If anything is clear regarding a first responder’s role in society, it may be that nothing is a guarantee. The dangers, risks, and challenges they face both internally and externally are numerous and ever-changing. When responding to a terrorist event, a complicated network of pieces must be in play in the correct ways to ensure the most efficient and productive response possible. Even before a responder reacts to an event, there are risks and nuances which can make or break the response. Not all risks are associated with traditional terror activity, either. As first responders are agents of information collection, their reliance on others to build those information networks for a complete picture of their world is a risk in and of itself. …show more content…
The outcome of an attack, chemical or otherwise, is a culmination of choices and variables which can’t be repeated exactly even if it is as basic an attack as a single actor, single bomb scenario. Weapons of Mass Destruction, the meta-fear for any physical terrorist attack, are not just one type of weapon. They may be nuclear and make an entire area uninhabitable indefinitely. They may be ballistic or incendiary and have multiple timed releases. They may contain invisible biological components meant to infect the population with a contagion. As the world has (thankfully) not experienced many large-scale, WMD attacks, their effects on civilian populations are not well known or studied precisely because components which make up any one WMD can be combined or separated to varying effects which are also not well known or studied (FEMA, 2002). These are of course the outcomes reflecting a worse possible scenario. Other outcomes first responders may encounter may be areas where it is not known if the attack is finished. For example, if one bomb has gone off, there is the possibility for more bombs. I remember this in particular being of prime concern during the Boston Marathon bombing coverage. Even a small-scale hazardous materials accident would also prove a challenge should there be uncertainty regarding what materials …show more content…
The National Transportation Safety Board also contains hazmat incident reports. Both will be linked in the references. The examples provided give some context to the classification detailed in the materials. These resources illustrate just how vast and varied these events can be and further drive the point that the best offense is a good defense for a first responder and by extension, the
# Coleman, Ronny J., et al.Fighter's Handbook: Essentials of Firefighting and Emergency Response. Delmar/Thompson Learning, Stamford, CT, 2000.
"Chemical Warfare Agents - Resources on the health effects from chemical weapons, emergency response & treatment, counterterrorism, and emergency preparedness.au.af." Specialized Information Services - Reliable information on toxicology, environmental health, chemistry, HIV/AIDS, and minority health. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 May 2010.
In today’s society the word “terrorism” has gone global. We see this term on television, in magazines and even from other people speaking of it. In their essay “Controlling Irrational Fears After 9/11”, published in 2002, Clark R. Chapman and Alan W. Harris argue that the reaction of the American officials, people and the media after the attacks of 9/11 was completely irrational due to the simple fact of fear. Chapman and Harris jump right into dismembering the irrational argument, often experienced with relationships and our personal analysis. They express how this argument came about from the terrorist being able to succeed in “achieving one major goal, which was spreading fear” among the American people (Chapman & Harris, para.1). The supporters of the irrational reaction argument state that because “Americans unwittingly cooperated with the terrorist in achieving the major goal”, the result was a widespread of disrupted lives of the Americans and if this reaction had been more rational then there would have been “less disruption in the lives of our citizens” (Chapman & Harris, para. 1).
The culture of first responders such as: Combat Veterans, police officers, EMTs, Firemen, and Emergency Room staff are unique from other occupations. The reason is the magnitude first responders are
It appears that all of the officers are taking action to guide people presented on the Spring April day of the bombing. Dr. Eric Bluman, a doctor who saw many of the victims of the bombing recalls the impact that was made by the team of first responders and by the doctors that followed the Boston Marathon Bombing. Bluman claims, “If the circumstances would have altered the number of casualties would have increased” (Bluman 3). The benefit of unity that was displayed saved many Americans lives. In result, there were significantly less families that were directly impacted by the terrorist attack. The damage would have been painful unimaginable if the first responder team did not react the way they did. Their unity came from the common desire to help the people who were injured by the explosion and to prevent other people from becoming injured. Unity is formed through a common desire that will impact a
According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), “The National Preparedness Report evaluates and measures gains individuals and communities, private and nonprofit sectors, faith-based organizations, and all levels of governments have made in preparedness and identifies where challenges remain” (FEMA, 2016). This information can be used as a way to track the direction the United States is heading in relation to homeland security and disaster response. The report includes information from many sources including, but not limited to fusion centers, joint terrorism agencies, United States Coast Guard and many others. The information contained also includes statistics on training and responses throughout the United States of America. Furthermore, the information can be used with a “lessons learned” approach to evaluate the effectiveness
Hundreds of Boston’s medical responders had learned the basics of treating blast-injury victims, and how a bombing could affect their city. “In 2009, Rich Serino, then Boston's EMS chief and now deputy administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, hosted the first citywide “Tale of Our Cities” [leadership] conference in Boston” (Kellermann, 2013). Doctors from India, Spain, Israel, Britain, and Pakistan spoke at the conference. They spoke about how to handle blast-injury situations. The speakers had managed the consequences of terrorism attacks. They shared their experiences, leadership skills, and medical processes. People with jobs in security, emergency, trauma, and medical fields attended the event. Anti-terrorism knowledge was incorporated into Boston’s medical and social network through the 750 Boston locals that attended the
Local, State and Federal government have unique roles which would allow the flow of communication and resources to transition smoothly during each stage of progression. The local and state level (first responders) are the most important source as they can assess, coordinate and notify the next available resources of what is needed. State and local governments are the front runners of planning for and managing the consequences of a terrorist incident using available resources in the critical hours before Federal assistance can arrive (Managing the Emergency Consequences of Terrorist Incidents, July 2002). A Terrorist Incident Appendix (TIA) was designed to mirror an Emergency Operations Plan in relations to terrorist incidents. The TIA consists of six phases: Initiation, Concept Development, Plan Development, Plan Review Development of supporting plans, procedures and materials and Validation of plans using tabletop, functional, and full scale exercises. The TIA should be compared to those plans of existing Emergency Operation Plans (EOP) in place at the local and state level. Comparing plans before and incident allows time for comparison and revision of the various functions which will prevent disconnects to ensure coordination and
The first response from the first responders “include rescuing the injured and trapped victims and calling for medical assistance if required” (Hess 345). Next is to “establish a triage area where surviving victims can be separated according to the severity of their injuries” (Hess 300). After the bombing, it was reported that “under the leadership of the Boston Athletic Association, which ensured that police and emergency workers could quickly treat and transport the injured in the bombings” (MacQuarrie).
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
There needs to be more of a comprehensive threat and risk assessments for chemical and biological attacks versus IED or other similar attack modes due to the nature of the threat. When faced with a chemical or biological attack, there needs to be a lot more detailed threat, and risk assessment completed versus an IED attack. A biological attack is the “intentional release of a pathogen (disease-causing agent) or biotoxin ( a poisonous substance produced by a living organism) against humans, plants, or animals” (National Academy of Sciences 2004, p. 1). While a chemical attack is poisonous vapors, aerosols, liquids and solids that have toxic effects on people, animals or plants. Both of these methods can use to cause illness, death, fear, societal disruption, and economic damage. Chemical or biological attacks can be released by bombs sprayed from aircraft, boats, vehicles and released by humans.
Hazardous materials can be important in everyday life when properly handled. However, when improperly handled, they can result in injury, death, and destruction as well as have lingering effects that may last for years to come. To address the risk of an uncontrolled hazardous materials release, there must be a coordinated effort to identify, locate, and quantify the hazardous materials in a particular location (Drexel University Safety & Health, 2001). Typically, industry and government agree that a hazardous materials incident is one where
The intensity and complexity of managing incidents always has, and will continue to be, in a constant state of change and this change must be accounted for. For decades, emergency responders and preparedness planners struggled with a growing need to involve multiple agencies in responding to disasters/incidents. The need for a single standard incident management system became necessary to ensure all parties involved were able to understand the situation and each other, no matter what agency or region they are from.
HM Government (2008) Fire and Rescue Manual, Volume 2, Fire Service Operations, Incident Command, 3rd Ed.
Chemical and fire hazards in the workplace cause serious injuries that in most cases are fatal.