City of San
José Office of Emergency Services
What You Need
to Know About the Threat of Terrorism
Frequently Asked Questions
Introduction
At
this time, authorities are not aware of any credible terrorism threat to the
Bay Area. Residents and businesses should try to maintain normal activities and
lessen their anxiety through obtaining accurate information. Many questions are
currently being asked by San Jose residents. Here are the answers to the most
commonly asked questions.
Heightened
awareness of your surroundings is your best behavior change. In the work place,
parcels, boxes, or other items that are out of place should be reported to a
supervisor immediately, who should then evaluate and report to Security or the
Police. People who don’t belong should be challenged, and Security should be
called to have them either properly identified or removed. Badging should be
taken seriously. Food preparation and HVAC areas should be closely monitored.
General building security should be heightened - keep doors locked, pay
attention to people’s ID when they sign in, badge everyone!
At
home, maintain the same kind of heightened awareness of people and packages
in your neighborhood. Call the Police if you see a person, parcel or event
that does not seem right to you.
Maintain
your emergency preparedness plan for your family. Have an out of state
contact number so family members can exchange information after a disaster
when the local phones may not be able to receive calls. Have a family
reunification point in addition to your home. If there were a natural
disaster such as a flood or wildland fire you might not be able to go home
right away. Select a location with a parking lot and some landmarks and
establish a spot where your family will meet. Develop an emergency response kit
for each family member. A downloadable flier is available at www.sanjoseca.gov/emergencyServices/oes.htm. Develop a shelter-in-place kit, in case there
is a chemical release or smoky fire in your area. A downloadable brochure on
sheltering in place is available at the link listed above.
Q. Should I get a flu shot?
In
general, yes. Check with your doctor to see if you have any medical reasons why
you should not get the shot: allergies to eggs, some medication interactions. A
flu shot will help to protect you from a known viral disease, and may prevent
unnecessary false alarms for other diseases. In addition, all adults should
have a tetanus shot every 10 years. All children should be immunized according
to your pediatrician’s schedule. MMR is very important to eliminate pox
diseases that would cause unnecessary alarms.
Q. Should I get a vaccination?
Currently
vaccinations against smallpox are only being administered to a limited
population. There are about 15 million doses available, and they would be used
in any community where smallpox was known to break out. The government has 54
million doses under development right now, and is putting out a contract for
250 million more doses. This new vaccine is being created using human cell lines
rather than the old animal-based method.
No.
“Gas masks” filter air through canisters that are generally designed to
neutralize one chemical. Therefore, without knowing what chemical could be
involved, you would have no idea which filter to purchase. Second, gas masks
require extra respiratory effort. When this equipment is assigned to emergency
response personnel they are first given a respiratory test to ensure that they
are able to use them safely. Third, to be effective the mask must have a tight
seal around the face. To ensure this correct fit, you must be fitted by someone
skilled in this.
Finally,
masks have to be used properly to be safe. During the Gulf War the government
issued gas masks to residents in areas of Israel where SCUD missles were
landing. People who did not follow the mask directions died from improper use
of the masks, even though no gas was ever deployed. The Israeli experience
suggests that more people get hurt using the gas mask improperly than would be
hurt in an attack.
None.
Medications cannot be safely stockpiled. They have to be prescribed for a
specific disease to be effective. Overuse of antibiotics leads to the mutation
of pathogenic organisms, and they become resistant to antobiotic therapy. The
dosage of any medication must be selected for the individual patient. Age and
physical size are important considerations for physicians when they select a
medication and dosage for a patient.
Physicians
must also consider pre-existing medical conditions in the patient, and possible
drug interactions that would be harmful to the patient. Finally, all
medications have to be properly stored
to maintain potency. Most medications can only be safely stored in home
conditions of fluctuating temperatures and humidity for short periods of time.
This is one reason why medications are prescribed in the exact amount required
to cure a specific disease.
Furthermore,
the Federal government has developed stockpiles of the medications that might
be needed in the event of a terrorist attack on a community. These stockpiles
are stored at locations throughout the United States. They can be delivered to
an affected community within 12 hours to reinforce the existing local supplies
available under normal circumstances in pharmacies and hospitals. A larger
supply chain is also in place to enable appropriate dosages to be provided to
victims.
No.
Some European countries with old-style nuclear reactors have issued potassium
iodine (KI) tablets to residents who are downwind of their facilities. This was
done in reaction to the Chernobyl nuclear accident, where there was a known
potential source for radioactive release under accidental conditions. Such
conditions do not exist in our community. There is no need to store KI at home.
In the unlikely event it were needed, supplies would be made available rapidly
enough to protect the thyroid.
Still
have questions? Visit some of the disaster information links available on our Disaster and
Emergency Management Information web page or call the City of San
José Office of Emergency Services at 408-277-4595 from 8 am through 5 pm Monday
through Friday, excluding holidays.