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Oklahoma City Bombing
A brief review of the overall event; the historical and current significance of this event to homeland security today; what do you feel were the major lessons learned in terms of what worked or what didn't for response and recovery; and do you feel those lessons have been ignored or implemented for the country as a whole since the report was published. Author: Jonathan B. Smith Michigan
State University 's School of Criminal Justice Overview The Oklahoma City bombing of April 19, 1995 at the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building was referred to, at the time, as the worst terrorist attack on U.S. soil in history. The bomb was made from a mixture of commonly available fertilizer and fuel oil. It was delivered to the site on board a rented Ryder® truck that was conveniently parallel parked adjacent to the builiding. The bombing was carried out by a right wing domestic extremist group motivated by anti-government feelings over the 1993 government raid of the Branch Davidians complex in Waco, TX. April 19, 1995 was the second anniversary of the the fire that destroyed the Branch Davidians compound. One third of the building was destroyed, killing 168 people and physically affecting a six block radius. While the bomb physically effected a six block radius, its emotional impact resonated across the nation. Newspapers around the country noted that the bombing marked the end of innocence for America - the nation was clearly not immune from terrorist attacks. The incident was a true test for the emergency management system at the local, state and federal levels. The events following the bombing highlighted the benefits of planning and preparedness, while also magnifying opportunites for improvement. The remainder of this case study will focus upon how the Oklahoma City bombing has helped to shape emergency management and homeland security practices over the past decade and beyond. Historical and Current Significance The Oklahoma City bombing was not the first terrorist incident to occur on U.S. soil, but it was certainly the "loudest" to date. Following the bombing, "President Clinton signed
the 'U.S. Policy on Counterterrorism' commiting the U.S. to a four-pronged
strategy for fighting domestic terrorism reducing vulnerabilities, deterring
attacks, responding to attacks and dealing with the threat of nuclear,
chemical and biological weapons." Congress began to fund additional security measures almost immediately, spending $77.1 mm to hire FBI agents and the purchase of equipment. An additional $350 mm was spent to hire 1,000 more FBI staff positions from 1995-1997 to combat domestic terrorism. In light of the nation's current focus on homeland security initiatives, the reactions following the Oklahoma City bombing mark the beginning of the War on Terror and the end of traditional enemies and conventional warfare. The recent history of major domestic terrorism is no longer limited to the Oklahoma City bombing. The events of 9/11 permanently marred any potential hope that America was immune from terrorist attacks. Homeland security is one of the major issues dominating the 2004 presidential election, along with traditional issues such as education, the economy and healthcare. Both President Bush and Senator Kerry are pushing hard to convince the American electorate that they are better suited to ensure America's security. It is October 31, 2004, two days before Election Day, and the newspaper and television headlines are filled with references to homeland security. In fact, a preparedness plan is even in place in the event of an Election Day terrorist attack. The scope and complexity of the War on Terror has certainly evolved since April 19, 1995, but the nature and tactics of the enemy have not changed. Major Lessons Learned (Pro's & Con's) The Oklahoma City bombing represented a true test of the emergency management system. The lessons learned from this "crisis" will pay dividends for generations to come. Due to the limited scope of this case study and expansive list of lessons learned from the incident, this section aims to highlight, rather than detail, the lessons learned. The most important lessson learned from the Oklahoma City bombing was to have a disaster plan in place; it saves time, resources and lives in the heat of a crisis. Just having a plan is not good enough, the plan needs to be tested, effectively communicated within the organization and regularly tested on a regular basis. The planning and preparedness exercises that were in place before April 19, 1995 were crucial to the crisis management operations success. Communication during a crisis is absolutely critical. Often times, communications technology is overwhelmed during and incident because of the spike in communications volumes. Therefore there needs to be a plan in place to augment the existing system, as was done in Oklahoma City via the addition of cellular nodes on wheels from the local phone companies, or alternative means of communication (i.e. Internet, radios, television, flyers, public relations). In addition to the communication technology, it is extremely important that any critical messages are clearly and comprehensively delivered to the community. Examples of ensuring good social communications include: avoid using company jargon / acronyms, keep workers informed, communicate among agencies, not just within, and maintain an up to date contact list. Good relations and planning for working with the media are also an integral part of executing a successful disaster recovery communications strategy. The physical security of the affected area also proved to be a good lesson learned. The radius around the bomb site was cordoned off after the incident to limit access to the area. A credentialing system was ultimately devised to further help manage the traffic flow into the site, so that access was limited to only essential workers. The incident command center (ICS) structure was effective, yet it was initially overwhelmed with too many non-essential personnel. Ultimately additional tents were set up, a media center was established at another facility and a family assistance center was created. The lesson learned was that the ICS needs to be limited to critical emergency management officials with media and family related offices housed elsewhere. The family assistance center proved to be a key piece in the crisis response plan. Following an incident like the Oklahoma City bombing, family members of workers or building occupants will often come directly to the site to look for missing loved ones. Having a family assistance center and phone number in place gives family members a place to find information and assistance in their time of need. The emergency management workers mental and physical health are an important piece of the response effort. During the response to the Oklahoma City bombing, emergency workers were limited to 12 hour shifts - which helps to ensure safety and clear decision making. In addition, food was provided by local restaurants 24 hours a day. Mental health clinics were available to anyone who needed their assistance. It is critical that the "team" is well fed, rested and in the right frame of mind to execute the recovery plan. Coordination with the medical community was another key tenet of the disaster recovery operation. The medical community is a pillar of the emergency response effort and they need to be involved in the preparedness and planning phases of emergency management, to ensure their effectiveness during a crisis. In addition, emergency responders need to be prepared to handle the influx of injuries and the related grief stricken family members. Once again planning is the key to the proper execution. There were hundreds of lessons learned from the Oklahoma City bombing, too many to cover in this limited case study. Above all, planning proved to be the most potent response tool to help mitigate the crisis. If nothing else is learned from the incident, communities should take the time to plan for a crisis because it is no longer a matter of "if" it is going to happen, rather a question of when. Lessons (Implemented or Ignored) The lessons learned from the Oklahoma City bombing were vast. As previously mentioned, Congress moved almost immediately to increase the number for agents involved in the counterterrorism effort. It was clear that the country was fighting a new kind of a war that required a different set of skills and defenses. The country's investment in additional physical security paid serious dividends and paid off quickly:
These were all incidences where the country's investment into additional patrols and agents, following the Oklahoma City bombing, led to the mitigation of further terrorist incidence. The implementation of the lessons learned from the Oklahoma City bombing across the nation will require a hurculean effort and will most likely be implemented by exception rather than as the result of the meticulous and detailed rollout of a national plan. The bottom line is that state and local budgets are very tight. There may be enough money in many communities to implement a disaster recovery plan based upon the lessons of the Oklahoma City bombing. However, there are far fewer communities that can afford to execute the related preparedness exercises and even fewer who will repeat the preparedness efforts on a regular basis to test their skills. There are not enough resources to implement the lessons of Oklahoma City across the nation, unless a crisis hits. The lessons of Oklahoma City have been reasonably well implemented into the planning component of the homeland security efforts across the nation. However, bureaucracy and red tape at all levels still is the norm, not the exception. Communication is still a major issue, whether between the hardware, the software, the citizens or the civil servants. It is most unfortunatet that it takes a crisis to align constituents' interests and help achieve an order of magnitude shift in the country's preparedness. It is just a fact of life, "the squeaky wheel gets the grease." Murphy, Jarrett. (2001).
"The Lessons of Oklahoma." CBSNEWS.com The Oklahoma Department of Civil
Emergency Management. (1995). "After Action Report: Alfred P. Murrah
Federal Building Bombing." Oklahoma National Memorial Institute
for the Prevention of Terrorism. (2002). "Oklahoma City - Seven Years
Later." Terrazas,
Michael. (1995). "Guarding against another Oklahoma City." American
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