The most important job of a first responder is to help the victims of the attack. Before first responders can help the victims, it needs to be determined if the scene is safe to enter. Part of scene safety is identifying if a WMD was used in the attack. A WMD can contain biological, chemical, or radiological agents (Federal Emergency Management Agency Manual. 2002) that can cause a wide range of effects. Unfortunately, first responders are often unequipped with the proper personal protective equipment that is required to safely work in an area where a WMD was used. Without the proper personal protective equipment, first responders can fall victim to the effects of the agent used. First responders are also at risk of being victims of a secondary device or attack directed at first responders and other citizens who gather that the scene …show more content…
Cyber terrorism is when terrorists use electronic information technology to carry out their attack and is a relatively new form of terrorism. We use electronics in our everyday lives as they are in our computers, cars, telephones, and even refrigerators. This leaves endless potential targets and it can be catastrophic as we heavily rely on electronics. Terrorist attacks that utilize WMDs can cause health issues to the citizens. There is little research done on the health effects to the victims of WMDs (Federal Emergency Management Agency Manual 2002) and it can take years for citizens to become aware of health and medical conditions that were caused by an agent used in the attack. Even a decade after September 11th, more than 5,000 people have been diagnosed with cancer caused by exposure to carcinogens related to the attack (Ly 2016). While it was not the intent of the attack, it helps to illustrate how damaging chemical or biological agents can be years after the original
First responders have different challenges compared to the rest of the population. The challenges are due to the motto’s they swear to uphold and the public they serve. They have their own culture consisting of beliefs, language, traditions and values that are specific to their group. They are more likely to witness traumatic events that are outside the norm. They are sometime expected to kill and even be killed, especially law enforcement and military. The culture is very different then the civilian or mental health culture, for example: collectivism versus individualism. Therefore, when it comes to building a relationship with combat veterans and first responders it is essential to understand the culture. Lastly, there are common diagnosis among first responders making it important to use specific assessments. These assessments are used to identify trauma and stress related disorders such as: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Acute Stress Disorder (ASD), Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), Depression, and Substance Use Disorder (SUD).
Hurricane Katrina left a devastating scar on the citizens of the southern coast of the U.S., especially New Orleans, Louisiana. The category 5 hurricane was the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the most deadly. Katrina hit New Orleans on August 29th, 2005 and after that day, 66,000 people were displaced from their homes. Of those who decided to ride out the storm with hopes of success and survival as they had experienced with other storms, they were found on their rooftops, in their attics, hoping for boat or helicopter rescue, relying on others for help to survive. The storm had reached 28,000 square feet inward to Louisiana, which was 60 percent of the state. 1,100 Louisianans lost their lives, and 200,000 were displaced and/or lost their homes (Davis 8). It was a devastating time of despair and suffering. People were put through experiences that would scar them for a long time. While preparing for evacuation, people left most of their belongings at home to flee to a safer city or to find shelter in the Superdome and Convention Center. Some even decided to remain in their boarded up homes. After the hurricane had past, a few hours went by and a levee located near the Mississippi River canal broke leaving New Orleans flooded (Delisi). After the disaster, the state and federal governments were pointing fingers at each other as to who was to blame for the poorly planned evacuation and rescue efforts for the victims. The state government promised to help evacuate those who could not transport themselves. Citizens were told to go to the Superdome and convention center for evacuation, but the supplies needed for survi...
Terrorism represents a continuing threat to the United States. It is the most significant threat to our national security. Terrorist attacks have definitely left many concerns about the possibilities of future incidents of terrorism in the United States. Since the events of September 11, 2011, Americans and much of the world are afraid. Americans are at war with terrorism and no longer feel comfortable. A part of this unease feeling has to do with cyber terrorism.
When I was little everyone told me I would make a great lawyer, they said I loved to argue. For a long time I believed them, I do love to argue. However, the older I got the more I realized that it wasn’t the arguing I loved, it was the dialog. How two people can have the exact same experience, but have two totally different views about that experience baffled me. When I was in high school I struggled with some things that I didn’t quite understand at the time. I didn’t understand why my teammates would listen to my male co-captain instead of me even when we said the exact same thing. I didn’t understand why my teammates would skip practice or do something that might get them kicked off of the team. We all loved water polo and had a great
Within the United Kingdom there are two categories that are often involved in major incidents. Category one responders are the emergency services which are also known as the ‘core responders’; category one responders consist of the Police, Fire and Ambulance and other emergency services. These responder’s main priority is to deal with the immediate consequence of the incident; they are there for short term as category two help support and repair the community and environment in long term. The category two responders for major incidents are known as ‘supporting responders’, they often support with long term assistance as they provide utilities such as electricity and gas distributers, water and sewage providers as well as telephone services
There a small but clear differences between domestic terrorism and international terrorism, that difference is where the terrorist act is planned, supported, and carried out. In the case of domestic terrorism, the act must be planned, supported, and carried out all within the boundaries of the United States. The domestic terrorists must also be domicile to the United States and not be current foreign nationals at the time of the act. If the terrorist act is committed with help from a foreign group, planned or supported in a foreign country or committed by foreign nationals inside the boundaries of the U.S., then the attack may be international terrorism. The 9/11 attack was a clear act of international terrorism as it was planned, supported,
Everyday there are hundreds of ambulances, fire engines and police cars being called to the scene of emergencies. I’m sure you hear the roar of their sirens, but you don’t think twice about them and are able to tune them out. The only time most people even think about the sirens is if they are forced to wait at a light or move over to the right shoulder and let them pass. When you look back and think about those sirens, where do you suppose they are going? Most people probably think that they are going to a car accident with entrapment, or a person with crushing chest pain to try and intervene and get them to the hospital.
Just as it has for the United States as a whole, the world in which emergency first responders work has changed in fundamental ways since September 11, 2001. Members of professions already defined by their high levels of risk now face new, often unknown threats on the job, specifically when responding to a terrorist event. At a basic level, terrorist attacks throughout the world have forced emergency first responders to see the incidents they are asked to respond to in a new light. One distinction between responding to deliberate attacks and responding to natural or technological disasters is that a terrorist attack could become an intentional hostile environment for first responders. In order to exacerbate physical and psychological casualties, terrorists may deliberately target emergency response capabilities and first responders.
Cashman, J. (2000). Emergency Response to Chemical and Biological Agents. Boca Raton, FL. Lewis Publishers.
“Honey, I’m home!” I shouted. Without waiting for a response I dug the letter out of my pocket and took a deep breath.
Cyber security is like trying to box while being blindfolded.. Cyber instability may cause massive panic in citizens of the United States. Government surveillance is one of the platforms of cyber security and it started to erupt after the 9/11 incident. The main ways the government watches people today is with cell phone, social media, and email surveillance. Should they be able to invade our privacy? Maybe. Many crimes are committed on computers everyday whether it be credit card hacks, stolen identities, or even social media accounts taken. Cyber attacks may lead people to distrust the cyber community and the people behind cyber protection.
Many nations in the world - the United States, China, Russia, Iran, Germany, and more- use cyber warfare as a method of conducting sabotage and espionage. Nations, such as China and Russia, use espionage in order to prevent their economy and their military technology from falling behind by stealing advanced nations’ technology. Other nations, including Israel and Iran, focus on sabotaging other nations to cripple them, by sending malwares that destroy important data on the system, from advancing their technology and costing them a decent amount of money due to repairs. Another popular cyber attack used, mainly with hacktivist, government- sympathetic groups not owned by the government, and nations less advanced in technology, is Denial-of-service, or DoS. DoS is used to hinder the target’s website and other things that are maintained by computers by making it unavailable to intended users. People argue there are no benefits for cyber warfare due to its potential destructive powers and instant process of destruction. While other people-looking from a different view find that cyber warfare does have its benefits. They argue that an important benefit is that cyber warfare takes place in cyber space meaning that it does not physically harm people. They also argue that cyber warfare draws the awareness of the nation on the ever increasing dangers of cyber warfare and forces the government to set up stronger cyber security to fend off international attacks, which also help protect the government from internal hackers. It also creates more jobs for hackers, who use their knowledge to increase the security instead of harm it. Although cyber warfare produces damaging effects on a nation, in the long run, it crea...
Hazards can include Weapons of Mass Destruction, Low Tech Devices and Delivery, Infrastructure Attacks, and Cyber Terrorism. (Managing the Emergency Consequences of Terrorist Incidents. Federal Emergency Management Agency. July 2002). You could arrive at a potential terrorist incident and not know what you're fighting. Your first concern must be self-protection. (Emergency Response to Terrorism Self-Study. U. S. Department of Justice. June 1999. Page 37.) The ability to detect an immediate hazard and take corrective action can save your
Warfare is always evolving and everyone wants the new and more powerful weapon; from men fighting with sticks and stones to launching nuclear missiles and full scale invasions. The newest type of warfare is cyber warfare. Cyber warfare has the possibility to be more destructive than nuclear war.
Knowing what to do in an emergency medical situation can mean the difference between life and death. Being trained in First Aid, Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and Automated External Defibrillator (AED) skills can be invaluable when someone is in serious medical distress. This training is empowering as it allows people to save the lives of others, to act confidently when using the skills learned, and to be able to properly use an AED device should the situation require it (Berry, 2015). It is important to realize that you do not have to be a doctor, nurse or other trained medical professional to perform these lifesaving skills. Anyone interested can learn CPR, and become trained in first aid, as there are several reputable organizations