2008 Woodie Awards
TopOff the town: preparing for an attack
Terrorist simulations prepare U.S. cities for emergencies
by Brian Anderson
Issue date: 10/23/07 Section: News
Two U.S. cities and Guam were locations of terrorist-exercise drills this past week, making it the fourth time terrorist drills have been conducted on a national scale in the United States in seven years.
The drill, called TopOff 4, occurred in Portland, Ore. and Phoenix, Ariz. during the week of Oct. 15. TopOff 4 included 15,000 members from all levels of government, various law-enforcement agencies and businesses in the private sector.
Each TopOff exercise addresses a different threat. This year, a dirty bomb attack was simulated in Portland and Phoenix. In 2005, the exercise simulated the outbreak of pneumonic plague in New Jersey and Connecticut.
James Kish, acting assistant administrator for the National Integration Center, said TopOff 4 has been planned for more than a year and a half. The NIC is part of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which helps organize people during times of crisis, such as a terrorist strike or a natural disaster.
The exercise started in early October when intelligence reports were released to the officials involved, Kish said. It culminated last week when the dirty-bomb attack was simulated. Debriefing will continue for the next several months.
Some of the most important players in the process are businesses from the private sector, he said. Because the government does not own essential resources, the private sector must be relied upon.
"The government doesn't own the communication infrastructure," Kish said. "We have to have plans, procedures and practices in place so we can effectively do outreach and incorporate the owners of the nation's critical infrastructure relating to communication and bring them into this."
He said officials determine which type of threat they will test by focusing on evolving response tactics.
According to the Department of Homeland Security's official press conference, TopOff 4 concentrated on five areas: prevention, intelligence and investigation, incident management, public information and evaluation.
The drill, called TopOff 4, occurred in Portland, Ore. and Phoenix, Ariz. during the week of Oct. 15. TopOff 4 included 15,000 members from all levels of government, various law-enforcement agencies and businesses in the private sector.
Each TopOff exercise addresses a different threat. This year, a dirty bomb attack was simulated in Portland and Phoenix. In 2005, the exercise simulated the outbreak of pneumonic plague in New Jersey and Connecticut.
James Kish, acting assistant administrator for the National Integration Center, said TopOff 4 has been planned for more than a year and a half. The NIC is part of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which helps organize people during times of crisis, such as a terrorist strike or a natural disaster.
The exercise started in early October when intelligence reports were released to the officials involved, Kish said. It culminated last week when the dirty-bomb attack was simulated. Debriefing will continue for the next several months.
Some of the most important players in the process are businesses from the private sector, he said. Because the government does not own essential resources, the private sector must be relied upon.
"The government doesn't own the communication infrastructure," Kish said. "We have to have plans, procedures and practices in place so we can effectively do outreach and incorporate the owners of the nation's critical infrastructure relating to communication and bring them into this."
He said officials determine which type of threat they will test by focusing on evolving response tactics.
According to the Department of Homeland Security's official press conference, TopOff 4 concentrated on five areas: prevention, intelligence and investigation, incident management, public information and evaluation.
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