Traditional Hazards vs. Terrorist Related Hazards

Terrorism has introduced an expanded set of hazards, often referred to by the acronym CBRNE: chemical, biological, radiological / nuclear, and explosive. These hazards must now be planned for in concert with traditional natural and man-made hazards. The two main differences between traditional hazards and terrorism are:

More is known about traditional hazards because of years of research, actual occurrence, and first hand experience. Local and state first responder personnel, emergency managers, and the public have learned how to mitigate, prepare for, respond to, and recover from a whole host of recurring natural disasters including floods, earthquakes, forest fires, tornadoes, hurricanes, and even man-made accidents such as hazardous material spills. Specialized equipment, training, protocols, and practice in conjunction with revised construction standards and community planning efforts have helped to minimize the death and destruction caused by these traditional hazard events.
Terrorism, at least in the United States, has been a relatively recent phenomenon whereby individuals, organizations, or even nation-states attempt to cause as much death and destruction as possible by finding weaknesses in local, state, or national security, and emergency management procedures. The intentional objective of terrorist violence is to foment fear, panic, and distrust in government organizations with the hope of destabilizing civil society so as to advance their political, ideological, or religious agendas. “The new terrorism hazards differ from these natural and technological hazards in that their genesis is intentional…These hazards are weapons in every sense of the word, unique in that they primarily target civilian populations instead of military assets, and they are used specifically to advance (Bullock, 2009, p. 152)” terrorist agendas. Using the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 once again as an example, Al Qaeda operatives were able to exploit the relatively sloppy airport security measures in the United States and to subsequently seize commercial aircraft and employ them as “smart bombs” on a suicide mission targeting major symbols of American wealth and strength. Their success has achieved strategic implications, the significance of which will be debated for years to come.

The Four Principal Categories of Terrorism Hazards:

Chemical Agents
Biological Agents
Nuclear / Radiological Agents
Explosives

CBRNE = Chemical, Biological, Radiological / Nuclear, and Explosive