Terrorism represents a profound threat to our communities. Terrorists, whether representing foreign governments, religious fervor, or individual anger, have the capacity to harm our cities with explosives and weapons of mass destruction. The explosions at the World Trade Center in New York City, the Murrah Building in Oklahoma City, and Centennial Park in Atlanta dramatize the susceptibility of communities in the USA to a terrorist attack. The Sarin nerve gas attack in Japan, the stockpiling of chemical and biological weapons by Iraq, and the problems of controlling access to the former Soviet Union's highly radioactive military stores present special challenges to the medical community. Hospitals represent an invaluable community, regional, and state resource, and are an essential component of society's response to natural and man-made disasters.
Hospitals provide the majority of medical care to victims after a disaster.
It is imperative that hospitals develop the capacity to safely provide assistance to the affected community after a terrorist attack. In most training programs for nurses and physicians worldwide, very little or any effort currently is extended to prepare graduates to recognize and respond to the demands of victims of a terrorist attack. Globally, there are few hospitals with the capacity to safely assess, decontaminate, and treat victims of a terrorist attack. A broad range of training and educational programs must be developed to improve the ability of the nurses, physicians, and hospitals to meet this demand. This training will enable nursing schools, medical schools, and other areas of higher learning to train students in the medical consequences of a terrorist attack.