Fighting Back Against Terrorism

Since Sept. 11, Americans have been jolted by a new sense of vulnerability.

Eighty-one percent of Americans believe that another terrorist attack targeting the U.S. is very or somewhat likely.

So is there anything we can do to protect ourselves?

A comprehensive approach to prevent terrorism needs to be led by government: better intelligence, tighter security, and tougher regulatory standards for airlines and other private companies.

To deal with the aftermath of successful biological, chemical, bomb or even radioactive attacks, we need to back government efforts to ensure we have sufficient vaccines, antibiotics and backup hospital capacity.
But individual citizens can play a role both in preventing and surviving incidents.

Today, airline passengers have shown that they will intervene to stop terrorists.

“It is hard to imagine a hijacking in today’s environment that is not countered in the most aggressive possible fashion by everyone on board,” says Capt. Duane E. Woerth, president of the Air Line Pilots Association.

In his book “Fear Less,” author Gavin de Becker offers a common-sense perspective based on a career of fighting terrorism that balances caution with the need not to be paralyzed by fear.

De Becker urges people to listen to their intuition or gut feeling, act on that intuition, and then move on.

He points out that because of so many bombings, Londoners are aware of pre-incident indicators: unattended briefcases propped up against a building, or a pair of men climbing out from under a car belonging to a local politician.

These incidents will generate reports to law enforcement or security personnel.

An alert flight instructor in Minnesota, who became suspicious when Zacarias Moussaoui was more interested in learning to steer a plane than take off or land, convinced the FBI that this was alarming behavior.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has published a fact sheet on terrorism at www.fema.gov/library/terror.htm advising Americans to be alert and aware of conspicuous or unusual behavior when traveling.

But preventive measures are not always going to work. What should you do if you find yourself in the vicinity of a terrorist attack?

Building Collapse
If you end up trapped in debris after an explosion, FEMA recommends staying in your area so you don’t kick up dust, covering your mouth with clothing, and tapping on a wall or pipe so rescuers can hear you.
Use a whistle if one is available. Shout only as a last resort because shouting can cause a person to inhale dangerous amounts of dust.

Chemical Attack
It’s difficult to create massive casualities with chemical attack because many agents won’t work if it’s freezing or too hot, if wind disperses the chemical too much, or for other reasons.

De Becker recommends that in the highly unlikely event you suspect a nerve-agent attack, the best protection is fresh air and staying calm because panic leads to faster breathing and more inhalation.

Biological Attack
The Centers for Disease Control has a Web site full of information at www.bt.cdc.gov.

Because biological attacks cannot necessarily be detected and can take time to grow, it is almost impossible to know that a biological attack has occurred.

If government officials learn of an imminent biological attack, they would instruct citizens to either immediately seek shelter where they are and seal up windows and doors or evacuate the premises.

Dirty Bomb
Assembling a dirty bomb--a conventional bomb wrapped with pulverized radioactive waste--could kill terrorists before they finished the job. But if they were successful, people downwind of the explosion would be at risk.

Experts recommend people get indoors--most modern buildings are reasonably airtight--close windows and turn off ventilation systems. It’s important to avoid inhaling and radioactive particles so they can’t lodge in lungs.

Being in the vicinity of a terrorist attack is highly unlikely. But it’s not outside the realm of possibility any longer.