Excerpted from: ERRI DAILY INTELLIGENCE REPORT-ERRI Risk Assessment
Services-Monday, May 11, 1998-Vol. 4 - 131
LEAD FOCUS
GAO SAYS CITIES SHOULD CONDUCT RISK ASSESSMENT
OF TERRORISM THREATS
By Steve Macko, ERRI Risk Analyst
Congressional investigators from the General Accounting Office (GAO) recently found that
since the passage of a $30 million anti-terrorism plan more than a year ago, emergency
response personnel in fewer than two dozen cities are actually trained to deal with an
attack. Under 1996 legislation, 120 of the largest American cities are to receive
training. But a GAO report (NSIAD-98-74; Combating Terrorism: Threat and Risk Assessments
Can Help Prioritize and Target Program Investments,
04/09/98) says that federal, state and local officials have yet to assess the threat
facing each city and which training and equipment are needed.
The report said emergency response personnel in only 11 cities completed the program at
the time of the GAO review, but two House members provided data that showed training is
now complete in 22 cities.
Missouri Representative Ike Skelton said, "This report underscores my concern that
the left hand might not know what the right hand is doing."
GAO investigators suggested Congress order federal and city governments to assess the
risks facing each city. It recommended that the FBI play a lead role in such assessments.
The report said: "While it is not possible to reduce risk to all potential targets
against ... terrorism, risk assessments can help ensure that training, equipment and other
safeguards are justified and implemented based on threat, the vulnerability of the asset
to an attack and the importance of the asset."
The U.S. Defense Department, the project's overall leader, disagreed with the idea of risk
assessments, saying such plans would not affect a city's choice of equipment and could
boost costs by as much as $30,000 per city. Congress set aside about $300,000 for each of
the 120 cities.
Mass transit systems are especially vulnerable to attack, a separate Transportation
Department study found last year. (Click
here to see ERRI report on Transit System Vulnerabilities)
Last Friday was the final day of a weeklong program to train police officers, firefighters
and emergency and health-care workers in central Ohio on handling chemical, nuclear or
biological acts of terrorism.
Columbus Safety Director Thomas W. Rice said, "We are not at the level where we need
to be, but we're moving in the right direction."
Columbus city officials said the 360 trainees will take what they learned back to help
train those in their agencies. Columbus is the first city in Ohio to receive the training.
Cleveland is expected to train its officials in November.
In Austin, Texas, Travis County officials are preparing to welcome federal trainers next
month who will brief them on the nature of terrorist threats. Then in November, Austin
first-responders will be trained in ways to respond to terrorist attacks.
Twenty of the largest cities are also forming "metro medical strike teams," and
Austin plans to merge its own planned strike team with one that will be established in San
Antonio. Hospitals in the cities will receive specialized equipment to handle chemical or
biological contamination, such as portable showers to decontaminate victims, protective
suits, and kits to test the air for biological or chemical threats.
According to the GAO Report:
Cities that have reportedly completed anti-terrorism
training:
Philadelphia, Boston, Detroit, Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, San Antonio, Washington,
Memphis, Kansas City MO, San Jose, Honolulu, Indianapolis, Dallas, Seattle, Miami,
Baltimore, Houston, Atlanta, San Francisco, Jacksonville, Portland OR, Phoenix, Columbus
OH.
Anti-terrorism training reportedly scheduled but not
completed:
San Diego, Anchorage AK, Milwaukee, Denver (personnel participated in a preliminary
program but will undergo the official program), Newark NJ, Salt Lake City, Albuquerque NM,
Providence RI, Cleveland, New Orleans, Nashville TN, Austin TX
Other cities where anti-terrorim training reportedly is
planned:
Columbus GA, El Paso TX, Sacramento, Minneapolis, Tulsa OK, Cincinnati, Fresno CA, Omaha,
Toledo OH, Buffalo, Wichita, Santa Ana CA, Mesa AZ, Colorado Springs CO, Tampa, St. Paul
MN, Louisville KY, Anaheim, Birmingham AL, Arlington TX, Norfolk VA, Lincoln NB, Madison
WI, Grand Rapids MI, Yonkers NY, Hialeah FL, Montgomery AL, Lubbock TX, Greensboro NC,
Dayton OH, Huntington Beach CA, Garland TX, Glendale CA, Spokane WA, Tacoma WA, Little
Rock AR, Bakersfield CA, Fremont CA, Fort Wayne IN, Newport News VA, Arlington VA,
Worcester MA, Fort Worth TX, Oklahoma City, Long Beach CA, Tucson AZ, St. Louis,
Charlotte, Virginia Beach VA, Oakland, Pittsburgh, Las Vegas, Corpus Christi TX, St.
Petersburg, Rochester NY, Jersey City NJ, Riverside CA, Lexington-Fayette KY, Akron OH,
Aurora CO, Baton Rouge LA, Raleigh NC, Stockton CA, Richmond VA, Shreveport LA, Jackson
MS, Mobile AL, Des Moines IA, Knoxville TN, Modesto CA, Orlando, San Bernardino CA,
Syracuse NY, Huntsville AL, Amarillo TX, Springfield MA, Irving, TX, Chattanooga TN,
Chesapeake VA, Kansas City KA, Metaire LA, Fort Lauderdale FL, Glendale AZ, Warren MI
(c) Copyright, EmergencyNet NEWS Service, 1998. All Rights Reserved. Redistribution without permission is prohibited by law.
The ERRI DAILY INTELLIGENCE REPORT is a subscription publication of the EmergencyNet NEWS Service, which is a part of the Chicago-based Emergency Response and Research Institute. This publication specializes in Security/ Terrorism/Intelligence/Military and National Security issues.
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