While it is never my intention to petrify my readership into emergency preparedness action, with the recent attack on Charlie Hebdo in France, the atrocities committed by Boko Haram in Nigeria, and the raised awareness regarding the threat of terrorism in the media, I feel as if it is only fitting to address the issue of man-made disasters. Unfortunately, not all emergencies and disasters occur naturally, and thus we still need to be prepared and know what to do before and during an act of terrorism.
The Red Cross offers this guide to address what to expect during a terrorist attack, and how to recover in the aftermath. While nothing can be exhaustive, as terrorist attacks are incredibly hard to forecast and are many times without warning, this is a quick read for mental preparation if nothing else.
The Department of Homeland Security's emergency preparedness component, Ready.Gov, also has a slightly more detailed guide to what to expect, including descriptions of different types of terrorist attacks. Especially with the recent cybersecurity news regarding North Korea and The Interview, I found this guide to be particularly interesting.
And I know I have mentioned it before, but if you would like to join me in a free online class from The University of Maryland via Coursera, please click this link to sign up and join. The class, Understanding Terrorism, just opened yesterday and doesn't have anything due for a couple weeks, so you wouldn't be behind at all should you decide to join within the next few days. I hope you'll join me in this educational adventure!
Obviously, it is my hope that as with any disaster, whether it be natural or man-made, we never need this information. However, this week has been a little scary with everything going on across the world, and I hope many of you share my desire to be as prepared as possible. And, since I've been in a female rap mood for most of the morning, here's a little Nicki Minaj to make your day that much better. (No worries, if you have sensitive ears nearby, it's edited.)
Stay safe, y'all, and best wishes for your Tuesday!
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