Weapons of Mass Destruction - Assignment Example

Assignment: Weapons of mass destruction WMDs are most likely to be used when no one is expecting. An emergency manger therefore should be prepared and ready in an eventuality of an attack by a WMD. The following are some of the interview questions that on various topics and concepts that s/he most likely to be asked and therefore should familiar with such;1. To begin with, many of us do not know what WMDs are .Would please shed light on the same?WMDs are mostly radiological, nuclear, chemical, biological or any other weapon that can cause deaths and bring about considerable harm and destruction to humans, natural resources and all man-made structures.2. Why would someone be interested in making a WMD and what would they achieve by using it as a weapon to attack other people.

Are there countries perceived as having the intentions of making or using WMDs? Terrorists are the most likely people to make and use WMDs. Their aim is retaliatory attacks especially against the US and her allies. Traditionally, all countries that support and harbor terrorism are likely candidates.3. In case of an attack by WMD, how flexible is your department since we know that an enemy/terrorist usually thrives on elements of surprise. Do you have any immediate and appropriate plans what to do in case the unthinkable took place?

We have learnt a lot since Sep 11th and our team is always ready for any eventuality ranging from chemical, biological or even nuclear attack. We have reenacted and trained on all these possible scenarios and many more. Yes there are several rescue and evacuation procedures put in place. For security reasons, this is classified.4. How well coordinated are your local arrangements with adjacent jurisdictions such as the neighboring states and the Federal government? Whats your regional approach to the planning process?

Do you have any nontraditional partners, goodwill parties and organizations like safety and occupational health organizations? We are a team. We have numerous programs in place and our teams have exchange programs very three to six months from the federal and other state agencies to ensure that we are in synch. We have partnered with the local community and private entities and have been offering them free training to empower and equip them accordingly.5. What type of communication do you have?

Can one use interoperable, backbone communication systems which are able to provide open and at the same time secure communication amongst all response parties? Can the public call toll-free in case of a WMD threat or rather possible attack? Our communication is well synchronized and we have invested in the state of the art technology with all several correspondents globally. Our responses are up to the minute and we monitor and receive communication 24/7 around the globe. We have toll-free lines open to the public.6. How ready are you for contingencies?

Is there any form of personnel protection? Are there any alternative emergency facilities? We are always ready to act in case of any eventuality and we have armored facilities, bunkers and vehicles to assist us .We have emergency marshals trained on a possible attack from a WMD and our top notch scientist are constantly researching and developing antidotes for any attacks.7. Terorist or attacks of WMD nature usually are highly visible and as such pull huge crowds of local and international media attention.

Were an attack of WMD nature to occur what plans have you put in place to handle emergency public information and related media procedures? There is a central communication center tasked with all outgoing and incoming media communication.8. How well and fast can your department integrate with Federal assets into local response? Do you have any laid down procedure, systems or protocols for asking for Federal assets? How well do you understand the scope of Federal assistance and what strategies are there for incorporation of the same?

There is a structured procedure for asking and for any assistance from any major organ of the state. There is a pre-set time for the help to be sent. We complement each other and are constantly sharing intelligence, almost to an hour.9. Do you have any support services that are ready and well-equipped to handle huge influxes of volunteers? What are the procedures for credentialing? Do you have any trauma and post-trauma centers? A support center consisting of post counseling, trauma and post trauma center has been set up and provides assistance to members of public afflicted by various tragedies and issues in life.

In case of an emergency, temporary or satellite centers are put in place for quick help.10. What are some of the measures we can use to prevent proliferation of WMDs? Constant education of the policy peaceful co-existence, tougher rules from the UN and implementation of friendly neighborliness.Bioterrorism involves intentional release or rather diffusion of biological agents which are in the form of toxins, viruses or bacteria and could be existing naturally or in a human-modified structure. They are mostly used in biological warfare.

Attacks from bioterrorism can cause sickness and consequently result in the death of plants, humans or animals (Davis, Purcell, 2006).Weapons of mass destruction on the other hand are usually nuclear, biological radiological, chemical or any other weapon that can bring about death, significant harm and destruction to a big number of people, great damage to structures that are man-made as well as natural resources.Nuclear terrorism ranges from detonation of a nuclear bomb that is yield-producing and contains fissile materials to sabotaging of a nuclear facility or the detonation of a device that is radiological.

The likely consequences of terrorists getting the capability of using radiological or nuclear materials in the accomplishment of their objectives can be catastrophic. From the above interview I got to learn a lot especially the threat that is really posed by the likelihood of terrorist developing WMDs. I got that all I wanted to know about WMDs. An emergency manager’s job is one that requires somebody to be forever alert and entirely prepared for any eventuality. It also needs constant update on the latest threats and technological advancements.

This experience motivated and influenced me to remain in my current position since it’s all about protecting the world, which something close to my heart.ReferencesDavis M, Purcell. A. (2006). Weapons of Mass Destruction. New Tork: Facts On File Inc.http://www.interpol.int/Crime-areas/Terrorism/CBRNE/Radiological-and-nuclear-terrorism