Continuity Plan for Houston City in the Event of a Terrorist Attack

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Introduction

Terrorist attacks are as unpredictable as they are devastating. In many cases, they can cause infrastructural damage, deaths, and mass casualty situations that can disrupt typical civilian operations (Søby, 2020). Houston City in Texas is the fourth most populous city in the USA with about six and a half million inhabitants (Myers, 2021). Additionally, its location as a port city cements its regional and national importance. In case of a large-scale terrorist event, several measures should be taken to ensure continuity in its operations. This paper anticipates an act of state-sponsored terrorism or even homegrown violent extremists that take out critical city infrastructure through targeted bombings and explosions. The terror attack would aim to cripple critical city operations, cause mass deaths, and inspire fear in the city residents. The continuity plan for Houston City presented in this paper will be divided into critical essential functions, a business impact analysis summary, and support functions for the continuity plan personnel.

Essential Functions

In the case of a terrorist attack that causes structural damage, several activities and processes must be restarted promptly. Excessive delays in resuming these processes would place the inhabitants of Houston City at undue risk and reduce their faith in the capacity of the emergency response programs. The maximum time allowable for the essential function to resume should be stated and used to guide response efforts as well and the required resources for the prompt restoration of each essential function are detailed in the following section.

Operational Communications

It is conceivable that a large-scale terrorist attack would cripple communications systems throughout Houston. A collapse in communications would result in the inability of the state to request much-needed external assistance and render the operations of emergency response units almost impossible (Søby, 2020). Staff responsible for this essential function would include the entire Houston city security apparatus and telecommunications services providers within Houston City. Other supporting activities include the repair of signal network towers and underground internet cables among other structural components that support communications. This essential function would require skilled personnel from telecommunication service providers who can carry out the necessary repairs and restoration of the telecommunication systems. As such, facility repair kits and spare equipment for the emergency restoration of this essential function are necessary.

Security and Defense Operations

Following a terrorist attack, security and defense operations can easily fall apart. This was evident on September 11, 2001, when terrorists attacked the World Trade Center in New York (Landahl & Thornton 2021). The resultant disruption in national security operations was characterized by a lapse that allowed another terrorist attack on the Pentagon in the wake of the initial attacks. Thus, it is of paramount importance that the security apparatus in Houston City continue its functions promptly and effectively to offset the risks of a subsequent attack after the initial setback. Houston City can enlist additional security personnel from the citizenry to guard critical infrastructure to offset a potential subsequent attack. Soft targets such as schools, public halls, and emergency response centers where victims of the first attack coalesce can easily be targeted in a subsequent attack. Additionally, civilians can form useful interdependencies with Houston City law enforcement by providing timely information on suspicious activities in their neighborhoods in the framework of community policing before, and after a terrorist attack.

Information Recording and Storage

In the case of a terrorist attack on Houston City, several critical resources could be taken out. For instance, internet connectivity can be taken out in a physical attack thus impacting the ability to store data digitally. Notably, such information would be critical for posterity and especially for intelligence arms of the government that would want to assess the nature of the attack to identify weak areas in their defense mechanisms (Gill, 2019). Continuity would therefore involve ensuring that the ability of Houston City to log information regarding the attack remains intact following a terrorist attack. This essential function can be sustained by providing a robust system that incorporates black boxing of critical digital functions. In particular, Houston should have several servers and city databases that are separate from the national grid and therefore more difficult to compromise. For the installation of this element of the continuity plan, a valuation can be acquired based on an Information Technology (IT) experts determination of the structural requirements (Jameel et al., 2019). Furthermore, Houston City would have to incur recurrent expenditure for staff tasked with routine maintenance of this facility.

Business Impact Analysis Summary

Risks Following a Terrorist Attack

In case of a terrorist attack that cripples critical infrastructure fundamentals, several impacts can be reasonably expected. Firstly, there would be a citywide loss of power as a result of the destruction of energy grid elements (Humphreys, 2019). As a result, there would be a loss of intracity and outbound communications which would effectively hamper the ability of Houston City to immediately request emergency aid from the surrounding areas. Secondly, there would be a loss of servers and database support systems that are critical to the provision of emergency services such as healthcare and security. Thirdly, there would be a vacuum in the chain of command occasioned by the potential death and incapacitation of crucial members of emergency social services such as paramedics, law enforcement, and firefighters. Lastly, there would be a loss of public order that could potentially result in mass panic and hysteria. Criminal elements within the city, or the terrorists themselves, could potentially take advantage of the chaos and attempt to access areas or information of vital national importance.

Requirements for a Continuity Facility

In light of the above-mentioned risks, Houston City would require a dedicated Continuity Response Unit comprised of members drawn from emergency services and the community at large. Additionally, the continuity response team would require a centralized location where they can meet and discuss the particulars of the emergency at hand before taking necessary, coordinated action. Since the CRU does not have permanent engagement, they can use the City of Houston Fire Department Logistical Center & Maintenance Depot as a base from which to operate in case of a terrorist emergency. The facility for all meetings of the CRU as the need arises. The CRU should be activated into action by an order of the Houston City Mayor and should have a hierarchy that takes command of its enlistees in the case of a terrorist attack.

Risk Prevention and Mitigation Tactics

Terrorist attacks can be prevented by adopting effective homeland and international surveillance of potential insurgents. In particular, state security departments such as the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) must sustain high alertness to preempt any acts of terror. In this case, the CRU should have monthly meetings in the designated location where they discuss any emerging or suspicious developments within Houston City. Important information arising from such meet-ups must be promptly handed over to law enforcement and intelligence units. Additionally, the CRU should have a well-maintained, auxiliary independent server and database system. In case of a terrorist attack that takes out the Information Technology (IT) and Communications grid, the CRU could provide temporary support to critical city systems such as healthcare. Moreover, the auxiliary server and database support system would ensure the CRUs activities stay coordinated throughout the response period.

Support Functions

The CRU must work within a framework that supports its preparedness at all times. Firstly, the members of the CRU should be drawn from different fields. In particular, persons working in technical roles such as repairmen, emergency response teams, and former servicemen in the various state and national security apparatus should be invited to enlist. Those enlisted in the CRU should hold periodic meetings in the designated place where they can be updated on the various drills to implement in case of a terrorist attack. Pay and benefits, as well as administrative support, for enlistees, should be taken up by the City of Houston. Members of the CRU should provide timely updates of their whereabouts to their administrators especially when they travel out of the City of Houston. Additional administrative support should be carried out by the auxiliary server and database unit for Houston City to ensure it sustains a high level of serviceability.

Conclusion

In conclusion, a terrorist attack in Houston City would cause societal upheaval. However, a meaningful continuity plan can alleviate the upheaval as well as ensure continued protection of city inhabitants at a time of systemwide disruption. The continuity plan should seek to ensure sustained security, communications, information protection, and data security before and after the terrorist attack. The continuity plan may be the only safeguard against total societal collapse following a terrorist attack.

References

Gill, P. (2019). Explaining intelligence failure: Rethinking the recent terrorist attacks in Europe. International Journal of Intelligence and CounterIntelligence, 33(1), 125. Web.

Humphreys, B. E. (2019). Critical infrastructure: emerging trends and policy considerations for congress. R45809. Congressional Research Service, Washington, DC.

Jameel, T., Ali, R., & Ali, S. (2019). Security in modern smart cities: An information technology perspective. 2019 2nd International Conference on Communication, Computing and Digital Systems (C-CODE). Web.

Landahl, M. R., & Thornton, T. E. (2021). The role of law enforcement in emergency management and homeland security. Emerald Group Publishing.

Myers, D. (2021). Prophetic city: Houston on the cusp of a changing America. Journal of Urban Affairs, 44(2), 282284. Web.

Søby, K. K. (2020). The absolute protection of our citizens: Critical infrastructure protection and the practice of security. In Securing the Homeland (pp. 63-83). Routledge.

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