ABSTRACT
One simply has to read the newspapers or watch television to recognize that terrorism is for real. It occurs not just in the rest of the world, but right here in the U.S. Realistically, optimal preparation for a terrorist incident cannot be justified. The low likelihood of incidence and the great financial outlay it would take to prepare every community in the U.S. for every possible occurrence make preparation impractical. We can, however, lessen the impact of a terrorist incident by taking appropriate actions if one does occur. Exercising precautions based upon the hazards presented by terrorist weapons will protect emergency response personnel and minimize the danger. Acting Secretary of the Army Mike Walker once said, “I keep on my desk a jagged piece of glass which the FBI gave me from the childcare center in the Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City. I keep it there as a reminder of what can happen in America. One hundred and sixty-eight people died that day in Oklahoma City. But 5,000 would have died if that bomb had been a chemical weapon. So that is what we face with the potential of weapons of mass destruction.”
