Towards a Homeland Security Strategy for the United States Virgin Islands: The Terrorism and Natural Disasters Planning Group
Abstract
The Virgin Islands (VI) is underprepared for major natural disasters and terrorism. Many emergency plans are incomplete, based on inaccurate information, wrongly optimistic, and assume an infrastructure that does not exist. The VI is at risk for a direct terrorist attack and also subject to whatever secondary consequences would result from a stateside attack, because virtually 100 percent of food, fuel, medicine, and oil used to make electricity and potable water -- and tourists, the economy's lifeblood -- are imported. Other factors to consider are as follows: (1) geographically, help is not readily available from any neighboring city or state; (2) the VI's first responders are likely to be affected by the same disaster they are responding to and unable to assist; (3) the VI must assume more of the emergency preparedness functions that would typically be shared between neighboring communities; (4) the VI must have more funding than similar communities on the mainland; and (5) preparedness planning must include the importing of mainland resources. The purpose of this thesis is to point out how the VI is different from the mainland United States in terms of the level of preparation it requires for a major natural disaster or terrorist attack. This thesis documents the problem -- the VI's risks and vulnerabilities; shows how the government's existing infrastructure is inadequate; discusses how the police, social issues, and existing territorial leadership affect these vulnerabilities; examines existing preparedness and assessment plans and how they should be evaluated; examines examples of mismanagement; discusses how the VI can foster change; and sets forth an action plan for what the VI can do now.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 01, 2006
- Accession Number
- ADA484980
Entities
People
- Martin J. Alperen
Organizations
- Naval Postgraduate School