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Is America Safe?
As the devastation and death toll from deadly Hurricane Katrina becomes more apparent, it is a grim reminder that we live in dangerous times. Every year, millions of people around the world lose their lives or have them seriously disrupted because of floods, tsunamis, wildfires, earthquakes, blizzards and hurricanes. In today's troubled world, we face even greater threats from terrorism, civil unrest, explosions and the possibility of chemical, biological or even nuclear attack. In the United States, the terrorist threat is not only from overseas groups; domestic terrorism has been with us for decades. Violence on the road and in our places of work and schools is another growing area of concern. ?In the last 25 years there has been more than 320 domestic terrorist incidents and suspected incidents ? an average out of one every month over this period. ?Over a quarter of the U.S. population are children. In the last eight years more than 40 students, teachers and custodians have been shot dead at incidents in schools. ?More than 1.7 million people are the victims of violent crime while at work. ?There are 1,200 road rage related deaths every year with a further 40,000 people killed in traffic crashes and half a million hospitalized, "The threat is real and it is growing," warns Is America Safe.com, a new website dedicated to protecting Americans and the Homeland from natural disasters and terrorist attacks. Every year about 1.7 million people are victims of violent crime while working or on duty. About 75% of these incidents ? around 1.3 million ? are simple assaults while an additional. However, over 800 workplace homicides occur every year ? more than two every day somewhere in the country. "Not only are many Americans not safe at work, many bosses are doing little to protect their workers in the event of an emergency ? whether from natural causes or man-made such as violence and terrorism," says Is America Safe.com spokesperson Don Philpott, "It is a disturbing thought that more than half the businesses in the United States do not have a crisis management plan ? what to do in the event of an emergency - and many that do, do not keep it up to date. Even fewer businesses and organizations have a physical security plan to protect their building and people who work in it," he says. "How many of these buildings are safe from terrorist attack or natural disaster. And what about the nation's 110 million households? How many families would know what to do in the event of another Katrina or other emergency," says Philpott. "Terrorism is not a new challenge and it is not going to go away any time soon so we have a duty to our families, friends and loved ones to ensure that the places where we live, work, learn and play are secure and that the people using them are safe," he says. Is America Safe.com has launched a series of practical handbooks on how to plan for and survive a major emergency whether it is a natural disaster like a hurricane or flooding, or a man-made incident, such as a terrorist attack. "Our aim is not to alarm people but to prepare and protect them so that they have the tools they needed to survive, get on with their lives and preserve the freedoms that we all hold so dear," he adds. Ends For more information go to www.isamericasafe.com or contact Don Philpott at 407.862.5477 Don Philpott has been writing, reporting and broadcasting about security, civil unrest and terrorism for almost 40 years. For 20 years he was a senior correspondent with Reuters-Press Association, the wire service, traveling the world reporting on major events and trouble spots including Northern Ireland, Lebanon, Israel, South Africa and the Far East. He is now senior correspondent with Homeland Defense Journal, the leading homeland security publication in the U.S. , and he writes for magazines and newspapers in the United States and Europe. He is the author of more than 50 books and is a regularly contributor to radio and television programs on security issues. His latest book to be published this fall is The Building Security Handbook. He has produced special reports on Protecting the Athens Olympics, The Threat from Dirty Bombs, Anti-Terrorism Measures in the UK, The National Guard , Nanotechnology and the U.S, Military and The Global Impact of the London Bombings, published in August, and which resulted in a number of radio interviews in the U.S. and UK
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