A Review of the Research on Response to Improvised Nuclear Device Events
Author | : |
Publisher | : |
Total Pages | : 11 |
Release | : 2008 |
Genre | : |
ISBN | : |
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Following the events of September 11, a litany of imaginable horribles was trotted out before an anxious and concerned public. To date, government agencies and academics are still grappling with how to best respond to such catastrophes, and as Senator Lieberman's quote says above, now is the time to plan and prepare for such events. One of the nation's worst fears is that terrorists might detonate an improvised nuclear device (IND) in an American city. With 9/11 serving as the catalyst, the government and many NGOs have invested money into research and development of response capabilities throughout the country. Yet, there is still much to learn about how to best respond to an IND event. Understanding the state of knowledge, identifying gaps, and making recommendations for how to fill those gaps, this paper will provide a framework under which past findings can be understood and future research can fit. The risk of an improvised nuclear device (IND) detonation may seem unlikely; and while this is hopefully true, due to its destructive capability, IND events must be prepared for. Many people still live under the Cold War mentality that if a city is attacked with a nuclear weapon, there is little chance of survival. This assumption, while perhaps true in the case of multiple, thermonuclear weapons exchanges, does not hold for the current threat. If a single IND were detonated in the United States, there would be many casualties at the point of impact; however, there would also be many survivors and the initial response by two major groups will mean the difference between life and death for many people. These groups are the first responders and the public. Understanding how these two groups prepare, react and interact will improve response to nuclear terrorism. Figure 1 provides a visualization of the response timeline of an IND event. For the purposes of this assessment, it is assumed that to accurately inform the public, three functions need to be fulfilled by response personnel, namely planning, developing situational awareness, and developing a public message. Planning varies widely from city to city, and to date no comprehensive study has been completed to assess how individual cities are progressing with preparation plans. Developing situational awareness about an IND detonation has been well researched over the years, yet it is far from fully understood. While messaging is an integral component to response, it is one that suffers from a dearth of knowledge. The public will have a certain level of education and preparation. After the detonation the public will respond naturally and upon receiving the responders message will react to the message and may modify their behavior accordingly. Reviewing the nodes under both headings, responders and public will help better prepare the country to meet the challenges of an IND attack.