Currently we’re working on a couple of featured articles, with a plan to post one of them early next week. The flu pandemic preparedness article is fairly lengthy and will actually be a 3-5 part series. The guide for surviving a hotel terror attack is much shorter; however we’ve had a number of requests for it in light of the Mumbai terror attacks and the Homeland Security bulletin/memo issued earlier this week.
So, we’ll put it to a vote. This poll will be up until Saturday and we look forward to your responses.
[poll id=”3″]
This could be close.
It is vital to be prepared for possible terrorist attacks in the future. Possible sites for these attacks would be hotels, government buildings, sports stadiums, large office complexes, major road bridges, airports, and of course our harbors. It is high time to be aware of the dangers the United States faces and it is very prudent to have all american citizens prepared.
everyone is concentrating on the swine flu…. but the death rate for it should not be greater then the normal flu…people need to understand about the effects of a terror attack… the day of and especially after
Seriously? It’s pretty safe to say that we will ALL be dealing with this pandemic as it makes it’s way through the country/population. Odds are good nobody reading this will find themselves in a hotel which is attacked (ever). We need a calm, rational hand on the wheel, not mob rule.
Both are important topics. However, I think it is vital not only be prepared for hotel attacks but also football stadiums. What should we do if we are at a football game and the stadium is attacked? Or even a basketball venue or any other large gathering places we have no guidelines to follow.
I see helpful articles all over the news and health sites relating to prevention, minimization, etc. of the swine flu, including warnings about the increased risk of coming down with GBS from the shots.
With the increased terrorist activity in our nation, the public (all ages) needs to be made aware of many issues, including surviving an attack in a hotel. Teachers, parents and children need to know what to do if they sense something not right. We could all spend more time watching than talking on our cell phones!
Watch for school buses with a different driver… many old school buses have been sold to unknown people over ebay. Same with emergency vehicles, delivery trucks… recently a truck was painted to look like a UPS truck, but there were differences that triggered a report.
Reports that can alert parents and citizens to potential threats might be extremely useful in the days ahead. You might consider these topics in a special weekly article….
Carol Wenrick
Sharon, no guidelines?
1) Be prepared.
Know where the three closest exits are, and how to get to them in the dark. Establish a meeting place outside, before you enter. DO NOT PANIC, you will have a much better chance of survival if you duck and cover to evaluate things for 30 seconds before you join the stampede.
Wash/sterilize your hands AFTER you touch any foreign object, BEFORE you touch your face.
2) Three things anybody can carry, all of the time – a whistle, a small flashlight, and a small weather radio. Many cities have the capability to broadcast emergency information over the local NOAA radio freqs.
Information on H1N1, its effects, its potential, etc. are readily available at any time from many sources in our daily lives. Discussions on tactics to use during a terrorist attack are not as readily available. Most feel they can survive the flu & especially w/a vaccine now coming available. While many of us will never encounter a terrorist or be in a terrorist attack, the effects &/or responses such an attack would elicit, could save ones life & perhaps even the lives of others who could die if we act improperly.
The ‘flu’, in many various forms, has been w/us for millennia. Terrorist attacks worldwide is a relatively new phenomena. Recent & potentially credible threats here in America which the authorities are investigating, show we are vulnerable right now. Again, solutions for dealing w/the flu of any variety, are readily available from our medical practitioners.
Lets focus on those issues we are not ‘as used to’ dealing with.
My home state of Arizona was mentioned 59 times in the 911 report however.the general public seems to be more focused on the east coast as the mostlikely target for terrorism.Being prepared means to be educated!The media has covered the H1N1 very well and because the public is being educated on the topic of H1N1 the issue is becoming mitigated. The topic of terror and preparedness is rarely brought to the attention of the average citizen.I have made it a point to share the link.for the.8 signs of terrorism.a well done and comprehensive video on how to be vigilant,not simply saying Americans be vigilant! This video shows citizens specifically what to be aware of because as citizens of this great country wa should never live in a state of fear but rather aware and prepared.. -Suzette Lambert -Phoenix CERT
We travel to dog shows frequently. We stay at cheaper motels. Not so much to save money as for safety. Motels built with one or two floors and each individual room having a door exiting to the parking lot are much less a target than a multi-floor place with elevators and all rooms exiting into a hallway or atrium. Certainly either can be hit with an explosive device. But the larger would likely get a larger body count. The internal exit construction of the larger building would lend itself better to a chemical or biological attack.
Last time I checked – more people were sick or had dies vrom the vaccine than the swine flu had killed. Standard wash and no-touch operations will keep most of us clear of it. I feel sorry for you folks with school kids. We have hardly been sick since the kids moved out.
I would suggest re-airing the terror in our schools piece you did a few years ago. In light of the recent terror busts, it is quite possible that a “lone wolf’ could attack our schools. Multiple attacks could also occur. It would definitely benefit those in education. My school district security is a joke.
– the swine flu is being touted as far more problematic than it truly is. Yes there will be deaths from it…as happens every flu season, no matter what the variant.
– the population should, by now at least, know that hand washing and covering one’s mouth when sneezing, and caring for oneself or relatives, just as with regular flu., is the best way to prevent coming down “with the bug.”
– Few people would know what to do to avoid being in a hotel bombing situation, let alone what to do during, or after, such an event. Even an isolated occurence would be sufficient to cause great fear amongst our citizenry. Thus, this is where the focus should be.
– Shold be extended to any potential threat area situation: hotels/public transportation/public venues [sports/speeches/etc.]
– the time is n-o-w to prepare and be knowledgable.
Having lived in a terrorism-charged environment which included hotel bombings, I honestly believe that the Fortress Mentality (or Head-in-the-Sand) mentality of my fellow Americans leaves us vulnerable to hotel and other civilian attacks. Said vulnerability will cause too many people to freeze and they will die.
Let’s take a lesson from our military training to analyze our environment constantly; know what to be on the lookout for and learn how to plan/escape/avoid danger on the fly.
It can happen here and it will happen here. Admit it and learn how to handle it now!
I agree with the posters above regarding the hotel terror pick. We are constantly being reminded by the MSM regarding H1N1. There is a plethora of info regarding the flu pandemic on the internet and in newspapers.
What to do in a terror attack on a hotel or a stadium or a school is of paramount importance, as most people would be at a loss. Knowledge is power.
With the past week’s incidents coming to light, the terror attack one would be better for us all.
You go Don – You’re right on!
How to survive, period, folks still do not understand one of the importance basis survival steps in getting prepared for any emergency should be assembling a minimum of three days supplies in a “to-go” container, bag, backpack, suitcase, pillowcase, etc.
Folks would need to carry three EXTRA days of prescription meds when staying at a hotel, stadium, basketball game, at work, school, in your home, etc.
Stephen is correct when he emphases the importance of teaching the public how to recognize dangers or something amiss.
John, I respectfully do not agree with setting the swine flu pandemic on the back burner. Ethan is right, “we will all be dealing with this pandemic.” Folks need to get their households in order and have a minimum of six weeks of food, prescription meds, over-the-counter meds and supplies. Utilities could be interrupted “briefly” with high absenteeism or a terrorist attack to the grid, our water supplies, etc. Could you survive a very bad flu without utilities for five days starting at 3 am tomorrow and the hospitals are full? You’d need the same supplies in a terror attack as a pandemic, but what would you need to do to survive if you are “deadly” ill with the flu.
Thanks for some great comments Mike.
I voted for the flu that seems to be knocking on our door with school having begun. I see the imminent importance of terror attack enlightenment and agree we need to follow-up with PSA’s and such.