Are the emergency services
ready for another bout with terrorism?
WiththeCommand Commentary

We don't think so... For over a year, Withthecommand.com has followed the events of 9-11. From the horrific images so vividly etched in our minds of the twin towers tumbling down to the many funerals that would follow in weeks to come, we all asked ourselves how this could happen.

So here we are a year later. Yesterday, the President announced the US was on a high terrorism alert. The mid-afternoon press conference revealed that US intelligence gathering folks have "non-specific" information that suggests the US may be attacked once again on the one year anniversary. Ironically, all who heard that broadcast are waiting for the shoe to drop. 

The irony here is that a year has passed and on the anniversary date we are on a state of heightened alert. Shouldn't we be on heightened alert every day? It's kinda like starting to go to church on the day you are told you have a terminal illness.

Shouldn't we be on heightened alert every day? It's kinda like starting to go to church on the day you are told you have a terminal illness.

Even over the past few months, we have been lulled into a sense of false security. Air marshals, and now federal baggage screeners, are at some airports.  Everyone has that warm fuzzy feeling thinking that now everything is all right.
 

Are the emergency services ready for another bout with terrorism? We don't think so. We've has some lips service from the federal government in the months to follow last year's events about what the first responders where going to get... training, equipment, funding.... but we have not seen much evidence of that so far. At this point, the efforts don't amount to much more than throwing a water balloon at a concrete wall. It will make some noise when it hits, but it will all disappear soon.

One thing is certain. There will be more terrorism events. When, where, we don' t know. That's why they call it TERRORISM. The element of surprise, not knowing if you are next or in what form the attack will take. The unfortunate part of this whole thing is that first responders, like us, will be first on the scene and will have to take the lead role until the FEDS arrive saying "we're here to help...."

Our prayers are with the families of those who lost loved one last year. We cannot imagine what you will go through today as you re-live the horrific acts of 9-11-01. In our prayers will also hope that our government will give us all of the tools and warnings we need deal what we may face in the future.