Preparing Houston: lessons learned, future directions

Mohammad Madjid; Parsa Mirhaji; Scott R. Lillibridge; S. Ward Casscells

doi:10.1117/12.517220

22 September 2003 Preparing Houston: lessons learned, future directions

Mohammad Madjid, Parsa Mirhaji, Scott R. Lillibridge, S. Ward Casscells

Proceedings Volume 5071, Sensors, and Command, Control, Communications, and Intelligence (C3I) Technologies for Homeland Defense and Law Enforcement II; (2003) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.517220
Event: AeroSense 2003, 2003, Orlando, Florida, United States

Abstract

On September 11, 2001, Al Qaeda terrorists committed a savage act against humanity when they used domestic jetliners to crash into buildings in New York City and Washington, DC, killing thousands of people. In October 2001, coming on the heels of this savagery was another act of barbarity, this time using anthrax, not jetliners, to take innocent lives. Each incident demonstrates the vulnerability of an open society, and Americans are left to wonder how such acts can be prevented. Now, Al Qaeda operatives are reportedly regrouping, recruiting, and changing their tactics to distribute money and messages to operatives around the world. Many experts believe that terrorist attacks are inevitable. No city is immune from attack, and no city is fully prepared to handle the residual impact of a potentially ravaging biological or chemical attack. A survey conducted by the Cable News Network (CNN) in January 2002, studied 30 major US cities, ranking them based on 6 statistical indices of vulnerability. Thirteen cities were deemed better prepared than Houston, 10 were in a similar state of preparedness, and only 6 were less prepared than Houston. Here, we discuss the measures which have taken place in Houston to make it a safer place and which plans are needed for future. Houston experience can be used as a model to develop similar plans for other cities nation-wide.

Citation Download Citation

Mohammad Madjid, Parsa Mirhaji, Scott R. Lillibridge, and S. Ward Casscells "Preparing Houston: lessons learned, future directions", Proc. SPIE 5071, Sensors, and Command, Control, Communications, and Intelligence (C3I) Technologies for Homeland Defense and Law Enforcement II, (22 September 2003); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.517220

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