Terrorism

Terrorism is just a disaster that someone causes on purpose. Unlike most natural disasters, there is likely to be little or no warning of a terrorist incident. If you live in Washington or New York, then you probably want to make some basic preparations. Other cities and towns are less likely to be hit by terrorists, but it is impossible to know. Who would have predicted a major terrorist attack in Oklahoma City?

There are basically four types of terrorism, and you prepare for these the same way you would a natural or accidental disaster. A chemical release is a hazardous materials incident. We have these all the time in our transportation system and emergency personnel know what to do. Bioterrorism is an attempt to start an epidemic of contagious disease. Health departments are working to become better prepared to deal with this, but the basic disease control systems have been in place here for a century. Nuclear terrorism may be more frightening than some of the others, but the proper response to a radiation threat doesn’t change whether the radiation is coming from a power plant, a “dirty bomb” or a truck accident. The fourth type of terrorism is the oldest, blowing something up, and earthquakes do a better job of knocking down buildings than people do. Prepare your family and your household for the natural disasters and accidents that are likely to happen in your area.