Predicting the terrorists' next move - Seminar Report

At a recent Institute of Civil Defence and Disaster Studies (ICDDS) and Ozonelink anti-terrorism briefing, strategic level counter-terrorism thinkers were introduced to a variety of products to prevent or mitigate a terrorist attack, including three new software packages one of which not only facilitates comprehensive multi-agency planning, but also allows airports to operate through a terrorist alert.

Opening the briefing Ozonelink Managing Director Dr Edward Klinger urged the public and private sectors to work more closely in preparing for a terrorist attack, and in developing ways to counter and mitigate terrorism. He characterised technology as a "force multiplier", enabling hereto unprecedented levels of preparedness, although he was quick to admit that technology can also act as an enabler for the terrorist.

Among the products profiled were: a range of respirators for escape in various situations; evacuchute--an escape parachute for high rise escapes; an advanced collective filter; detectors for various risks; and the emergency management platform comprising software packages Simguard, Airguard and Cityguard.

The advanced collective filter is a positive pressure ventilation system designed specifically for maintaining a clean air supply in a secure bunker or room in the event of a CBRN attack. It would be ideally suited to protecting command and control rooms, but the speakers were also keen to stress that it would also suit a private company's need to protect its staff in such a scenario.

The collective filter protects 8-12 people in a 48x105 cu m room. There is no need for gas masks inside the room. One of the main strengths of the collective filter is that it can be powered from a variety of sources, the mains, batteries or hand pump.

In introducing this product speakers and delegates identified the grey area of 'how far does the employer's duty of care extend?', especially in relation to secure rooms to provide safety for employees in the event of a CBRN attack. Interestingly an Israeli delegate related that building permission is not granted for any building in Israel without the inclusion of a secure room.

Rontal Applications' Emergency Management Platform aims to enable users to plan, field test and manage security and emergency response deployments for large sites. It takes the form of a 3D real-time environment-aware integrated simulation platform that provides active threat management capabilities to planners, trainers and emergency and security managers.

Crucially, Airguard can simulate all possible combinations of threats and security responses for any given site or flight path. Moreover, it can analyse threats and device behaviour over time as it would be impacted by weather, lighting etc as well as integrate incident management by local authorities and emergency services.

Airguard, the package relating to the protection of departing flight paths of civilian aircraft, can allow airport managers to continue flight operation through a terrorist threat, from air-to-ground missiles for example. This mitigates one of terrorism's aims--disruption.

Cityguard is primarily an emergency planning tool for large urban areas, which is also usable as a command and control package. Simguard is designed for use with smaller ground sites.

Airguard allows users to ensure that all potential MANPAD launch points have been covered with active and passive security, by plotting possible launch points and missile behaviour and capabilities against departing flight paths.

Simguard allows emergency managers to predict which areas to evacuate first in the event of a flood.

All packages allow users to integrate in real time a complete situational picture to optimise their disaster management posture.

Also highlighted to delegates were a range of escape masks, gas and radiation detectors, a CBRN emergency kit and DNA test kits for victim identification.

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