NCJ Number
98022
Journal
Police Chief Volume: 52 Issue: 6 Dated: (June 1985) Pages: 42-43,46-53
Date Published
1985
Length
10 pages
Annotation
Five articles describe the need for local public officials to have emergency management plans for use in natural or manmade disasters; the roles and responsibilities that should be defined in a plan; the biological and behavioral factors involved in hostage negotiations; the threat of terrorism in the United States; and event planning in Ventura, Calif.
Abstract
The growing awareness of the need for local emergency planning and survey results showing that few communities have emergency plans are discussed. Descriptions of the components of such a plan cover roles of elected officials, the chain of command, organization structure, procedures, and the need to identify possible hazards. Employee and citizen roles are also discussed. The functioning of the nervous system during the various phases of a hostage situation, the nature of the sympathetic and parasympathetic responses, and the approaches that police officials and hostage negotiators should use during the hostage negotiations are explained. The nature of the terrorist threat in the United States and Americans' misperceptions that terrorism doesn't really exist in the United States are discussed. Procedures used by police and public officials to deal with the growing number of special events in Ventura, Calif., are detailed.