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9/11 Terrorist Attacks: A Case Study

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Risk is a notion first responders must face in response to disaster, especially regarding a disaster as tremendous as a terrorist attack. In the context of a terrorist attack, risk is a product of an attack, the openness a community or entity faces regarding a terrorist attack, and the consequences of the impact a terrorist attack can cause (U.S. Department of Homeland Security, 2012). A terrorist attack may come in many different forms, and first responders must be adaptable and have an appropriate strategy to address a variety of terrorist attacks that may include, but are not limited to car bombings, suicide bombings, IED’s, chemical attacks, assassinations, kidnappings, hijackings, and missile attacks (Graeme & Clarke, 2008). …show more content…
Research has indicated that approximately 9.3% of police officers and 31.9% of non-police rescue and recovery workers had incurred post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as a result of their work during the attacks (Haugen, Splaun, Evces, & Weiss, 2013). The approximate prevalence of PTSD among the general population in the United States is 3.5% (Haugen, et al., 2013). A high discrepancy of PTSD exists between American citizens and those who were first responders of the 9/11 terrorist …show more content…
A study on the first responders who responded to the crash of the United Airlines flight on September 11, 2001 in Pennsylvania reported higher levels of acute stress disorder thirteen months after their response in comparison to a comparison group who had not been exposed to this attack (Bills, et al., 2008). After the explosion of a building in North Carolina, a study was conducted five months after the explosion, and discovered 80% of the first responders to the incident expressed at least one symptom of PTSD and 10% expressed at least eight symptoms of PTSD (Bills, et al., 2008). These studies indicate the impact of a disaster or terrorist attack has a critical psychological impact on first responders.
The potential for a radiological terrorist attack is one that is a realistic possibility in today’s world. The materials required to build radiological weapons have increased over time and some radiological weapons have the potential to end up in the hands of terrorists who may utilize them in terrorist acts (Ahearne, 2010). This prevalence of radiological material increases the potential for a radiological terrorist threat to occur, making it necessary for first responders to consider the potential risk of such an

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