10: Countering Terrorism & Ensuring Domestic Preparedness
Until recently, terrorism was a federal matter, not a concern for state and local governments. But events in the past decade have shown that terrorists have the will and the capability to conduct attacks within the United States. The bombings of the World Trade Center in New York City, the Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, and the Centennial Park during the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta highlight the threats faced by American communities.
The use of sarin, a nerve agent, in Japan in 1995 further demonstrated the deadly consequences of a terrorist attack involving a highly toxic material. The need to prepare for incidents involving weapons of mass destruction - chemical, biological, and radiological threats - is very real.
In recent years, Congress and the Administration have placed a major emphasis on preparing this nation to respond to terrorism within its borders. The burden of responding to domestic terrorism, especially in the critical few hours after an event occurs, falls initially on state and local emergency response agencies. OJP is working to give local police officers, firefighters, and emergency medical personnel the training and equipment they need to respond effectively to terrorist emergencies. At the same time, OJP is working with states and local communities to plan their responses to terrorism, and test these plans by conducting realistic training exercises.
TRAINING FIRST RESPONDERS
Most often, local police and firefighters are the first on the scene of incidents of terrorism or other catastrophes. To help first responders prepare, OJP's Office for State and Local Domestic Preparedness Support (OSLDPS) has established several training programs. OJP's Center for Domestic Preparedness at Fort McClellan, Alabama provides a unique environment and opportunity to offer specialized advanced training in managing incidents of domestic terrorism, involving chemical agents and other toxic substances. Beginning in FY 1998, the Army base at Fort McClellan is being converted from military to civilian use. The Justice Department is using the chemical defense training facilities at Fort McClellan to train first responders in a contaminated environment using "live agents" - actual toxic substances. Such facilities are invaluable in both providing training on the use of specialized equipment and in providing the confidence gained by being able to have operated in an actual contaminated environment.
The Center for Domestic Preparedness is one of five facilities comprising the Consortium for Domestic Preparedness. The other institutes are the National Energetic Materials Research and Testing Center at the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology; National Center for Bio-Medical Research and Training at Louisiana State University; National Emergency Response and Rescue Training Center at Texas A&M; and National Exercise, Test, and Training Center, Nevada Test Site.
The members of the consortium offer specialized training to address different types of threats. For example, the Center for Domestic Preparedness (CDP) conducts training using live chemical and agents, while the training center at the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology offers training in responding to events where explosive devices have been used.
OSLDPS also supports training for law enforcement in conjunction with the National Sheriffs' Association, and training for firefighters in conjunction with the National Fire Academy.
BJA offers training to law enforcement officers and prosecutors on detecting, preventing, and responding to domestic terrorism. The State and Local Anti-Terrorism Training addresses detecting and investigating violent, extremist criminal activity.
EQUIPPING LOCALITIES
OJP provides funding to state and local jurisdictions to enable these jurisdictions to purchase the specialized equipment needed to respond to terrorist incidents involving the use of weapons of mass destruction. In FY 1999, OSLDPS awarded funds to the nation's 157 largest jurisdictions to provide a basic defensive capability to respond to domestic terrorism incidents. OSLDPS also provided funds to each of the 50 states for equipment purchases and planning efforts. The funds are being used to purchase certain types of emergency response equipment needed by fire services, emergency medical services, hazardous materials response units, and law enforcement agencies to respond to a terrorist incident involving nuclear, chemical, or biological weapons or explosive or incendiary devices. Types of equipment purchased through the program include protective suits, decontamination showers, equipment to detect chemical, biological, and radiological threats, and interoperable communications equipment to allow firefighters, law enforcement, HAZMAT teams, and emergency medical personnel to coordinate their efforts.
As part of the FY 1999 State Domestic Preparedness Equipment Program, states are required to conduct individual needs and risk assessments and, using the information gathered, develop individual state strategies addressing issues of training, equipment, and technical assistance in domestic preparedness support. Future equipment funding will be distributed in accordance with these state strategies.
PLANNING A RESPONSE TO TERRORISM
During FY 1999, OSLDPS undertook a major nationwide needs assessment aimed at providing a view of emergency response requirements across the nation. The first phase of this assessment focused on needs at the national level. OSLDPS is currently focusing in more detail at the state and local levels. These assessments will result in detailed information for each of the 50 states. To assist states in completing this project, OSLDPS is providing both planning grants and technical assistance, including assessment tools and instruments.
OSLDPS is working closely with other federal agencies, including the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the FBI to help city, county, and state emergency managers, law enforcement officers, and public health officials pinpoint vulnerabilities and develop plans for countering terrorism. The assessment results will serve not only as a roadmap for program planning, but also as a benchmark for measuring program effectiveness.
As a tool in the planning process, OJP and other federal agencies routinely support local domestic preparedness exercises. Real life situational exercises provide valuable training and learning experiences for emergency response personnel, public officials, and others involved in responding to weapons of mass destruction incidents. In FY 1999, Congress directed the Administration to conduct an exercise that involves all key personnel - federal agency personnel and state and local emergency responders, including law enforcement, fire, and emergency medical personnel - who would participate in the crisis and consequence management of a domestic weapons of mass destruction terrorist attack. The goal of the exercise, called "TOPOFF" because of the involvement of top officials, is to assess the nation's crisis and consequence management capacity under extraordinarily stressful conditions. Consistent with legislative recommendations, the TOPOFF exercise will simulate a chemical and a biological attack.
The exercise scenarios will enable top officials and relevant personnel to practice different courses of action, gain and maintain situational awareness, and assemble appropriate resources. Mayors, city managers, state governors and local and state personnel will be key participants and play active roles throughout the exercise.
In May 1999, OJP convened a TOPOFF planning conference with more than 150 state and local emergency response experts and planners from across the country. The group discussed criteria for the selection of sites, inclusion of state and local representatives, exercise management and control, evaluation structure, policy implications of the federal response, and public affairs issues.
At the direction of Congress, the exercise will be conducted without advance notice to participants. Specific dates and characteristics of the exercise are being withheld from participants who will be responding as they would in a real-life situation. Updates will be available on the Website.
USING TECHNOLOGY AGAINST TERRORISM
In FY 1999, Congress appropriated $10 million for domestic anti-terrorism technology development. NIJ is working with several research partners on a variety of projects. One such project is a chemical agent sensor system designed to protect subway systems in the event of a terrorist attack. The system is designed to sense the presence of chemical agents in less-than-lethal concentrations in sufficient time to allow for response and evacuation. This system is currently being tested by a transit authority in a major metropolitan area. Also in development are technologies that screen for concealed weapons and explosives and improvements to methods for disabling explosive devices.