Emergency Response to Domestic Terrorism How Bureaucracies Reacted to the 1995 Oklahoma City Bombing

Emergency Response to Domestic Terrorism analyzes the emergency response to the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City on April 19, 1995. Terrorism is a complex threat, and the American government is expected to deter or intervene in every attack. For that reason, the government must be better prepared to respond to acts of terror. One critical element is to understand what constitutes an "effective response." To answer this key question, the author examined the existing literature and interviewed thirty-one elite participants in the emergency response to the bombing. The result is a unique qualitative case study that analyzes the response efforts undertaken after the bombing to draw conclusions about their relative success or failure. Emergency Response to Domestic Terrorism looks at the nature and interrelationship of bureaucratic structures involved in the response, the organizational networking between the response bureaucracy, and the impact of bureaucratic culture on the response.By bringing together the academic and the practical aspects of emergency response, the work will appeal to students, practitioners, and policymakers. Further, it will foster better understanding of public policy and public administration in general.

1.    Bureaucratic Response to Disasters: Issues and MethodsIntroduces the challenges posed by emergency response and the threat of terrorism, and the difficulties that governments face as they prepare to respond to major disasters.  2.    Disaster, Chaos, and Response: First Arrival at the Murrah Building ScenceDescribes the response scene in the immediate aftermath of the 1995 bombing. Explains who was doing what from the response community, and the difficulties they encountered.3.    Emergency Response ChallengesEstablishes the challenges that past emergency response activities suggested would be encountered persistently during disasters, and how they were actually encountered in the aftermath of the Oklahoma City bombing.    4.    Response as a Street-Level Phenomenon  Focuses on the challenges street-level first response bureaucrats face as they attempt to address the implications of a large-scale disaster. Examines the function of bureaucratic structures, the importance of networking to successful response, and the presence of bureaucratic culture and its impact on the response.5.    Response Bureaucracies' Tasks and Goals   Discusses the role FEMA planning guidelines played in the early phases of response to the Oklahoma City bombing. Presents information about the various tasks performed during the response, with a description of the relevant tasks and goals as well as respondents' comments about the success of the actions.  6.    Conclusions:  Lessons Learned and Reinforced  Appendix A:  Interviews Conducted Appendix B:  Interview Questionnaires Bibliography  Index