Communication and Crisis Essay

Chapter thirteen of the textbook, Biosecurity and Bioterrorism Containing and Preventing Biological Threats, by Jeffrey R. Ryan, examines a wide range of techniques, set up, to help the United States, or U.S., in becoming prepared for a potential biological terrorist attack. A portion of the techniques mentioned throughout chapter thirteen were early warning detection systems. These systems are known as the Autonomous Detection system, and the Biohazard Detection System (Ryan, 327-329). Although both these detection systems have their benefits, the one that has conveyed more consideration over the years is the Biohazard Detection

At the time of the Three Mile incident, there were only three major television stations limiting the ability to communicate critical information to as many people as possible. Development of cable television and more channels for people to watch gives the ability to distribute information at an increased rate. This is a great advantage to communicating crisis information to a mass audience.

Getting a staff together to bring in useful information to plan for the release of the information to the news media is a great way to enhance communication to the public. The media will then get the information out to the public by ways of News releases, web sites, news conferences, newspapers and other social media (Hicks, 2012). The advantages of using these types of media are they quickly allows for the public to know what type of crisis has happened, and what kinds of precautions are being taken to ensure their safety. If there were to be any fatalities caused by the crisis event(s), these types of avenues also will give information on that. Some disadvantages can be unreliable technology of the citizens that will not allow for them to get access to the information that is being released by the media, such as no television, computer is not working properly, or they don’t received the local newspaper to be able to read it, etc.

These biological agents could be viruses, toxins, bacteria, etc. Agents could be used in war or terrorist attacks. Also, they could be modified to cause extreme diseases and disorders, according to The Center for Disease Control and Prevention. It makes bioterrorism even more tempting to use as it is easy and inexpensive to produce, disseminate and can cause a more widespread panic than other acts of terrorism (1).

Terrorist attacks are man-made attacks directed to harm or end the lives of civilians for the terrorist's specific reasons. In the past, these attacks were seen as uncommon and were shocking to the public whenever they did occur; however, after the Trade Center incident of September 11th, the public and the government finally realized that terrorist attacks were no longer simply a rare occurrence, but something to be anticipated and prepared for properly (Pilat, 2005). While shortly after the Oklahoma City bombing and foreign nuclear scares of the Clinton administration, the emphasis of WMD attacks rested on nuclear weapons, it became readily apparent that biological weapons were equally if not more dangerous to the public (Chittaranjan, 1998). Along this line of thought, the federal government enacted the CONPLAN, a plan that outlines the status and treatment of certain terrorist attacks and how these attacks are to be dealt with on a local, state, and national level. This paper will discuss the methods recommended for local responders at the scene of a WMD terrorist attack.

On March 28, 1979 a series of mechanical, electrical, and human failures led to what has been described as the worst nuclear power plant accident in the history of the United States. News of the accident rocked the nation, and its effects were keenly felt by those who lived in the shadow of the great concrete towers of Three Mile Island.

A biological weapon is defined as “any of a number of disease-producing agents, such as bacteria, viruses, fungi and toxins, that may be utilized as weapons against humans, animals or plants.” (Britannica Online Encyclopedia).

My name is Brianna Rodriguez and I am the director of the regional emergency management office. We have begun to receive official reports of contaminated water with a life-threatening biological agent. As director, I have many priorities in getting this situation under control, but most importantly will need to be in communication with all the organizations involved. Putting our crisis plan into immediate effect will hopefully keep everything organized. The ultimate goal will be to get the information out to the public with a plan, swiftly but making sure not to create panic along the way.

Biological weapons cannot, without explosive components, destroy structures. Nuclear weapons can level entire parts of a city. Nuclear weapons however cannot target specific groups of people within the impact zone whereas biological agents can be deployed in an enclosed space, reducing the number of deaths but targeting only a specific group. This may be important when considering the terrorists constituents. Do they want targeted attacks against only government or military personnel? Would they rather see a high death toll? Terrorist organizations are not typically simply causing death, they are advancing a political or religious ideal that may have limitations that shy away from indiscriminant

Terrorists would be more likely to utilize a biological weapon over a nuclear weapon against the United States for multiple reasons. The creation process, required funding, and resources needed to obtain possession of a biological weapon, compared to a nuclear weapon, are easier. As stated by Kostadinov and Galabova, “with their features bio-agents are ideal as a terrorists weapons undoubtedly proved by performed bioterrorism assessment” (Kostadinov, 2010, p. 303). The use of a biological weapon is the, for lack of a better term, best choice for terrorists to use against their enemies. The biggest goal they are going for is to inflict the largest amount of fear throughout the population as possible. It is a very scary thing to know that the

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) identifies bioterrorism as “the intentional use of microorganisms or toxins derived from living organisms to produce death or disease in humans, animal, and plants”. Bioterrorism is known as biological warfare. This particular kind of warfare is unique for specific use of microorganisms. This includes attacks from viruses and dangerous bacteria to cause fatality or sickness to people, animals, or plants. According the Human Diseases and Conditions Forum, “when organisms are used in this way, they become weapons”. The agents are usually discovered within nature. They can however be

Nor can effective use of power be reduced to wise control of our personal powers, though that may be a good start.  Social power, including our own, is concentrated, channelled, and distributed by the culture and structure of our families, communities, organizations, countries, etc.  Personal power is limited or extended by such cultures and structures.

The reason why the use of biological weapons for terrorism could be a choice f or many people is due to the fact that they are elements that are difficult to detect in the air without a biological experimentation and test. The human body through its senses cannot detect the presence of these agents hence forming the perfect agent for terrorists as they can kill people without them knowing that they are in contact with the agents of death. The other reason is due to the ease in obtaining these elements then alter them to be harmful. The fact that they can easily spread even through air also makes them a weapon of choice since they can be passed from one person to another or

Professor - Bioterrorism is terrorism involving the intentional release or dissemination of biological agents. These agents are bacteria, viruses, or toxins and may be in a naturally occurring or a human-modified form. For the use of this method in warfare, see "biological warfare." I will talk about it next time. Honestly, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), bioterrorism and bioterrorism attacks are the deliberate release of viruses, bacteria, toxins, or other harmful agents used to cause illness or death in people, animals, or plants. These agents are typically found in nature but it is possible that they could be mutated or altered to increase their ability to cause disease, make them more resistant to current medicines, or to increase their ability to be spread into the environment. Biological agents can be spread through the air, water, or in food. Terrorists tend to use biological agents because they are extremely difficult to detect and do not cause illness for several hours or several days. Some bioterrorism agents like the smallpox virus can be spread from person to person and some like anthrax cannot. Bioterrorism is an attractive weapon because biological agents are relatively easy and inexpensive to obtain, can be easily disseminated, and can cause widespread fear and panic beyond the actual physical damage that they can cause. Military leaders, however, have learned that as a military asset, bioterrorism has some important

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