Oklahoma City Bombing

It was April 19, 1995 at 9:03 that the lives of thousands were affected by one single

I learned of what happened to the federal building in Oklahoma City until later that evening of April 19, 1995 from the evening news. It obviously was breaking news all day and it hit home for some people who knew workers there. The most heartbreaking were the lives of innocent children that were claimed in the bombing. Timothy McVeigh and his co-conspirator Terry Nichols were behind this treacherous attack in the U.S. On that day, the assault executed 168 individuals, 19 of them kids, and harmed more than 500. It was the biggest terrorist act at any point transpired on U.S. soil (CNN, 2001).

On April 19th, 1995 a homemade bomb made of a concoction of agricultural fertilizer, fuel, and other dangerous chemicals was left in a truck parked outside the Alfred P. Murrah Federal building in Oklahoma City. At 9:02 in the morning, it’s blast damaged over 300 buildings surrounding the vehicle and even flattened a third of the federal building. (Strom, 2015) The bomb took the lives of 168 people, including 19 children. It was found that two men, Timothy McVeigh and Terry Lynn Nichols were the ones who planted the device. Both men were found to be associated with a radical militia movement that sought revenge for a siege in Waco, Texas two years prior. The siege killed 82 Branch Davidians, of whom, multiple were related to the militia movement.

“This is it”, Will said softly as the he is in tower was collapsing. The jet fuel in an inferno about 20 feet away, scorching the concrete. There are dismembered limbs, scorched around him. He remembers the moments before the plane hit the 1st tower. He was terrified when he saw the plane collide. There were objects and debris flying everywhere. The people around him were terrified, wondering if the people in the other tower were alright. The tower was shook from the impact. He knew that he had to run, or else he would die. He sprinted as fast as he could to the stairs, when he was younger he had a similar experience, the Oklahoma City bombing.

The Government's Response to the Oklahoma City Bombing The Oklahoma City Bombing affected many Americans, including the President of the United States. From the start the White House immediately dispatched the FBI. The initial reaction was to close the airports, but that would infringe on civil liberties. Government intervention with this tragedy would help many victims' family members cope with the loss of their loved ones.

In the Disaster in Franklin County simulation (Regents of the University of Minnesota [UMN], 2006), there were several key personnel in the incident command team. This concept is utilized in real disasters when the Public

When the Oklahoma City bombing happened, it remained the largest terrorist attack to happen on American soil until the attack on 9/11. On April 19, 1995, a rental truck was loaded up with 4,800 pounds of explosives and detonated just after 9:00 am (Krung, Nixon, & Vincent, 1996). The attack was focused on the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in downtown Oklahoma City. This tragic event killed one hundred sixty-eight people and also injured hundreds more (Nacos, 2016). A dare care facility was also located within the building and nineteen children perished in the attack (Nacos, 2016). There were hundreds more victims which were treated by area hospitals and private doctor offices. This explosion was so large, a shockwave was sent across the city which damaged or destroyed an additional 300 buildings in the immediate area (History, 2009). Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nicholas were the two men responsible for this devastating attack.

On April 19th 1995 the worst terrorist attack on US soil took place in the heartland of America. The Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma was targeted and almost completely blown to pieces by one enormous homemade bomb. The unthinkable had happened at the beginning of an average day at the office. This day would be remembered for the rest of America's history, unlike any other day, as a blatant attack on the United States government.

A truck bomb explosion occurred on April 19, 1995. Prior to 9/11, this event was the worst attack on American soil in our history because it killed or injured approximately 700 civilians. By analyzing the historical, social, and cultural perspectives, one can better understand the significance of the Oklahoma City Bombing in American history.

Running up and down the halls without a care in the world, Aaron had no idea that he was destined to breathe his very last breath in a few short seconds. Unfortunately, Aaron’s story would only become one of the many lives ripped apart during the Oklahoma City Bombing. The world would never be the same. Instead of making the assassin, Timothy McVeigh, suffer like so many others will for the rest of their lives, he got exactly what he wanted; he received the easy way out.

The Oklahoma City bombing was a residential terrorist bomb assault on the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in downtown Oklahoma City on April 19, 1995. Completed by Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols, the bombing crushed 33% of the building, murdered 168 individuals, and harmed more than 680 others. The impact wrecked or harmed 324 different structures inside a 16-piece span, smashed glass in 258 adjacent structures, and decimated or smoldered 86 autos, creating an expected $652 million worth of harm. Broad salvage endeavors were embraced by nearby, state, government, and overall offices in the wake of the bombing, and considerable gifts were gotten from the nation over. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) initiated eleven of its Urban Search and Rescue Task Forces, comprising of 665 salvage laborers who helped with salvage and recuperation operations.

On the covers of newspapers and on the screens of many, the story of the Boston marathon hits the ground. Twenty six thousand eight hundred thirty nine people from all over the world came to run in this awe-inspiring marathon. Until the tragedy strikes right in their faces. The explosions, injuring scores of people, effected the lives of innocent civilians. Cheers were replaced with screams, sirens, and the first responders providing aide to the citizens. This was a brutal event just like the one on September 11, 2001. Instead of using seclusion towards political and economical reasons for events, the mass medias perceptive towards incidents involving the religion Islam has created the stereotypical thought in society in which we live in today.

The Howard Street Tunnel fire that occurred on 18 July, 2001 was a serious emergency incident that had the potential to become a catastrophic incident. On the day in question 10 cars out of a 60 car freight derailed causing a significant hazardous material spill, a subsequent fire, and a water main bursting due to the heat. Since the incident involved multiple levels of agency response all three levels of government were involved, spending around $12 million to clean up, and repair damage. Fortunately there were no fatalities, but a number of people were treated for numerous chemical related afflictions at area hospitals. The city of Baltimore was mostly prepared for the incident, and quickly initiated the incident command system (ICS) within minutes of arriving on the scene of the emergency. Despite being mostly prepared for the emergency there were several areas where responding agencies could improve on.

As the Disaster Coordinator for the city I am responsible for ensuring the public safety and welfare of the citizens within the city's jurisdiction. This requires me to have a full understanding on my role and responsibilities for managing disaster response and employing resources in order to save lives, protect property, the environment. Additionally I’m tasked to preserve the less tangible but equally important social, economic and political structures. My first reaction was to alert the regional Joint Terrorism Task Force to prepare them for possible activation. Next it is vital to gain situational awareness and develop a Common Operating Picture (COP). This COP is the who, what, where, when and how as it relates to the incident. Situational awareness starts at the incident site and includes continuous monitoring of reporting channels to gain

Today, the Incident Command System (ICS) is a major component of NIMS and is widely used in emergency management response. However, this was not always the case. According to David A. McEntire and Gregg Dawson, authors of the article, “The intergovernmental Context,” ICS was originally developed by the fire service in 1970. Its purpose was to assist in the command of wildfire events. It was unique because it standardized operations, yet offered flexibility so that it could be used on any number of events, regardless of size or type (McEntire & Dawson, 2007, p. 63).