Term Paper on "Attacks on the World Trade Center"

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Discussion

Manmade disasters are more gruesome, especially if they are intentional. Chemical and bio-chemical disasters can cause large-scale damage to life and property. The increase in the density of population and the use of bridges, tunnels, mass transportation and increased utilities has made many cities targets, where potential terrorist can do a lot of damage. The Boeing aircraft impacts on the World Trade Center had an effect of 0.9 and 0.7 magnitude of earth movements, respectively. The collapsing of the towers however registered a magnitude of 2.1 and 2.3 (respectively) on the Richter scale. The fall of the towers was found to be similar to a pyroplastic flow down a volcano, where hot dust and chunks of material descend at high temperatures. (Sykes, Richards, Kim et al., 2001) in addition, many smaller signals were registered throughout the rest of the day on September 11 that may have originated from the further collapse of the Twin Towers and the fall of walls and other debris in the surrounding area.

First responders on the scene had never before encountered similar situations and as such had no knowledge of the precautions that were required. Emergency communications agencies like the North American Center for Emergency Communications (NACEC) were set up to provide quick and speedy services in cases of disaster. "To protect and enhance public safety and health by facilitating the local implementation and maintenance of efficient 911 service and poison control emergency communication services," has been the mission statement of a number of State and Local agencies dealing with emergency response.

Communication is important in handling emergencies and saving lives. The planning and importance of a well-prepared plan can help tremendously in times of emergencies. Personnel training and establishing complex and integrated communication systems has to be done ahead of any disaster for the help to be beneficial. Drills have to be carried out so that emergency personnel and the public are aware of what the plan of action should be in case of disasters.

Ground Zero, the location of the twin towers in New York is considered one of the worst man-made environmental disasters to date. (France, 2001) the building needed a number of complex infrastructures that supported the cooling and heating systems, the insulation and the decor of the building. Thousands of feet of carpets were burnt, countless office equipment like PC, cable wiring, plastics and cleaning solutions combusted, asbestos used for insulation was pulverized and the Freon from the complex's central air-conditioning system might have seeped out; and, in a worst case situation ignited to another toxin, phosgene that was used by the Nazis during the second world war in their gas chambers.

It is vital that all first responders be prepared to face any type and scope of disaster. A chain of command has to be set up and duties and responsibilities will have to be designated to all involved in the Emergency Planning Program. The city or town will then have to train various departments like the Police force, Fire fighters and Paramedics to deal with these emergencies when they occur. Coordinating the recruitment and training of volunteer personnel and agencies to help in aiding the rescue and emergency personnel and facilities at the time of the occurrence of the disaster is also important.

The quality of care offered by the paramedics can mean the difference between life and death for the injured. Many smaller cities might not also have the necessary medical infrastructure to handle disasters. For instance, following the Bhopal chemical disaster in India, the health professional only treated symptoms and failed to identify the full scope of the medical complication. A similar situation was also observed after 9/11 where many firefighters were exposed to the dust from the collapsing buildings and have developed troublesome lung conditions such as sarcoidosis, which tend to make individuals more prone to lung cancer. http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=80965In the immediate aftermath of the twin tower collapse in New York, emergency respond workers and rescue and recovery workers often worked for days without using any protective gear, thereby exposing themselves to contaminants and high levels of asbestos and dust. As many of the first responders were volunteers and as such might have not had the necessary training and consequently the necessary medical coverage for highly hazardous areas, insurance companies are not as open to the idea of compensation for the post-trauma that these individuals face.

The Office of Grants and Training of the Department of Homeland security is also aggressively involved with the training and education of personnel at local and state levels to deal with preventing and responding safely and effectively to incidents of terrorism involving weapons of mass destruction (WMD). The primary recipients of this training are first responders and they are made aware of the different problems and solutions through the use of a variety of mediums. The department has also started extensive computer and web-based training to reach as many individuals as possible to ensure that the education and the knowledge imparted is the same at all levels and in all parts of the country. "The Preparedness Network (PREPnet) is an Internet- and satellite-based distance learning and information system used by the United States Fire Administration and other government agencies to bring interactive programming into virtually any community nationwide."

The U.S. government is also working towards integrating the entire department's knowledge into a common database that can be effectively accessed and tracked at all times. In this manner, even first responders can get some preliminary information about the potential hazards and the concerns that might be faced. Technology is being extensively used both in identifying risks and providing solutions to the problems. Technology between different government agencies is also being integrated into a common database. Lack of communications between the various U.S. government agencies was attributed as one of the reasons for the lack of prior knowledge of 9/11. By integrating the information into a common database it is hoped that information is always the most current and government agencies do not become proprietary about the information or the knowledge held.

The Training Resources and Data Exchange (TRADE) program set up in 1984 is also being used as a medium that helps fire fighters exchange fire-related training information and resources. TRADE has also helped in the post 9/11 environment to maintain the quality of instruction and information that is provided to all firefighters. This agency operates at all levels, the federal, state and the local thereby ensuring that knowledge is distributed as needed. In addition, this forum also is an effective medium for informing departments of the training deficiencies that might exist. Trends in fire-fighting have also evolved and changed and TRADE works at getting out the new information to all the concerned parties in the shortest possible time frame. (TRADE, 2008)

Resource allocation and its effective use is also important in all government agencies and this is especially true in the case of fire fighting. Equipment is expensive and care of equipment is an important part of the safety concerns of any fire department. Routine testing of equipment and the use of mock drills can ensure that all issues and concerns are taken care of at the earliest possible time. Courses are also being offered to fire department personnel to ensure that the set-up of an incident command post, and post incident analysis is also… READ MORE