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Bioterror drill exposes flaws in response plans

Emergency Management Alert, December 26, 2003

A federal study found that a bioterrorism drill conducted in May by the Department of Homeland Security revealed communications problems and confusion among emergency workers, the Associated Press reports.

The drill began in Seattle with the simulated detonation of a radioactive "dirty bomb" and ended in Chicago four days later with a raid on a fictional terrorist group responsible for the problems. Homeland Security officials released a 15-page summary of the drill's results, noting that crews in Seattle had difficulty determining where the radiological contamination had spread. This is important for evacuating and treating people in a real emergency.

The Chicago drill focused on the response to a deadly plague released in the city, but the exercise illustrated a serious shortage of medical supplies and hospital rooms. The report considered the drill a success as a learning experience for response agencies.

The report found that communications issues led to delays in deciding whether to raise an area's threat level, declare an emergency, or reopen public transportation systems. In the field, incident commanders made quick decisions, often assuming the affected area was larger than it actually was.

The exercise cost $16 million and involved more than 8,500 people from 100 federal, state, and local agencies, the American Red Cross, and the Canadian government.

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