Security and Domestic Anti-Terrorism

The Simulation and its Life-threatening Circumstances

The simulation depicts many life-threatening circumstances, the severity of which could rise if security staff do not act quickly and prudently. The hostage crisis is the first life-threatening situation. The terrorist is very likely to want to injure or murder the hostages in some way. Terrorists typically use hostages to bargain for their demands and then kill some or all of them to demonstrate their sincerity. The second potentially fatal condition is that there are some injured people on the metro. Unless help arrives quickly and the injured are evacuated by paramedics or other emergency response teams, some of the injured are likely to die as a result of their injuries. The challenge that presents in this situation is that the security teams are still unaware of the nature of the precise dimension of the attack, the nature of the terrorists, and the nature of the injuries. Another life-threatening situation that reflects in this simulation is the danger posed by the leakage of the chemical substance within the subway. Many people might be at risk of serious harm because of the unidentified chemical agent. Among the most vulnerable to the chemical attack are those who come close to the scene of the attack without protective clothing. In this category are the journalists, bystanders, and security agencies that may be unaware of the dangerous leakage. The devastation of the chemical attack might spread fast as people move in many directions and to different places where the contamination is bound to continue.

Involvement of Other Agencies

Apart from the Elite Counterterrorism Unit, other agencies that might be involved in this situation are the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The FBI would be involved because of its direct mandate that entails domestic intelligence and the maintenance of the security of the United States (Guiora, 2011). The FBI's role in counterterrorism was expanded following the revamping of the security structures after the September 11 terror attacks (Jenkins, 2005; Miskel, 2008). The role of the DHS would be to coordinate the various activities that appertain to homeland security. The DHS' commitment to public security means that it must be actively involved in any situations that undermine such security (Jenkins, 2005). Given the fact that the nature of the attack entails chemical terrorism, the role of the DHS would be to investigate the patterns of the attack with the view of determining the various dimensions of the attack (Forest, 2006).

Collaboration and Partnership for Enhanced Security

My city's terrorism response component is structured into the security agencies, private sector, and the public sector. The structure works in a manner that mitigates the level of security risk and ensures the enhancement of security and public resilience. DHS works in coordination with both the private and public agencies to enhance the protection of special events and public gathering sites (Forest, 2006). The private sector and the communities in the city provide suggestions on ways of enhancing security. The purpose of the DHS is to review such suggestions with the view of reinforcing any systems and structures that are crucial to the city's overall safety against the threat of terror. The partnership is based on the acknowledgment of the critical role that communities and the private sector play in safeguarding the city's security. DHS encourages city communities to participate in the crucial stages of connecting, planning, training, and reporting on any perceived threats within their locality.

References

Forest, J. J. F. (2006). Homeland security: Protecting America's targets. Westport, Connecticut: Praeger Security International.

Forest, J. J. F. (2006). Public spaces and social institutions. Westport, Connecticut: Praeger Security.

Guiora, A., N. (2011). Homeland Security: What Is It and Where Are We Going?. New York: CRC Press.

Jenkins, W., O. (2005). Homeland Security: DHS' Efforts to Enhance First Responders' All-Hazards Capabilities Continue to Evolve. New York: DIANE Publishing.

Miskel, J. F. (2008). Disaster response and homeland security: What works, what doesn't. Stanford, Calif: Stanford Security Studies.