London Gets Lucky - The World is Not a Safe Place

This morning's announcement by London Policeand the all volunteer Medical Reserve Core. These
that their "ordinance division" (bomb squad) hadmedical assets served with success and distinction
defused a "viable device" near Piccadilly Circusin virtually every declared national disaster since
demonstrates yet again that the world is not yettheir inception in 1986, providing medical care to
a safe place. While, no organization has claimedsurvivors and rescuers alike.
responsibility for this bomb, reports indicate thatResponse activities have been augmented by
the device was of sufficient sophistication as tovarious volunteer and charitable organizations
include vehicle fuel tanks, propane gas cylinders asincluding pay based organization, the American
part of the incendiary charge as well as nails forRed Cross we have shelter, clothes and beds for
shrapnel. All this just 7 days before the secondthose who have been displaced as well as for
anniversary of the bombing of the Londonthose who have come to serve, to assist the
Undergraound and only 2 days after the newsurvivors. Recovery has been a mutual effort
Prime Minsiter took office.involving various aspects of Federal Government,
Multiple studies, including a June, 2006 report bycharitable organizations, local communities,
the Institute of Medicine, have decried the factcorporations and even individuals. The ad hoc
that terrorism and national preparedness ingroup has clustered around the only organized
general have fallen from the main public debaterecovery system that our nation has had for the
despite response catastrophes such as Katrinalast 20 years, FEMA. Through it all rescue
and the recent tornadoes, wildfires, and floodsresponse and recovery had been augmented by
that have plagued various regions of the Unitedour national guard and in our greatest of
States.tragedies, the men and women of our armed
Even as the candidates line up in droves forservices.
potential presidential consideration, that the publicIn an era of terrorism, law enforcement has
debate centers more on the issue of keeping outplayed a critical role in both interdiction and at
individuals on whom our economy relies rathertimes capture of those who would attack
than excluding those who would seek to do usinnocent civilians. Despite the injustice of these
harm.acts our society has insisted that our judicial
In the long history of disaster response in thesystem mete out our just retribution.
United States, we have been fortunate to haveDespite the tremendous assets brought to bear,
enjoyed great success with a rather haphazardit has only been since 2003 that there has been a
approach to our preparedness and security.National Response Plan and that plan has only had
Individual portions of the system have workedform and framework since 2004. Both healthcare
extremely well, including planning by the Federaland non-healthcare corporations in this country
Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and itshave failed to take up their mantle of
sister departments at the various state and localresponsibility and even some communities have
levels.preferred to believe it could not happen to them...
Rescue has been well represented by local EMS,that it could not happened again.
Fire Rescue, Urban Search and Rescue, and CoastToday's "near miss" in London, a car bomb left on
Guard Units. Medical response for the last twoa busy thorough fare, in front of a popular
decades has been the purview of the Nationalnightclub, just down the street from 10 Downing
Disaster Medical System and its various medicalstreet and Buckingham Palace demonstrates how
venture, veterinary and mortuary responsevulnerable we all are. Today Londoners are lucky,
teams. These have been in the recent year beenhow long will the United States rely on luck alone.
augmented by State Medical Response Teams