Introduction
Terrorism will always remain a major problem since there are people who rely on violence as a powerful weapon for pursuing political goals. Although some forms of terrorism remain uncommon, the government liaises with different agencies and institutions to deal with it and safeguard lives. Unfortunately, most of these measures put in place remain inefficient and incapable of delivering desirable results. This paper describes the chain of command governing the sharing of information about possible acts of terror. It also discusses the roles of law enforcers, FBI, and liaison officers. It concludes by describing the meaning and nature of different forms of terrorism.
Chain of Command Structure
In the selected city, terrorism is identified as a major threat that is capable of affecting the lives of many innocent lives. Response to such threats in San Francisco requires control and direction. The city has an Emergency Operations Center (EOC) led by an officer who communicates the incident to the state EOC. The same message is relayed to the nearest Federal Bureau Investigations (FBI) Command Post. These partners will share the same message with their respective leaders, including the FBI and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Directors. These experts can pass the information to the president and the NSC groups (FEMA, 2019). To improve efficiency, the relevant professionals inform some of the emergency responders in the vicinity about the attack, such as local law enforcement agencies, fire departments, and disaster management agencies.
From this analysis, it is evident that different partners collaborate to identify and mitigate possible threats and successful acts of terror. The chain of command allows the lead EOC to be on the ground while accepting instructions and guidelines from the FEMA and FBI Directors. Their inputs are instrumental and can help minimize the challenges associated with successful terrorist attacks in the country (Davis et al., 2016). Fire departments and law enforcement agencies are involved in coordinating the process, managing crowds, and extinguishing fires whenever necessary. Through the power of such a command system, it becomes possible to minimize the possible dangers and damages associated with such threats.
Local Law Enforcer
Following the infamous events of 9/11, the government of the United States introduced new strategies and roles that have continued to reshape the roles and involvement of law enforcers in cases of terrorism. Such greater responsibilities are essential since they resonate with the country’s demand for improved security. This strategy is founded on the notion that the war on terror is quite diverse and needs to be approached and fought both locally and globally (FEMA, 2019). Consequently, the local law enforcer in San Francisco engages in activities that resonate with those of the other leaders at the state and federal levels. Specifically, this officer is required to gather and share information with the partners outlined in the above section (Jackson et al., 2019). The professional will be keen to provide physical, emergency, and human resources that can deliver the required outcomes.
In San Francisco, the law enforcement officer will offer the relevant support until the responsible individuals or terrorists are arrested. The involved police forces will play significant roles in supporting the trial and prosecution process of the responsible people. Additionally, the officer is required by the existing law to engage in activities that will support the detection and destruction of terrorist arrangements (FEMA, 2019). They will collect adequate data or information and share the same with the relevant partners. Such measures are intended to dismantle possible terror operations and ensure that such criminals do not strike again. These key roles have continued to help the city tackle most of the challenges associated with terrorism.
Terrorism Liaison Officer
In San Francisco, the Terrorism Liaison Officer (TLO) remains a key person in the preparedness and fight against terrorism at the local level. This position is designed in such a way that the occupant is capable of linking the operations of the fire and emergency response departments (Davis et al., 2016). These professionals bring together and liaise with key actors when it comes to the issue of terrorism. He or she will coordinate terrorism response mechanisms and offer the relevant information for training purposes.
Those who practice as TLOs will ensure that all partners and responders are informed about the newest tactics, strategies, and technologies terrorists might be using. They go further to engage in firefighting education and provide alerts and warnings to the relevant stakeholders (Jackson et al., 2019). They coordinate and liaise with key departments to ensure that all professionals are prepared and equipped to deal with any form of terrorism (Thrall & Goepner, 2017). They also monitor and engage trainees to ensure that they do not share secrets and are ready to provide relevant support. The nature of these core functions explains why TLOs are strong links in the fight and prevention of possible terror attacks.
Federal Bureau of Investigations
The FBI remains the leading federal agency involved in issues to do with law enforcement. FBI officers and their respective leaders will investigate and follow all suspicious actions that could result in crime or terrorism. They liaise with different agencies, organizations, and institutions to prevent all forms of terror at the local and international levels (Thrall & Goepner, 2017). The professionals are informed and capable of investigating attacks and acts revolving around the use of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction (WMDs). Some of these weapons could involve radiological, chemical, or biological reactors. Such chemicals are usually dangerous and capable of claiming the lives of more people.
To ensure that positive results are recorded, FBI officials would be responsible for investigating money laundering activities and violence in different airports since they are usually linked to terrorism. Additionally, the agency collaborates with the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) and various institutions involved in collecting intelligence information to examine the available data and monitor possible acts of terrorism (Thrall & Goepner, 2017). These initiatives have made it possible for the United States to reduce the chances of recording terrorism attacks. Consequently, the FBI has succeeded in protecting the lives of many delegates, diplomats, and citizens from different acts of terror.
NRF and NIMS: Terrorism
The National Response Framework (NRF) is a document that guides different partners to prepare, respond to, prevent, and even recover from any form of attack. Similarly, the National Incident Management System (NIMS) is a framework intended to guide actors in the private sector, nongovernmental organizations and government to collaborate and focus on the best ways to deal with incidents (Davis et al., 2016). These documents present detailed analyses and descriptions of different forms of terrorism. First, biological terrorism would refer to attacks that arise from the release of bacterial, viral, or other germs. Such microorganisms are biological in nature and would result in the death of livestock or human beings. Such attacks are usually grouped and described as sources of bioterrorism. The selected documents identify chemical terrorism as any form of intentional attack entailing the use of toxic chemicals with the aim of causing mass injuries and deaths (Thrall & Goepner, 2017). The relevant agencies should collaborate to ensure that timely results are recorded against such chemicals.
Radiological terrorism is a term used to describe any deliberate acquisition or use of weapons that are radioactive in nature. This kind of attack is serious since it causes numerous health challenges. Affected individuals might develop cancer and other complications many years after the initial attack. Nuclear terrorism is identified as any form of attack entailing the use of nuclear weapons (U.S. Department of Homeland Security, 2019). Such acts could be dangerous and result in the death of many people within a short time. The studied documents indicate that these terrorism types are dangerous and could result in negative implications. Consequently, the collaboration and involvement of all actors are essential to identify possible sources of terror and mitigate them effectively.
Conclusion
The above discussion has identified terrorism as one of the problems affecting the United States and the wider global society. Different offices, agencies, and professionals are involved in the chain of command described above. Such stakeholders collaborate and focus on the best strategies to share information and mitigate possible threats. The partners go further to coordinate with local agencies to respond to successful attacks, such as law enforcement officers and firefighting departments.
References
Davis, L. M., Helmus, T. C., Hunt, P., Payne, L. A., Jahedi, S., & Tsang, F. (2016). Assessment of the state and local Anti-Terrorism Training (SLATT) program. RAND Corporation.
FEMA. (2019). National response framework. Web.
Jackson, B. A., Rhoades, A. L., Reimer, J. R., Lander, N., Costello, K., & Beaghley, S. (2019). Practical terrorism prevention: Reexamining U.S. national approaches to addressing the threat of ideologically motivated violence. Homeland Security Operational Analysis Center.
Thrall, T., & Goepner, E. (2017). Step back: Lessons for U.S. foreign policy from the failed war on terror. CATO Institute. Web.
U.S. Department of Homeland Security. (2019). Department of Homeland Security strategic framework for countering terrorism and targeted violence. Web.