SCHAUM W.E.8
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DRNC Event
Kortney Schaum
Saint Leo University
CRJ 546: Advanced Forensic Science Dr. Heather Burkard
December 17, 2022
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Abstract
As the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) points out, biological agents represent
the greatest threat. By definition, a biological attack occurs when a pathogen or biotoxin is intentionally released on a human, a plant, or an animal (DHS, n.d.). A plan needs to be developed by Major Susan Barker to identify and prevent the key issues of biological agent release at the Democratic-Republican National Convention in Miami. A host committee has been
formed as part of Miami-Dade County's preparation for the Democratic-Republican National Convention. There are 15 members on the Host Committee, representing local, municipal, and private organizations. It is necessary for Major Barker to be well prepared for all potential bioterrorist threats since this is one of the biggest threats of the 21st century. A potential threat and key issues related to the upcoming DRC are discussed in this paper.
Keywords:
biological agents, anthrax, DRNC
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DRNC Event
A major biological agent attack was launched on the United States after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. In the United States mail there were letters that were laced with anthrax that started appearing. Due to this biological attack five Americans were killed and 17 were sickened. A vial of anthrax was DNA evidence found in Bruce Edwards Irvins' lab was not determined to be the sole perpetrator until August 6, 2008 (DHS, n.d.). It was the primary objective of this attack to maintain anthrax as a priority at the Army Medical Research Institute (DHS, n.d.). According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, biological agents pose one of the biggest threats to the United States. In bioterrorism, pathogens or biotoxins are knowingly released against humans, animals, and plants (DHS, n.d.). The agricultural sector would be particularly affected and economic losses and food shortages may result. A biological agent can be either of two types. There are two types of infectious agents: transmissible (transmitted from person to person,
such as smallpox) and infectious (transmitted from animal to animal, such as foot and mouth disease) (Erenler et al., 2018). Another type of agent, such as anthrax in history, may cause adverse effects in exposed individuals but not spread from person to person (DHS, n.d.). With the Democratic-Republic National Convention coming up Major Susan Barker has to create a plan to identify and prevent the key issues of biological agent release at this event in Miami. DRNC Host Committee
For the Democratic-Republican National Convention in Miami-Dade County, the host committee has been formed. In addition to local, municipal, and private organizations, the Host Committee comprises a variety of individuals and groups. The Security and Public Safety Subcommittee's Crime Scene Investigation Workgroup will be chaired by Major Susan Barker. As a member of the Crime Scene Investigation Bureau of the Miami-Dade Police Department,
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she oversees the investigation of crimes committed at crime scenes. The Crime Scene Investigations Workgroup is being assembled by Major Barker in preparation for the DRNC. In order to organize all those who will attend the DRNC event, Barker will be responsible for a large group. It is expected that the Miami-Dade Police Department will be in charge of planning and implementing this large international convention. Since Miami's police departments lack adequate forensics for such a big event, Barker must call in units from all over the area. Thus, this period will see tens of thousands of visitors, protestors, delegates, and more, which will result in an increase in assaults, larcenies, and other crimes. For Barker, preparing for such a large number of crimes will involve a great deal of forensic processing and evidence storage. Nine supervisors from the Crime Scene Investigation Workgroup were selected to form the Crime Scene Investigation Workgroup committee. This committee includes individuals from Jackson Memorial Hospital, the FBI’s Hazardous Material Response Unit, and many other organizations surrounding to help this event (Saint Leo University, n.d.). Every one of these groups will play a vital role in the preparation of the event and to work together to prevent these biological attacks from happening. Each one of these members are under the supervision of Major Susan Barker.
Biological Attacks
It is important for Major Barker to focus on safety for everyone as she is creating this workgroup for the convention. Due to the violent nature of these events and the attention they receive, many innocent civilians are at risk. The term "bioterrorism" refers to the deliberate use of pathogenic microbes to cause disease and death in humans, animals, and the environment. Erenler et al. (2018) argue that bioterrorism has the intent to cause psychological and social collapse as well as death and morbidity. Major Barker must be prepared for all potential
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bioterrorist threats in the 21st century due to this threat being a big one of the 21st century. In conjunction with the preparation of this event, Major Barker should coordinate with all host committees, and communicate with medical providers, emergency room staff, infection control professionals, and infectious disease specialists in hospitals (Erenler et al., 2018). It is most effective to prevent bioterrorist events by being prepared. A possible bioterrorist attack requires local health authorities, including emergency services, to regularly review coordination issues with agencies involved in the response (DHS, n.d.). It should be a priority to manage and direct emergency preparations and responses, including anti-bioterrorism efforts. Preparedness and alertness can also be improved by training programs for health care providers. Biological attacks,
on the other hand, can go undetected for days, even weeks, before people, animals, or plants show signs of disease, unlike chemical or nuclear attacks. In the first instance, local health professionals will notice that the attack is undetected the first time they observe a pattern. An evacuation plan should be prepared in case of an attack in order to get all individuals out of the area as soon as possible. The fabric should also be available to allow individuals to cover their faces. During this event, it is imperative that the FBI Hazardous Material Response Unit defuse or dismantle any devices that may require the release of chemicals, radioactive or biological materials and destroy them (FBI Training, 2019). Major Barker also needs to work closely with the Jackson Hospital and surrounding hospitals to see if there are any patients coming in with symptoms of biological agents. Ensuring the safety of these potential biological agent attacks is crucial. There are a lot of key issues that can occur with this attack and it is important for Major Susan Barker to take all possible precautions. Conclusion
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Major Susan Barker must plan for the Democratic-Republican National Convention in accordance with previous attacks in the U.S. as a result of biological agents and work closely with hospitals and every member of the host committee. Their preparation will be improved by bringing together team members from all teams prior to the event. It is hoped that their presence will improve the overall flow of the convention and reduce the incidence of crimes during it.
Major Barker cannot forget about including the hospitals because with biological agents sometimes they do not know about these hazards until hours, days, or weeks after due to the type
of biological agents released. Every aspect of preparation for the event plays a crucial role and the training that is involved takes a lot of time and work.
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References
DHS. (n.d.). Communicating in a crisis: Biological attack. Retrieved from https://www.dhs.gov/xlibrary/assets/prep_biological_fact_sheet.pdf
Erenler, A. K., Güzel, M., & Baydin, A. (2018). How Prepared Are We for Possible Bioterrorist Attacks: An Approach from Emergency Medicine Perspective.
TheScientificWorldJournal
,
2018
, 7849863. https://doi.org/10.1155/2018/7849863
FBI Training. (2019).
FBI Hazardous Materials Response Unit Careers and Job Description
. https://www.fbitraining.org/hazardous-materials-response-unit/
Saint Leo University. (n.d.). DRNC National Political Convention Assignment
. https://mediaweb.saintleo.edu/Courses/CRJ545/DRNC_Assignment_Details.pdf