| Terror in the US: what are the real threats?
With the confusion and apathy surrounding the colour-coded Homeland Security alerts and the near-weekly pronouncements of important but non-specific intelligence about terror attacks within the United States, what should an organisation do? The simple answer is to prepare, but for what and how? Since 9/11, nearly every emergency preparedness and business continuity regulation and industry best practice in the country has been strengthened, several even mentioning the threat of terrorism as a prime motivation for their enhancements. The terrorists’ influence on the Spanish election process creates a strong reason to suspect an attempt against a US target this summer or fall. For all the attention paid to the recent G-8 summit in Georgia, it did not meet many of the key criteria for Al Qaeda targets – namely mass casualties, highly symbolic targets, significant psychological impact and damage to the Western economic engine. Most of all, it did not meet the most important Al Qaeda criteria, namely a soft target where success would be very likely. Considering the following points will help you prepare your organisation for the worst. 1. Ensure your mindset is consistent with the reality we face. The fact that we have not seen a successful terrorist attack in the U.S. since 9/11 should not be seen as an indication that we are less threatened. Regardless of the theories on how we got to this point, consensus among politicians, intelligence analysts and law enforcement is that radical Islamic terrorists hate us with a passion to which few Americans can relate. There is also consensus on the certainty of another attack – the question is not “if?” but “when?” 2. There are many helpful guides to help you get your organisation better prepared. One of the most frequent comments we hear from clients is not that they do not know the answers, but that they don’t know the right questions to get started in their planning. The Federal 9/11 Commission has just endorsed the National Fire Protection Agency’s standard on disaster management and business continuity (NFPA 1600) as the national preparedness standard. Free guidelines are also available for the banking and healthcare industry to provide ideas on where to start and what needs to be done. Additionally, the Site Security Guidelines published by the American Chemical Council have principles and practices useful across industry types. 3. Talk to the emergency responders in your area. If possible, contact your state’s Office of Homeland Security in addition to your local police and fire departments. Every county in the US has an emergency management agency that may have additional perspectives or resources. It’s important to consider the amount of work these emergency responders already have when asking for assistance, but most will be glad to share whatever time and talent they have to help you prepare for terrorism. It’s especially important to get to know emergency responders in major metropolitan areas, particularly those highlighted by experts as likely targets. New York and Washington DC remain high risk cities, but others including Houston and Austin, TX also have been mentioned by some as prime targets. You may wish to visit web sites sponsored by Stratfor, ANSER or others providing information and analysis concerning emerging threats and our preparations to manage the impacts of such events. 4. Revisit the basics of crisis management. Assuming that everyone will be able to escape the building and be accounted for is dangerous. One large firm affected by 9/11 took more than three days to account for its personnel because they lost their primary means to track and contact employees. Evaluate evacuation/egress planning, personnel accountability, emergency system shutdown procedures, correct names/numbers on emergency phone lists, media communications guidelines, family communications guidelines, expectations for employee communications and support. 5. Select one person who is responsible for crisis preparedness across the organisation and communicate his or her identity to managers at all levels. Ensure each crisis planning team (strategic crisis management, business continuity, crisis communications, disaster recovery, employee impact, etc.) knows the relationship between their plan(s) and the overall organisation’s crisis management goals and objectives. Meet as a group in advance of events in your vicinity to discuss the roles and responsibilities of the entire team and what the protocols are if anyone is unavailable if a terrorist incident occurs during an event. 6. Consider holding a tabletop exercise or discussion around a likely event. Even if the scenario chosen is not a terrorist attack, talking about the roles each team member is expected to play while responding to an incident will help identify strengths and weaknesses in your organisation’s ability to respond, especially for groups requiring interaction during the response. The Justice Department is currently discussing scenarios whereby the election itself may need to be postponed. Such scenario planning is a helpful tool leading to overall preparedness. No organisation does everything well, and exercises are a terrific way to highlight improvement needs for multiple areas at one time. 7. Nearly every survey taken after 9/11 has shown that the most overlooked area of crisis preparedness is the human side. Don’t trust that your employee assistance program (EAP) will be able to address your every need. EAPs provide a valuable piece of the human impact response, but not nearly the entire package. Employees affected by a terrorist attack need practical help in addition to mental health assistance. Single-parent households are especially vulnerable to the human impacts of an attack. Determine in advance how you will help your employees recover from a terrorist attack, even if your organisation’s physical assets are not affected. If relocating staff to an alternate site for recovery is included in your plans, consider all the issues surrounding employee relocations in excess of one week and how you might support their personal needs as they support the business recovery. 8. It isn’t enough to know that your organisation is better prepared. The impact or a terrorist attack will be felt well beyond the initial target. In Oklahoma City, more than 300 businesses as far as 10 blocks away from the Murrah Federal Building were damaged by the attack. Following 9/11, transit systems were shut down and border crossings were very difficult. If you have covered the basics within your direct control, expand your approach to include neighbours who might be targets and the issues you will have to face in the wake of a regional terror attack. Most of all, if you are overwhelmed by the need to prepare for the next terrorist attack, get help. Our firm provides services in this field as do many other good firms. Those of us in the industry would much rather see your organisation become a competitor’s client than to remain unprepared for something almost every expert believes will happen. Michael Keating is vice president of Client Services, Crisis Management International Inc. http://www.cmiatl.com/
•Date:
15th July 2004 •Region: N.America •Type:
Article •Topic: Terrorism |
