This paper evaluates the adequacy of Florida's Terrorism Incident Response Annex (2014) by measuring it against guidance from FEMA's 2002 and 2004 planning documents. The analysis examines how the Annex structures the terrorist event response process—covering detection, notification, and threat classification—and assesses its coordination across local, regional, state, and federal levels. The paper also identifies a notable gap in the Annex's treatment of emergency public information and media relations procedures. Overall, the paper concludes that Florida's Annex is a structurally sound and adequately comprehensive plan that meets most of FEMA's recommended criteria for effective terrorism incident response.
The State of Florida's Terrorism Incident Response Annex (2014) is an adequately formed and produced procedure for how to respond to a terrorist incident. The Terrorist Event Response Process consists of two actions that are unique to emergency operations involving crisis and consequence management, as the Annex (2014) points out. The two actions are: "1) Identifying the event as a known, suspected, or threatened terrorist or cyber terrorist attack; and, 2) Assuring notifications to agencies are made" (p. 3-1). According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA, 2002), this two-step procedure sets the motions for adequate response in motion, as there are many facets to efficient response to terrorism. Identifying the event and alerting the responsible agencies are crucial first steps. This paper discusses Florida's Terrorism Incident Response Annex and demonstrates why it is appropriate and adequate.
According to FEMA (2002), state and local planners should display the following characteristics in their planned responses to terrorism incidents: 1) flexibility, 2) coordination, 3) communication strength, 4) contingencies ready, 5) procedures in place for emergency public information and media relations, 6) integration of federal assets into the local response, and 7) support services available. Similarly, FEMA's (2004) Annex provides guidance on establishing a "structure for a systematic, coordinated, unified, timely, and effective national law enforcement and investigative response to threats or acts of terrorism within the United States" (p. TER-1). Taken together, these two documents from FEMA serve as a helpful framework for measuring the adequacy of the State of Florida's Terrorism Incident Response Annex.
Florida's Annex is structured and displays a systematic and coordinated approach to assessing the situation and embarking on a procedure to address it — fitting in line with FEMA's (2004) recommendations for being systematic, structured, and coordinated. It details the Response Process by breaking it down into sections, beginning with a general overview of the process and following that with how the response should proceed when the incident scene is not clearly defined.
The Annex then covers the local response procedure and the state and regional response procedure, including procedures for the Florida National Guard, the Regional Domestic Security Task Force, and the Department of Environmental Protection and Environmental Terrorism Response Team. It also describes the federal response and addresses other entities that may be included in the response.
The State of Florida's Annex also details the concept of operations and the exact process in the Terrorist Event Process, including the three-step process of: 1) detection, 2) notification, and 3) threat classification. It provides an overview of the State Emergency Response Operations, including the activation of the State Emergency Operations Center, the deployment of state liaison personnel, the mobilization of other state resources, and the process for winding down and deactivating the response — which is important for maintaining control throughout the entire process from beginning to end.
"Detection, notification, threat classification, and roles"
"Limited guidance on media and public information"
The State of Florida's Terrorism Incident Response Annex is an adequate plan for how to enact procedures at various local, regional, and state levels while incorporating assistance from the federal level and acknowledging the roles and responsibilities of individual departments and stakeholders. It meets the criteria of FEMA's (2002) and FEMA's (2004) recommendations for how to adequately plan and prepare for a terrorist incident. The State of Florida appropriately acknowledges that the first priority is to identify the nature of the incident and then report to the relevant agencies so that the right response can get underway in the most effective and organized manner possible.
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