Preparedness begins 

with awareness 

Sunday, September 23, 2001 By JAN BARRY Staff Writer

It's one thing to think of the occasional hurricane, factory explosion, or major blizzard as a part of life.

But it gets trickier when you have to add a terrorist attack to the list of potential threats. Experts say, however, that coping with such a threat begins by accepting that life has changed and being ready in case the worst looms again.

And by acknowledging that there are, in fact, steps that private citizens can take to possibly dampen such a threat, emergency management and security experts say.

"The best way to prevent a terrorist attack, or to avoid it, is to be alert," said Donald R. Hamilton, a former diplomat who has worked in the Middle East. A former adviser to the National Commission on Terrorism, he's now with the Memorial Institute for the Prevention of Terrorism in Oklahoma City.

"In a way," he said via cellphone from Washington, D.C., where he arrived shortly after the Pentagon attack, "preparedness for terrorism is like preparedness for a natural disaster."

Living in a region periodically racked by floods, blizzards, train crashes, and highway mayhem, New Jerseyans have experience in disasters. Hamilton and others believe this knowledge provides a solid foundation on which to build an action plan for terrorism: We instinctively stock flashlights for power failures, first-aid kits for injuries, and know how to escape a fire. The trick now is to also make preparedness to thwart terrorism second-nature.

Heightened alertness can range from having emergency gear and communications prepared to increased watchfulness.

"You don't want to create a sense of panic," said Dwane Razzetti, a Bergen County emergency management specialist. "But be aware of exits, and of things that are out of place."

A Florida motel owner, cleaning a room where a man later identified as one of the hijackers stayed, found East Coast flight maps and Boeing 757 manuals, according to news reports. The motel owner called police -- but only after a Boeing 767 crashed into Two World Trade Center, with his motel guest aboard.

"Common sense and vigilance are the two best tools to spot and prevent potential terrorism," said Clifford Simonsen, spokesman for the International Association of Professional Security Consultants. "Two hundred and eighty million sets of eyes can spot a lot of terrorist preparation and prevent an attack from the start."

Given the hijacking of four airliners from three airports, one security expert advised that common sense suggests using the telephone, when you can, instead of flying to do business for the time being.

"Air travel should be limited to only necessary trips right now," said Susan Corrado, a former FBI agent and security consultant with the Intelligence Group in Far Hills. Given delays from tighter security at airports amid a massive hunt for terrorist groups, she said, "there will be an issue of time as well as safety."

For those who do fly, Hamilton said, "stay alert and look for something out of the ordinary. Is there something that doesn't belong there? If you see an unattended parcel, tell security."

In all aspects of life, added Simonsen, "Report suspicious behavior right away. Security and safety in this new era of terrorism has to be everybody's business.

"Pay attention to and memorize escape routes and use them if you suspect that there is imminent danger to you, others, your building, or your business."

"Have a floor warden who is responsible for making sure everybody gets out" of endangered buildings, Hamilton said.

Keep a flashlight handy for evacuations through possibly dark or smoky conditions. Carry a safety whistle, to alert rescuers if you get trapped in debris. Quickly get out of an area under attack.

And don't call 911 to ask what's going on.

Dispatchers' phone lines across the region were overloaded with calls when the World Trade Center suddenly became a war zone, said Richard Loock, Morris County's deputy emergency coordinator.

"People were calling to ask, 'What do I do?' " he said.

Unless seriously injured or trapped, we should be self-reliant enough to cope on our own in the immediate wake of a disaster, he said.

Loock recommends carrying a list of phone numbers of relatives and co-workers. In case area phone lines are jammed, have a contact number to call outside the region.

Given the loss of hundreds of firefighters and police officers who rushed into the World Trade Center after the Twin Towers were hit, Loock raises another warning, which he feels could help minimize casualties:

If you are outside an area under attack, don't rush to the scene.

A flood of what Loock called "freelance" volunteers, in and out of uniform, raced into lower Manhattan, creating headaches for trained rescue teams trying to assess the damage and the danger from collapsing buildings, explosions, fires, and the possibility of toxic chemicals in the air.

"You become a liability if you show up and you haven't been asked," Loock said, "because that creates another whole mechanism that needs to be addressed as to what to do with you. If a fire department or police department needs help, believe me, they will tell you."

Staff Writer Jan Barry's e-mail address is barry@northjersey.com * * *

•  Report unattended packages and unusual behavior.
•  Know where fire exits are located.
•  Do an evacuation drill at home and work.
•  Carry a flashlight and safety whistle.
•  Have a family disaster preparedness kit at home.
•  Have a travel kit for pets, in the event of evacuation.
•  Carry phone numbers for family, co-workers.
•  Get out of the danger zone as quickly as possible.
•  Don't rush to a blast area if you're not a rescue worker.
•  Work with other survivors to cope with trauma.