By Shelley Smith
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In May 2008, Anthony L. Kimery wrote an article Emergency Preparedness Complacency Worries Readiness Authorities that brought attention to the problem of Americans continued complacency towards the ongoing national security issues of terrorism.
Today, American citizens are taking for granted those officials, law enforcement, and other agencies who maintain resistance to complacency and who work diligently to stay ahead of the harm that could befall the United States and weaken its’ infrastructure.
American citizenry can no longer afford to be complacent and wane against terrorism. In seems there is more concern about a biological terrorist attack then any other security issues, while at the same time, less concern of an influenza pandemic and individual pandemic preparations. In the following as quoted from Kimery article:
“This creeping complacency, as many of us call it, among the public at large is quite disturbing,” said a senior federal emergency preparedness official.
“Studies have shown that less than one-third of all Americans have not taken special steps to prepare for an emergency. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reported that “Americans are too busy, too distracted, or too frightened to plan carefully for a natural disaster, disease outbreak, or local catastrophe.”
“This, CDC said, has led to “a crisis of complacency.””
To guard against the release of biological agents Homeland Security defenses and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have accelerated momentum in the establishment of an effective national bio-defense capability. The detection system monitors the status of the environment, water, food, human health, and animal health that provide early warning to prevent large numbers of casualties and deaths.
Today the enemies are still present and there are still those citizens who feel the threat of terrorism attacks has subsided. While complacency is a normal human response after a tragedy, complacency can cause security vigilance to be lowered, and risk and crisis security safeguards not to be incorporated enough, or at all into community and business infrastructures.
However, it does not stop with the citizenry. There are still short-comings at local and state government levels. Business preparedness responsibility on a national level was shown to be not as prepared as was desired for occurrences. This is reflected in the January 2008, The FBIIC/FSSCC Pandemic Flu Exercise of 2007 After Action Report that was sponsored by the United States Department of the Treasury. The analytical working group found areas of potential future concerns for the U.S. financial services and their employees.
Some of the concerns are improvement in planning activities and participation in regional partnerships; enhancement of information sharing; improved coordination in the event of a crisis including pandemics; state and local policies consideration of what affects employees and indirectly effect financial organizations by strengthening operations in the potential absence of employees. Issues of employee safety at a workplace were weighed regarding State or Federal laws, health codes and labor codes, and the possibility of social distancing or alternative worksites that could affect employees going to work. Included too was considerations of organizations who may wish to stockpile and distribute anti-viral medications for multiple reasons, while weighing relevant legal issues.
There is the mindset amongst the citizenry that government will take care of the problems in the event of a disaster or crisis. And there are those individuals who put aside the reality that First Responders, law enforcement, and others can be affected by a critical event as well. Lack of citizen preparedness and prevention actions and in participation, weakens and hampers infrastructures and reduces less capability for responses during the course of a natural disaster, and terrorism event.
Without continued organized initiatives to stimulate citizen awareness and preparedness and to break this cycle of complacency, the consequences of not being prepared to handle responsibilities before they occur and after, will be far worse then expected.
About the Author
Shelley Smith is an expert in analysis and research on varied national and international issues, homeland security, terrorism and counterterrorism, law enforcement, criminal justice systems, and other. Smith has an A.S. in Criminal Justice with Honors and a B.A in Intelligence Studies. She is currently pursuing an M.A. in Intelligence Studies Capstone with a concentration in Middle Eastern Studies at American Military University.
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