First Response Essay

There are two risks for first responders when either countering or responding to an international terrorist attack. The most obvious risk is the physical and psychological damage that a terrorist attack can have on the first responders when they are responding to an attack. And a lesser known risk occurs in the preparing stage for countering an attack. Basically, whether there is funding and enough supplies in place for first responders to counter an attack. These two risks are very important for first responders and the local and Federal governments need to provide proper training and supplies to combat them. Every community, town, city, county, and state need to be aware of the risks they may face in a possible terrorist attack. “Risk is commonly thought of as a product of a threat or hazard, the vulnerability of a community or facility to a threat or hazard, and the resulting consequences that may impact the community or facility” (Threat and Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment Guide, 2012, pg. 1). Each community or jurisdiction needs to come up with a Threat and Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment (THIRA) guide in order to identify and assess the risks and the impacts they will have on the community. Once a THIRA guide is in …show more content…
These threats include environmental hazards such as injuries, respiratory problems, and eye issues; airborne particles such as dust clouds which are created from explosions, fires and building collapses; structural instability; fires; and mental health. “Although the prevalence of PTSD varies greatly between studies and incidents, one of the largest cohorts studied consist of the 28,962 rescue workers who worked at the WTC site” (Thompson, Rehn, Lossius, & Lockey, 2014, pg. 6). Besides PTSD, first responders may develop depression, panic disorders, exhaustion, and sleep deprivation after responding to a terrorist