Attacks on the World Trade

¶ … attacks on the world trade center, the U.S. government decided to evaluate and review the country's response capabilities following a man-made or man-initiated disaster. Memories of attacks and pictures of the first responders -- firefighters, police and paramedics at the scene are still very vivid in the minds of the public. Effective and speedy emergency communication has become paramount for response personnel when uncertainty occurs in the aftermath of a disaster. This paper will investigate the issues and the concerns that are faced by the first responders as a result of the new environment of global terrorism. There are many new implementations made by the Department of Homeland Security. This paper will identify some of the most significant features of the new safety plan.

Being prepared is considered by the Department of Homeland Security as the best action that can be taken to ensure that incidents like 9/11 do not occur again. In light of this need for preparedness, the government has implemented many knowledge gathering and distilling endeavors where by information can be effectively transmitted to all individuals as needed. Understanding the risks that are faced also helps. When the risks are recognized, measures for protection are easier to design. While all risks cannot be understood or planned for in a sensible and financial manner, some compromise can be obtained between the risks faced and the security desired. Understanding risks is also important for the individual and families. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has been encouraging people to identify their own plan of action in case of emergencies. This study will also review some of these measures that are identified.

Discussion

Manmade disasters are more gruesome, especially if they are intentional. Chemical and bio-chemical disasters can cause large-scale damage to life and property. The increase in the density of population and the use of bridges, tunnels, mass transportation and increased utilities has made many cities targets, where potential terrorist can do a lot of damage. The Boeing aircraft impacts on the World Trade Center had an effect of 0.9 and 0.7 magnitude of earth movements, respectively. The collapsing of the towers however registered a magnitude of 2.1 and 2.3 (respectively) on the Richter scale. The fall of the towers was found to be similar to a pyroplastic flow down a volcano, where hot dust and chunks of material descend at high temperatures. (Sykes, Richards, Kim et al., 2001) in addition, many smaller signals were registered throughout the rest of the day on September 11 that may have originated from the further collapse of the Twin Towers and the fall of walls and other debris in the surrounding area.

First responders on the scene had never before encountered similar situations and as such had no knowledge of the precautions that were required. Emergency communications agencies like the North American Center for Emergency Communications (NACEC) were set up to provide quick and speedy services in cases of disaster. "To protect and enhance public safety and health by facilitating the local implementation and maintenance of efficient 911 service and poison control emergency communication services," has been the mission statement of a number of State and Local agencies dealing with emergency response.

Communication is important in handling emergencies and saving lives. The planning and importance of a well-prepared plan can help tremendously in times of emergencies. Personnel training and establishing complex and integrated communication systems has to be done ahead of any disaster for the help to be beneficial. Drills have to be carried out so that emergency personnel and the public are aware of what the plan of action should be in case of disasters.

Ground Zero, the location of the twin towers in New York is considered one of the worst man-made environmental disasters to date. (France, 2001) the building needed a number of complex infrastructures that supported the cooling and heating systems, the insulation and the decor of the building. Thousands of feet of carpets were burnt, countless office equipment like PC, cable wiring, plastics and cleaning solutions combusted, asbestos used for insulation was pulverized and the Freon from the complex's central air-conditioning system might have seeped out; and, in a worst case situation ignited to another toxin, phosgene that was used by the Nazis during the second world war in their gas chambers.

It is vital that all first responders be prepared to face any type and scope of disaster. A chain of command has to be set up and duties and responsibilities will have to be designated to all involved in the Emergency Planning Program. The city or town will then have to train various departments like the Police force, Fire fighters and Paramedics to deal with these emergencies when they occur. Coordinating the recruitment and training of volunteer personnel and agencies to help in aiding the rescue and emergency personnel and facilities at the time of the occurrence of the disaster is also important.

The quality of care offered by the paramedics can mean the difference between life and death for the injured. Many smaller cities might not also have the necessary medical infrastructure to handle disasters. For instance, following the Bhopal chemical disaster in India, the health professional only treated symptoms and failed to identify the full scope of the medical complication. A similar situation was also observed after 9/11 where many firefighters were exposed to the dust from the collapsing buildings and have developed troublesome lung conditions such as sarcoidosis, which tend to make individuals more prone to lung cancer. http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=80965In the immediate aftermath of the twin tower collapse in New York, emergency respond workers and rescue and recovery workers often worked for days without using any protective gear, thereby exposing themselves to contaminants and high levels of asbestos and dust. As many of the first responders were volunteers and as such might have not had the necessary training and consequently the necessary medical coverage for highly hazardous areas, insurance companies are not as open to the idea of compensation for the post-trauma that these individuals face.

The Office of Grants and Training of the Department of Homeland security is also aggressively involved with the training and education of personnel at local and state levels to deal with preventing and responding safely and effectively to incidents of terrorism involving weapons of mass destruction (WMD). The primary recipients of this training are first responders and they are made aware of the different problems and solutions through the use of a variety of mediums. The department has also started extensive computer and web-based training to reach as many individuals as possible to ensure that the education and the knowledge imparted is the same at all levels and in all parts of the country. "The Preparedness Network (PREPnet) is an Internet- and satellite-based distance learning and information system used by the United States Fire Administration and other government agencies to bring interactive programming into virtually any community nationwide."

The U.S. government is also working towards integrating the entire department's knowledge into a common database that can be effectively accessed and tracked at all times. In this manner, even first responders can get some preliminary information about the potential hazards and the concerns that might be faced. Technology is being extensively used both in identifying risks and providing solutions to the problems. Technology between different government agencies is also being integrated into a common database. Lack of communications between the various U.S. government agencies was attributed as one of the reasons for the lack of prior knowledge of 9/11. By integrating the information into a common database it is hoped that information is always the most current and government agencies do not become proprietary about the information or the knowledge held.

The Training Resources and Data Exchange (TRADE) program set up in 1984 is also being used as a medium that helps fire fighters exchange fire-related training information and resources. TRADE has also helped in the post 9/11 environment to maintain the quality of instruction and information that is provided to all firefighters. This agency operates at all levels, the federal, state and the local thereby ensuring that knowledge is distributed as needed. In addition, this forum also is an effective medium for informing departments of the training deficiencies that might exist. Trends in fire-fighting have also evolved and changed and TRADE works at getting out the new information to all the concerned parties in the shortest possible time frame. (TRADE, 2008)

Resource allocation and its effective use is also important in all government agencies and this is especially true in the case of fire fighting. Equipment is expensive and care of equipment is an important part of the safety concerns of any fire department. Routine testing of equipment and the use of mock drills can ensure that all issues and concerns are taken care of at the earliest possible time. Courses are also being offered to fire department personnel to ensure that the set-up of an incident command post, and post incident analysis is also done effectively.

Emergency management is also a vital part to the planning for a disaster. Training will have to be conducted at periodic intervals to maintain the preparedness of the emergency response team and to evaluate the condition and the operational difficulties if any that may arise due to the equipment being used. The procedures will have to be critiqued and constantly evaluated to determine if a better, safer or more efficient method can be used in the procedure. A clean up task force will also have to be set up to help clean and restore the area to as near as possible, its pre-disaster state. Sufficient funds will have to be allocated to keep the emergency response team properly outfitted. An emergency fund may also be required to be set up to take care of the clean up activities that may be required. This fund would have to be very liquid so that it can be accessed quickly at any time.

Training the public is also an important part of any emergency management plan. Many state and local emergency relief plans state their mission as: "ensuring that the area or region is prepared to respond to emergencies, recover from them, and to mitigate against their impacts." Being prepared and not just scared can also help the public stay calm and knowledgeable at the time of the disaster. The public should be encouraged to have a contact person outside the city. Families should identify this person to all members of the family -- in cases of emergency all members can contact this individual and touch-base thereby reducing worry and tension about the safety of the family members who are away at work or school. All members of the family should also identify a common meeting place where they can gather after the occurrence of a disaster.

Schools are also required to create their own emergency plans and parents should be aware of any changes or modifications made in the emergency plans. It is also incumbent upon families to make arrangements for emergency first aid kits, food and liquid in case of shut down of utility services. Different communities have different methods of communication; and, it is imperative that one is aware of the communication methods and the method of broadcast that is to be used. In many situations staying in a safe area is advisable unless plans indicate otherwise.

A plan for evacuation is also required. The need for evacuation may arise if the disaster is very severe and the structural integrity of a building or bridge or the area in general is questionable. Evacuations may also be required if the possibility of the hazard has not passed and is like to cause more damage such as secondary fires, bridging of dams and reservoirs. Schools, offices and public places should perform training exercises to educate the public about the protocols that need to be followed. Implementation of adequate measures to inform the residents of the safe routes through and from the area in cases of emergencies should also be clear. Staying calm and thinking and acting rationally is also essential for emergency management personnel. The public looks to ranking officials for support and guidance during an emergency. As such, the demeanor and approach taken by officials will largely determine the confidence experienced by the public at large.

Correct and informational information should be provided by the disaster relief agencies to the public. Wrong information to the public may result in a panic scare and may not be helpful when a disaster really occurs. The public should also be informed about the dangers using bridges, tunnels and ferry services during a disaster. Non-essential travel is generally banned during the occurrence of a disaster. The local and state authorities generally define the laws of travel during and emergency and provide guidance to the general public for their personal safety. Information about how the public is supposed to behave on the announcement of the travel ban should be provided to the public as soon as the policies have been decided.

This is where the role of local law enforcement officials becomes very essential. The police force has to have the capability with respect to personnel and resources to respond to threats and disaster when they occur. The Department of Homeland Security works closely with all police departments in ensuring that the safety-goals for all U.S. citizens is met. The police forces in the United States are probably one of the best trained law enforcement departments any where in the world. There are however, some discrepancies that do exist.

Police departments and the resources allocated to them differ significantly between states, cities and counties. As do the risks that are faced by these regions. For instance, the New York Police Department (NYPD) faces different threats when compared to the Binghamton Police Department in upstate New York. The preparedness also therefore significantly differs between the two.

The training requirements that the police department now need are more extensive than in the past. Language skill for example is becoming more important and officials with multiple language capabilities are becoming a great asset for the police department. The type of combat skills and SWAT capabilities are also essential to ensure that the threat can be mitigated and destroyed in the shortest possible of time. The manner in which threats are handled has also changed. Diffusing bombs, chemical and biological weapons and dirty bombs is a skill that most law enforcement agencies have to posses in the modern world as there might not be sufficient time to get experts from other jurisdictions to handle the problem.

In situations where there is mass destruction, civic problems such as looting and crime also increase due to the decrease in the police force that can be utilized for law enforcement purposes. Emergency army deployments may be required in the area to maintain law and order. Post disaster efforts will also require help from external law enforcement agencies. The Department of Defense maintains significant resources (personnel, equipment, and supplies) that may be available to support the Federal response to a major disaster or emergency.

The National Integration Center (NIC) Incident Management Systems Integration Division was setup to ensure that if a major disaster did occur help from other jurisdictions could be quickly and efficiently obtained. This is possible only because the information is shared over a common database and information is constantly updated to ensure that responders are provided with the most correct information. The integration of information from public, non-governmental and private organization is also seen as offering the best possible to help profile patterns of behavior of the public at large especially if there are some potential trends of suspicious behavior.

Balancing the need for monitoring terrorist activities while safeguarding the privacy of the individual are issues that are a growing concern for the government and the public. Technology has also helped in filtering information without human intervention making the process very time saving. With technology, other risks also increase. The fear of hacking or the corruption of databases is also a factor that has to be considered with respect to national security and information.

Lessons learned and information sharing is also become an important part of the new strategy for the Homeland Security agency. As most of the individuals involved are adults the concepts of adult learner and the manner in which the knowledge is retained differs from that of young learners. It has observed however, that adults will learn new information if the final objective of the learning process is tangible. Informal learning is observed in adults; and, they are willing to use a number of mediums for this purpose. Realizing this, the department has created a number of audio-visual training programs that have helped train many of the personnel in the department. Planning the training program and itinerant intensity is also important. It is often observed that training two or more members from a department at the same time can help the training information get more exposure due to the discussion and debates that may arise as a result of the course material.

The government has also created a "Lessons Learned Information Sharing (LLIS) online network of the best practices and lessons learned designed to help homeland security responders, planners, and healthcare professionals prevent, prepare for, and respond to terrorism." (LLIS, 2008) This is a password protected site that offers the most comprehensive range of information that can be beneficial. The Responder Knowledge Base (RKB, 2008) is another online support that offers information on "on available equipment, equipment certification and standards, equipment training, cost resources, and reviews from other equipment users."

There is also an open forum maintained by the homeland security technology solution where comments and feedback from first responders are solicited. This helps identify gaps and issues in the technology that exist and can help the tech support to bridge the gaps. Constant feedback is also helping the department identify areas where improvement is needed and make the improvements in the shortest possible time. The Homeland Security has identified a four pronged strategy -- Policy and Guidance, Direct Support, Training and Technology that it has decided to use to combat the problem of terrorism. A color coded advisory system has also made it simple enough for all first responders to recognize.

While the U.S. government has undertaken many important measures to improve preparedness and interaction between departments there has also been a lot of criticism in the manner by which the department has handled some security issues. Exchange of information is still not at the desired level and many independent agencies such as the FBI and the CIA still retain their proprietary role in the collection and processing of information. The turf disputes between the different agencies in the government has also made the process of implementing polices more challenging for the DHS. The failure to set priorities and goals is also being seen as a downfall of the DHS. There has also been concern regarding the expense and the structure of the department as a whole. The department was created within a very short period of time and the organizational structure has still to be evaluated.