Security and recovery depend on individuals
CALIFORNIA — While the government has responsibilities when it comes to national security and recovery after disasters, individuals also play a major role, according to two of the speakers at this year’s security conference at California University of Pennsylvania.
Retired Secret Service Agent Mark Camillo and retired U.S. Army Maj. General Donna Barbisch, both graduates of California University of Pennsylvania, addressed issues of preparation and recovery from man-made and natural disasters.
“Natural disasters provide a significant opportunity for terrorists,” Barbisch said.
Barbisch said that for every 25,000 deaths caused by a natural disaster, there is a 33 percent increase in deaths from terrorism, a 22 percent increase in the number of terrorist attacks and a 16 percent increase in the number of wounded in terrorist attacks.
“You cannot eliminate the threat; the threat is always going to be out there. You can reduce it, but you cannot eliminate it,” Barbisch said.
Reducing the effects of disasters is done not only by enhancing preparedness and having an effective response, it also means having a rapid recovery for life to return to normal.
“If you do the research, this recovery aspect is often the one that’s underfunded,” Barbisch said.
Barbisch used Hurricane Katrina as an example.
“We weren’t very resilient,” Barbisch said.
Barbisch noted that citizens failed to heed the warnings to evacuate in a timely fashion and the governor of Louisiana waited too long to call for federal assistance, not realizing that an “immediate” federal response would be at least 72 hours from the time of the request because that’s the length of time needed to mobilize.
“If you cannot maintain your family for 72 hours after an event, you are relying on someone who won’t be there,” Barbisch said.
Just as individuals need to be ready to take responsibility for themselves in a disaster, Camillo said individuals can and have made a difference in the battle against terrorism. Camillo said 1995 Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh was captured by a state trooper making a routine traffic stop; the Unabomber in 1996 was turned in by a family member and the Fort Dix and Fort Hood terrorism plots were uncovered by store clerks who notified authorities.
“Generally, one person can make a difference,” Camillo said. “It’s not about a group stopping something, it’s about people.”
Camillo said it can take four to six years to adequately prepare security and crowd management for a major public event such as the Olympics.
“It’s not all about bombs and bullets. It’s about the safety of the people at these events,” Camillo said.
Camillo said poor planning has led to events such as the 1985 Bradford, England, stadium fire in which 56 people were killed and 200 were injured because flammable trash was allowed to build up under wooden bleachers or the 1989 incident in Sheffield, England, where 95 people were crushed to death because of poor crowd management.
Camillo said emergency and security plans require constant review.
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