WMD response to pots
Post one :
You start with a very intriguing, and IMPORTANT, observation. Prevention/Mitigation is a very important, I dare see CRITICAL and KEY, aspect of successfully dealing with WMD attack.
Building “On” from Foundations of Emergency /Disaster Management, and reviewing the prototype current US process of the “National Preparedness System”(DHS, 2018), How do I best “PREVENT” (in the current terminology, a law enforcement /intelligience activity) the attack? What are the ‘signals’ to pay attention to, for CWA (Chemical Weapon Agents)? How do we leverage those ‘signals’ to stop the process?
Can “Protection” (protect our citizens, residents, visitors and assets against the greatest threats and hazards in a manner that allows our interests, aspirations and way of life to thrive) be effective for CWA? How?
One might look at “mitigation” (Reduce the loss of life and property by lessening the impact of future disasters) as the “Preparation of Response” personnel and assets. What can be done in this area for CWA?
This is a whole class challenge.
Department of Homeland Security, 2018 May 2 (Update) retrieved from https://www.fema.gov/national-preparedness-goal, on 9/9/18
Post two:
1.Victims of chemical attack are in most cases affected immediately hence management procedures advocate for rapid response with emphasis on evacuation, contamination control and immediate medical treatment (Efferson, 2015). Emergency medical response ought to cover some of the key elements which include medical management, decontamination materials, protective equipment, and detection monitors. Notably, medical management team in relation to chemical injury should have the skills to identify a chemical attack. After determining the zone that is affected, isolation begins to take place while offering first aid to the affected civilians (Efferson, 2015). The team delegating the activity should ensure they wear protective clothes to avoid effect of the chemical attack. Decontamination materials are also needed and should be planned with respect to the nature of the chemical threat.
2.Terrorist seek to cause panic among the public by causing death. Both biological and chemical weapons are fatal hence a preferable choice for terrorists. Biological agents can be transmitted from one person to another and can result to a high mortality rate while chemical agents which can either be in form of liquid or vapor cause death after they are inhaled or absorbed by the body. I feel that nerve agents which fall in the category of chemical agents are the most suitable weapon for terrorist. All nerve agents are colorless and soluble in water which makes it hard to detect (Ganesan, et al., 2010)). Furthermore, nerve agents have a fruity odor and are fatal.
Efferson, C. (2014). Origins of the norm against chemical weapons. International Affairs.
Ganesan, K., Raza, S. K., & Vijayaraghavan, R. (2010). Chemical warfare agents. Journal of Pharmacy and Bioallied Sciences.
