Wednesday, December 28, 2005

The Far Reaching Impact of a Terrorist Attack

The Far Reaching Impact of a Terrorist Attack

Any researcher on the subject of terrorism quickly finds that the theme of security branches out and touches many disciplines and knowledge bases. As can be seen in the following compilation, the reader will certainly grasp an appreciation for the wide array of sources promulgating terrorism-related and security-related publications. Let us assume, as an example, that there is a serious “security incident” (terrorist attack) that raises the national Homeland Security alert level to condition RED. Metaphorically speaking, shock waves will radiate three-dimensionally outward that impact the following private and public entities: the common man (John Q. Public) plus organized groups of citizens), law enforcement, private security, emergency medical services, fire departments, the news media, governments (local, state, federal), critical infrastructures, transportation systems (air, rail water, highway), businesses of all types, institutions, and the military. But, what are the knowledge bases that are invoked to respond to and understand the impact and significance. Where does the information originate that is used by the entities listed above. The shock waves reverberate through the following areas of knowledge that will be invoked at some time during the crisis and the ongoing response to it: personal survival, self-defense, psychology, forensics, criminology, workplace investigations, economics, politics, history, religion, law, threat and risk assessment, police procedures, technology of security, science (testing methods, biology, microbiology, chemistry, geology, hydrology, nuclear/radiation physics, environmental, etc.), emergency medicine (first responder, evacuation, etc.), crisis management, and so forth. In a sense, everything affects everything. One needs only to look at the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, to realize the global extent of who and what was touched.

Excerpted from Holistic Security References and Internet Resources CD-ROM, William C. Butler, PhD and H. Court Young, ISBN: 1-893478-13-0, $24.95.

This CD can be ordered from http://www.understandingwaterandterrorism.com or http://www.waterconflicts.com or http://www.securitythrougheducation.com.

H. Court Young
Author and Publisher
http://www.tmcco.com