Business Office Editor’s Notes 517 Benfield Road, Suite 303 By James D. Hessman, Editor in Chief Severna Park, MD 21146 USA www.DomesticPreparedness.com The principal focus of the Obama administration and the new Congress in (410) 518-6900 the past two weeks, understandably, has been on spending – primarily to help Staff jump-start the ailing U.S. economy by the infusion of hundreds of billions of Martin Masiuk dollars into the system over the next several months. Publisher [email protected] Inevitably, though, the attention of both the executive and legislative branches James D. Hessman of government will reverse course and focus on ways to reduce spending, partly to offset Editor in Chief the new “stimulus” increases, and partly because the funding priorities of the Obama [email protected] administration differ considerably from those of the Bush administration – particularly, it John Morton seems likely, in the field of national defense. With the war in Iraq not yet completely over, Strategic Advisor but obviously winding down, at least some defense reductions are probably justified. [email protected] But they should be very carefully calculated, prudently implemented, and administered in such a way that they do not cut into the core strengths of the nation’s armed services. Dan Brethauer Account Executive [email protected] It should be clearly understood, moreover, that cutbacks in funding for the Department of Defense do not and should not be used as justification for similar cutbacks in the Susan Collins DHS (Department of Homeland Security) budget. Just the opposite, in fact. The two Creative Director [email protected] departments are partners in many ways, and in many of their activities. Their missions are complementary in some respects, but profoundly different in most ways. Sharon Stovall Editorial Director Probably the most obvious difference is a geographic one. DOD focuses primarily on [email protected] combat operations overseas. DHS’s sole focus is defending the U.S. homeland, and it Carole Parker carries out its mission primarily through planning and preparedness. Its goal is not to win Database Manager battles per se, but to prevent them from starting. And in that context it seems obvious that [email protected] it has probably been the most successful agency in government for more than seven years. A number of additional terrorist plots – some of them now public knowledge, but most of them classified – have been thwarted during that same time frame. Advertisers in This Issue: Which does not mean that the battle is over. Far from it. The United States still has a very Disaster Response Recovery Expo long way to go before the American people can feel reasonably safe, and will probably GovSec. U.S. Law & Ready Conference never feel perfectly safe. For that reason alone, cutting DHS funding now, or at any time ICx Technologies in the foreseeable future, would be equivalent to disarming the smoke detector because Idaho Technology Inc. there has not been another fire since it was installed, or canceling a car-insurance policy IDGA Maritime Homeland Security because the driver has not had an accident recently. Summit MSA The articles in this month’s printable issue of DPJ provide a microcosm of some of the PROENGIN Inc. important advances in preparedness recently accomplished – as well as a preview of some of the huge amount of difficult work that remains to be done: two articles, one by Joseph Trindal, the other by Neil Livingstone, on the Mumbai attacks and what not only India but the other nations of the Free World should learn from those attacks; © Copyright 2009, by IMR Group, Inc.; reproduction of any timely articles by Joseph Cahill and Warren Brown on how cold weather and the lack of part of this publication without express written permission safety gear can hinder the effectiveness of the nation’s first responders; four short reports is strictly prohibited. by Adam McLaughlin on recent homeland-security changes in California, Kansas, DomPrep Journal is electronically delivered by the IMR Louisiana, and Ohio; an article by Rick France on chemical-detection systems; and two Group, Inc., 517 Benfield Road, Suite 303, Severna Park, MD 21146, USA; phone: 410-518-6900; fax: 410-518-6020; also policy analyses – by Stephen Grainer and Michael Allswede, respectively – on changes available at www.DomPrep.com to the National Incident Management System and the National Disaster Medical System. Articles are written by professional practitioners Finally, Ray Barishansky provides a grim anaylsis of the escalating dangers posed by in homeland security, domestic preparedness, and emerging infections. related fields. Manuscripts are original work, previously unpublished and not simultaneously submitted to another About the Cover: Firefighters attend to a fire at the Taj Mahal Palace & Tower Hotel publisher. Text is the opinion of the author; publisher holds following the terrorist attacks in late November 2008 in Mumbai, India. Indian officials no liability for its use or interpretation. declared the siege over when the remaining militants were killed when commandos stormed the building. The “lessons learned” from the Mumbai attacks are discussed, from different perspectives, by Joseph Trindal and Neil Livingstone in this issue of DomPrep Journal. (Photo by India Today Group/Getty Images) Copyright © 2009, DomesticPreparedness.com; DPJ Weekly Brief and DomPrep Journal are publications of the IMR Group, Inc. Page 3 DomPrep Channel Masters The Mumbai Attacks – First Responders Glen Rudner Lessons for the Western World Fire/HAZMAT By Joseph W. Trindal, Law Enforcement Stephen Grainer The terrorist attacks were frustrated in their heroic but Fire/HAZMAT two months ago in somewhat ineffective efforts to Mumbai provide a locate and contain the terrorist Joseph Cahill number of lessons commando teams. EMS for emergency-services Kay Goss agencies throughout The terrorist teams, using pre- Emergency Management the world. The attacks, which programmed GPS devices, moved represented an ever-increasing level through Mumbai’s maze of streets Joseph Watson Law Enforcement of sophistication and ingenuity of like experienced tour guides. There terrorist activity worldwide, started were only ten terrorists in all; Joseph Trindal during the evening hours of 26 divided into killing teams of two Law Enforcement November 2008 when small teams to four, they moved swiftly from of armed terrorists launched a well- one crowded target to another, Rodrigo (Roddy) Moscoso Law Enforcement coordinated series of assaults that using taxis and stolen vehicles, but challenged India’s local and national sometimes on foot. At one point, Medical Support emergency-services capabilities for a terrorist team commandeered a Jerry Mothershead four days. responding police vehicle, killing Hospital Administration its occupants, including Maharashta Michael Allswede The terrorist teams, which Police’s Anti-Terrorism Squad chief, Public Health maintained radio communications Hemant Karkare. with one another throughout the Raphael Barishansky Public Health siege, moved swiftly and brazenly A Lack of Basic Intelligence through the famous tourist city, The Indian law-enforcement and Updates initially firing on civilians and military units responding lacked Adam McLaughlin authorities alike before settling State Homeland News intelligence about the scope of the into hotels crowded with numerous terror assault, the targets, and the Infrastructure Western tourists and business weapons involved. Some responding Neil Livingstone people. The last of the hostage/ units were simply disorganized; ExecutiveAction barricade situations was resolved on others were virtually paralyzed. 30 November, leaving almost 200 One on-duty police commander Funding & Regulations fatalities and over 300 injured. Diana Hopkins (Senior Inspector Nagappa R. Standards Mahale), however, swiftly set up The terrorist tactics were relatively roadblocks, a tactic that resulted in Borders & Ports basic, but the overall operation was the interdiction of one of the terrorist Joseph DiRenzo III fairly sophisticated. In contrast, commando teams. Coast Guard the response by local and national Christopher Doane emergency-services agencies was That hasty roadblock, in fact – Coast Guard much less coordinated. The on Marine Drive on the way to terrorists used the now frequently Girgaum Chowpatty – captured the Military Support experienced “multi-prong” approach Jonathan Dodson only terrorist to be taken alive. National Guard by combining a number of IED When one of the terrorists’ stolen (improvised explosive device) sedans turned onto Marine Drive en detonations in some areas with route to the next target, the driver small-arms attacks in other areas. realized that they were facing The separate teams used the small- a police roadblock. During the arms fire to create a wider scope attempt to turn around, a vicious of carnage. The law-enforcement firefight ensued between police and and military units responding the terrorists. In an uncoordinated Copyright © 2009, DomesticPreparedness.com; DPJ Weekly Brief and DomPrep Journal are publications of the IMR Group, Inc. Page 5 albeit heroic effort to stop the of command and control between example, was in the midst of terrorist team, officers assaulted the and among the responding units. receiving injured patients when the vehicle – however, as is customary terrorist team led by Abu Ismail in India, not all of the police officers Moreover, unlike