CIAO DATE: 01/05

First to Arrive: State and Local Responses to Terrorism

Juliette N. Kayyem and Robyn L. Pangi

MIT Press

November 2004

 

Abstract

Since September 11, 2001, the United States has been preoccupied by the federal role in preparedness against terror attacks, and by ways to provide a quick fix through organizational overhauls. Airport security has been federalized, and Congress has approved a Cabinet-level homeland security agency. By contrast, national discussion of state and local preparedness has been largely absent.

First to Arrive argues that the best way for America to prepare for terrorism is to listen to people in the field; those working on the ground can guide decisions at the top. Many of the contributors are first responders who have long been dedicated to domestic preparedness; others are political scientists and historians who provide a broader context. They analyze critical but often overlooked issues, explain the operational needs of state and local governments, and provide practical solutions to the challenges of local and state domestic preparedness.

These essays grew out of a series of discussions held by the Executive Session on Domestic Preparedness at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government. Begun before the September 11 attacks and continuing after them, they offer a guide to U.S. domestic security in today’s world.

 

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments

Introduction

1. The New Containment: An Alliance against Nuclear Terrorism (PDF, 12 pgs, 102.3 KB)
   Graham T. Allison and Andrei A. Kokoshin

2. Assessing Infrastructure Vulnerability and Security
   Peter S. Beering

3. In Defense of the Law
   Juliette N. Kayyem

4. Turning a Popular War into a Populist War: Preparing the American Public for Terrorism
   Clarence Harmon

5. Telling It Like It Is: The Role of the Media in Terrorism Response and Recovery
   Frances Edwards-Winslow

6. Is Density Dangerous? The Architects’ Obligations after the Towers Fell
   David Dixon

7. Beyond Business Continuity: The Role of the Private Sector in Preparedness Planning
   Juliette N. Kayyem and Patricia E. Chang

8. Inside and Outside the Loop: Defining the Population at Risk in Bioterrorism
   Robert F. Knouss

9. After the Attack: The Psychological Consequences of Terrorism
   Robyn L. Pangi

10. Supporting the National Strategy for Homeland Security: The Role of the National Guard
    Phillip Oates

11. Homeland Security and War-Fighting: Two Pillars of National Guard Responsibility
    Paul D. Monroe, Jr.

12. The Two-Hat Syndrome: Determining Response Capabilities and Mutual Aid Limitations
    Rebecca F. Denlinger and Kristin Gonzenbach

13. Sustaining Domestic Preparedness: Challenges in a Post-9/11 World
    David Grannis

About the Authors

Index

About the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs