Is There Really A Threat?

Turn on the news. This month alone, there have been multiple terror attacks in Europe. There have been civil disobedience and riots in our own streets. Police Officers have been targeted and ambushed here in the United States. Despite reassurances to the contrary, the threat to peace and prosperity is growing. Whether it be terrorist organizations such as Daesh (ISIS) or domestic disturbances and riots, businesses and communities face danger on a daily basis.

In an article posted on Bloomberg (http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-07-27/fbi-chief-warns-terrorist-diaspora-will-be-coming-to-the-west) on July 27th, they reported a grim warning from the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigations.

“Hundreds of terrorists will fan out to infiltrate western Europe and the U.S. to carry out attacks on a wider scale as Islamic State is defeated in Syria, FBI Director James Comey warned.”

“At some point there’s going to be a terrorist diaspora out of Syria like we’ve never seen before,” Comey said Wednesday in New York. “We saw the future of this threat in Brussels and Paris,” said the head of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, adding that future attacks will be on “an order of magnitude greater.”

In today’s world, acts of terror and civil unrest have become a grim reality. As the threat from transnational terrorist organizations evolves, the approach to emergency preparedness must evolve as well. Civil Defense Leaders must be able to detect, deter, delay, respond, and recover from events which threaten public safety, critical infrastructure, transportation mechanisms, and national resilience.

Terrorism is growing exponentially and groups such as ISIS are planning, coordinating, and inspiring small and large attacks worldwide.

• Terrorist organizations are more frequently conducting attacks to undermine the strength, resolve, and national resilience of those countries, coalitions, and organizations that oppose them, and to gain support and recruits for their movements;
• They are becoming emboldened and are using simultaneous, orchestrated attacks against soft targets in major population centers.

Social unrest has been bubbling to the surface of the news all over the country, and all over the world.

• Violence born of debt, frustration, and politics could strike at any minute.
• In the United States alone, there have been multiple instances of social unrest and rioting in the few months.
• Even cities traditionally seen as calm, such as Singapore, have seen demonstrators spurred by social inequalities and political discontent taking to the streets.
• Mass uprising and resistance is now easier to coordinate through smartphones and social media.

The threat is real. Communities, businesses, and Civil Defense organizations need to develop or update Emergency Preparedness and Crisis Response Plans now. Preparedness and Prevention not only save lives, they can be the difference in the life and continuity of operations for a business or community as well.