Terrorism response drill begins next week
Next week a fictitious terrorist group will set off a fake "dirty bomb" near downtown Seattle, kicking off the first large-scale homeland security drill since Sept. 11.
The weeklong exercise, run by the Homeland Security and State departments, will involve about 19 federal agencies, the Red Cross and state governments. Canadian officials have agreed to run a complementary threat response exercise.
Results of the drill, called "TOPOFF 2" because of the numerous top officials participating, will be kept secret for security reasons, but will help emergency responders identify weaknesses, according to a statement from the Homeland Security Department.
"Protection against terrorism requires that organizations at every level of government and in the private sector work together in partnership to prepare for events and deal with their consequences," said Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge in a statement. "TOPOFF 2 provides the opportunity to test our preparedness, and at the same time identify ways to improve response in the future."
The TOPOFF 2 exercises are part of a $16 million, congressionally mandated series of drills simulating terrorist attacks using weapons of mass destruction. Since November 2001, seminars and workshops have helped prepare federal agencies for the upcoming drill.
Since 1989, the United States and Canada have conducted joint drills to prepare for potential terrorist attacks. TOPOFF 1 took place in May 2000 and challenged first responders to prevent the spread of a fake biological weapons attack in Denver.
The current drill will begin on May 12 when the imaginary terrorist group, "GLODO," releases a radiological dispersal device, commonly known as a "dirty bomb," in Seattle, resulting in more than 100 casualties. Seattle first responders will arrive on the scene during the simulation and set up an emergency operations center and shelters for victims.
As part of the scenario, the Homeland Security Department will "raise" the national terrorist threat level to red, the most severe level, and will coordinate a national response, with help from the Energy Department, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Environmental Protection Agency and law enforcement and intelligence agencies.
The simulation, which ends on May 16, will also include a second, less obvious attack in the Chicago area. GLODO will release nondetectable biological agents in the region and they will spread throughout Chicago and three surrounding counties. About 150 hospitals in the area will need to coordinate a response with federal, state and local officials as part of the drill.
All of the agencies and organizations involved in the drill will remain equipped to deal with any actual terrorist attack that could occur during the simulation, the Homeland Security Department said. The drill will result in minimal disruption to the host cities, the department added. Chicago and Seattle both volunteered to participate and are using the exercise as a chance to enhance their own emergency preparedness.
Homeland Security Department officials also emphasized that the scenarios in the drill are purely hypothetical. The government will not release any harmful biological or chemical agents and the locations and methods of attack simulated will not be based on actual intelligence.