more percent of the city's population. First it is the Community Development organization of the city that is in charge of overall Emergency Management, as defined by its lead position in the Hampton Matrix of Responsibilities (City of Hampton 2012). This department in the city does not seem like the appropriate department to take the lead on emergency services management. This department is also charged with the responsibilities dealing with External Affairs, making it a very important role in the event of a terrorist act. Yet, the department has relatively little power or authority in other city decisions, leaving it open to vulnerabilities because it often lacks such powerful experiences. Finally, each department is responsible for identifying "additional resources required in emergencies" outside of the City Manager's Office. These plans can often be drafted independently of each other, leaving potential gaps in their cooperation in the event of a terrorist attack. More unity and synergy should be incorporated in drafting emergency standards and logistics.

Question 2

Unfortunately, September 11, 2001 was not the first major terrorist attack that took place on U.S. soil. Prior to 9/11, several other bombings really hit American defenses hard, causing emergency response teams to test their logistics plans like no other way possible. The 1995 bombing damaged 324 buildings, injured 680 people, and killed 168 (Giordano 2002). It was a shocker across the nation, and many emergency response agencies were involved in the aftermath that followed.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency was in charge of the federal relief strategy directly after the bombings took place. FEMA worked with local agencies and law enforcement which were the very first on the scene to deal with the carnage. Efforts of local agencies proved incredibly enduring and efficient, with the bomber Timothy McVeigh being apprehended shortly after the bombing took place. The initial response from local authorities and emergency response teams was stellar, with dozens of people being rescued from damaged buildings within the first few hours.