After having read the text and any additional research you choose, provide at least 1 detailed
example for each phase of emergency management as it would apply to dealing with terrorism.
Include the 4 original phases (mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery), and prevention.
You may approach this from a micro or macro level in other words a local, state, regional, or a
national level or a combination of them as you deem appropriate for each phase.
Introduction
Since 9/11 terrorist attack on America, and the establishment of DHS- with other
agencies like FEMA falling under its jurisdiction has transformed and elevated the fight of
terrorism to another level using all the cycles of emergency management. Emergency
management is a discipline and profession of applying science, technology, planning, and
management to deal with extreme events that can injure or kill great number of people, do
extensive property damage, and disrupt community life. Efforts are made to limit losses and
costs using strategies and tactics that reflect the full life cycle of disaster management which are
preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation (Sylves 2019, 10). The essay will look at some
of the measures that have been identified at the local, state of federal level to mitigate, prepare,
respond, and recover from any terrorist threats or hazards.
Mitigation
This phase comprises deciding on what to do to a risk on health, safety and welfare that
has been identifies and making a risk reduction program. It is a sustained action to reduce or get
rid of risk to people and property from hazards and their implications (Sylves, 2019, 34).
Looking at the slow response of the world on the covid-19 pandemic one can imagine what
bioterrorism can do if any of those dangerous terrorist groups lay their hands on such deadly
weapons and that is why risk reduction efforts must be properly implemented to avoid any future
surprises from terrorist. One of the ways the federal governments is educating the public in
reducing risk of terrorism is the introduction of reports on building designs by FEMA. The
primer report is one of the series of five FEMA reports that address security in private sector
building and provides to building designers owners, state, and local governments to mitigate the
effects of hazards resulting from terrorist attack on buildings. According to FEMA (2003), it is
the intent that these reports assist designers, owners, and government officials in gaining the
knowledge and understanding of man-made hazards like terrorism. Kemp (2004, p 2) opines
there are certain types of construction that are more likely to withstand a terrorist attack than
others…city and county building officials may want to update their development codes for
certain types of building-both public and private to make them less vulnerable to terrorist attacks.
Preparedness
This phase involves developing a response plan and training first the responders to save lives and
reduce disaster damage, identifying critical resources and developing necessary agreements
among responding agencies whether local state or federal (Sylves, 2019, 34). Since the 9/11
terrorist incidents, specialized training programs have been designed for public safety personnel
and other local government employees in several areas relating to man-made disasters (Kemp,
2004, p3). Following the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma, in
1995, the Bureau of Justice (BJA created the State and Local Anti-Terrorism Training (SLATT)
program in 1996 to provide a specialized terrorism training in detecting, deterring, and
investigating acts of terrorism and violent extremism. Law enforcement agencies play a key role
in counterterrorism, so the training is very crucial to better prepare them to response and deter
acts of terrorism. Initially the training was limited to only domestic terrorism but the 9/11
incident changed the program’s scope to expand to international terrorism as well (Davis et al.,
2016, p.18).
Response
This phase involves providing emergency aid and assistance, reducing the probability of
any secondary damage, and minimizing problems for recovery operations. Response objectives
include protecting lives, limiting property loss, and overcoming the disruptions that disaster
cause (Sylves, 2019, 34). The complex nature of terrorism needs a rapid response which requires
a concerted integrated efforts from all the levels of government. The ability to respond and
recover from terrorist attacks demands personnel and resources from different disciplines such as
fire, law enforcement, emergency management, emergency medical services, healthcare, and
transportation etc. For effective coordination, the federal government developed the National
Incident Management System (NIMS) which describes the systems, principles and structure that
provides a standard national framework to incident management. According to the Florida Field
Operations Guide (2012, p.4), a terrorist incident can affect many things not limited to property,
critical infrastructure, single or multiple victims and due to their complex nature, it is imperative
for first responders to implement the National Incident Management Systems. The Unified
Command under the NIMS require multiple agency response when local capabilities aren’t
enough to respond to a terrorist situation. A Unified Command allow multiple agencies to
determine common priorities and support safe synchronization of personnel and resources
(FEMA, 2018). According to Kemp (2004, p.5) the immediate onsite management of a disaster is
essential for coordinating response among all other agencies.
Recovery
This phase involves giving the immediate assistance during the early post-disaster period
necessary to return vital life-support systems to at least minimum operational levels and
continuing to provide support until the community returns to its normal operations (Sylves, 2019,
34). People who experience all certain disasters like terrorist require immediate assistance after
officials have successfully responded to these terrorist threats. FEMA, state governments, the
Red Cross, Salvation Army, and other nonprofit agencies frequently provide such assistance to
aid individuals or localities that have experienced disasters including terrorism. For instance, the
federal government in response to the 9/11 terrorist attack pledged at least 20 billion in aid to the
city of New York and 7.4 billion out of the 20 billion aid was provided through the FEMA public
assistance program which provides grants to state and local governments to respond to and
recover from disasters (GAO,2003). Through the Public Assistance Program, FEMA provides
supplemental Federal grant assistance for debris removal, emergency protective measures, and
the restoration of disasters-damaged, publicly owned facilities and certain facilities of private
and nonprofit (PNP) organizations (FEMA, 2020, p.19)
Conclusion and Christian worldview
The federal, state, and local government are doing the best they can to prevent future attacks od
of any form of terrorism and other major disasters and as a result they have implemented many
mitigations, preparedness, response, and recovery measures that seek to protect citizens and at
the same time safeguard the homeland. Leviticus 19: 36 says ““You shall have just balances, just
weights, a just ephah, and a just hin: I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of
Egypt.” The Bible requires us to be balance in nature and recently the kind of balance all levels
of government are keeping in order not to focus only on natural disasters but also on man-made
disasters like terrorism is very imperative in emergency management because it keeps the nation
to be ready are all times no matter what disaster emerges.
References
Davis, L. M., Helmus, T. C., Hunt, P., Payne, L. A., Jahedi, S., & Tsang, F. (2016). Assessment of
the State and Local Anti-Terrorism Training (SLATT) Program, 119. RAND Corporation.
https://doi.org/10.7249/RR1276
FEMA. (2020, June). Public Assistance Program and Policy Guide (FP 104–009-02). Fema.gov.
https://www.fema.gov/assistance/public#:~:text=FEMA’s%20Public%20Assistance%20Program
%20provides,from%20major%20disasters%20or%20emergencies.
Florida Division of Emergency Management. (2012). Terrorism/Weapons of Mass Destruction.
Florida Field Operations Guide, 3–12.
https://www.floridadisaster.org/globalassets/importedpdfs/chapter10d-terrorism-
weaponsofmassdestruction.pdf
GAO. (2003, August). Disaster Assistance: Information on FEMA’s Post 9/11 Public Assistance
to the New York City Area (GAO-03-926). GAOREPORTS.
https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GAO-03-926/html/GAOREPORTS-
GAO-03-926.htm
Kemp, R. (2004). Homeland Security: Best Practices in America. Public Works Management &
Policy, 8(4), 271–277. https://doi.org/10.1177/1087724X03262411
Sylves, R. T. (2019). Disaster Policy and Politics: Emergency Management and Homeland
Security (3rd ed.). CQ Press.
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