Emergency Management for Bioterrorist Attacks
With the emerging threat of a bioterrorist attack on
communities in the United States there has been much discussion by leaders in
emergency management as to whether or not the model taught for preparing for
emergencies needs to be changed. Some EM leaders argue that the model does not
require any fundamental changes while others disagree.
One suggestion put forth is that the most important element
of an emergency management and operations plan is communications. The logic is
that it is of upmost importance to communicate quickly and effectively across
all levels to coordinate and management the response. The argument also
presents the point that we already know our hazards and that a vulnerability
analysis will not yield the benefits of first establishing a strong
communication system. Perhaps the strongest point is that “all we really
have to use initially to respond to a bioterrorist attack is
communication.”
1.Find and summarize a brief example of a disaster or
emergency where poor communications significantly hampered operations, and
highlight the actual costs of the poor communication: money, deaths, equipment
lost, etc.
2.What single action could have prevented the problems?
3.Was implementing the fix feasible?





