Reader Comment 02-19-10 First Responders

Red Team left a comment on my recent posting on possible terrorist attack dry runs. Red Team wrote:

“You make a good point. Identifying a "soft target" versus a "hard target" is a priority for professionals. Conducting dry runs on sites is also a way to increase the chaos. Many groups, abroad at least, specifically target the first responders. We see this tactic in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iraq and other high-risk/high-threat areas.”

The comments about targeting first responders are well made, but they may have particular importance when considering attacks on US chemical facilities. With a large number of chemical facilities choosing not to have armed security personnel on site for a variety of safety reasons, the law enforcement first responders will typically be the only people that will be able to stop armed intruders from achieving their objectives in an attack on these facilities. This means that ambushing the first responders may have to be a key element in a successful terrorist attack. This will almost ensure that a variety of dry run simulated attacks will have to be conducted against the targeted facility. The terrorists will need the response history to plan for an effective attack on those responders. Once again this points out the importance of having an effective counter-surveillance program. It also increases the need for reporting these incidents to the FBI so that a concerted effort to intercept the terrorists before they begin their actual attack on the facility.