Question

Hazard Specific Planning - Terrorism	What are some of the emergency management planning challenges associated with a terrorist attack? How can these challenges be addressed?

Answer 1

Emergency management planning challenges associated with a terrorist attack are as follows:

· Planning challenges: All it needs in emergency management is to plan according to the situation, and adverseness. Lack of proper planning leads to a severe decline in the entre emergency management structure. Thus, risk analysis, application of risk analytical methods, and emergency management methods can be a significant solution.

· Vulnerability assessment challenge: Emergency policymakers often become confused about assessing the terrorist attacks. Policymakers fail to assume how much damage the attack can do and how much impact it put on the target audience. Thus, uncertainties lead to assessment challenges. The threats and consequences of the risk remain unassessed. For example,- the 9/11 incident can be considered as an outcome of the vulnerability assessment challenge.

· Challenges in finding out emergency management alternatives: The inability to find emergency management alternatives is one of the critical challenges. Most emergency agencies depend on conventional emergency management methods, which have become so outdated in the modern era where terrorists have started using advanced technology to harm their target audience. Lack of alternative emergency management factors can be a severe outcome.

Challenges can be addressed through the following ways:

· Capacity building for risk-informed decision-making: Capacities should be built to get information about the risk much before the original incident. Various secret agencies, Interpol, and sources can be used to get authentic information regarding the terrorist attack. Hence, decisions should be made based on the information.

· Vulnerability assessment training: specialized training should be provided to security officials regarding the vulnerability of a terrorist attack. Intelligence agencies should be used powerfully to give more information to security officials to assess the vulnerabilities and take preventive measures accordingly.

· Use of updated technology for preventive actions: Police barricades are not good enough to prevent terrorist actions. CCTV cameras can be used in every check posts and populated areas of the city. The use of ethical hacking can be useful in getting an insider report of the terrorists in their plans so that emergency infrastructure can be developed actively.