Earlier this week we had a little excitement here in RTP. A suspicious item was called-in to police because it looked like an explosive device and was on the shoulder of I-40 (the major highway that connects RTP and the rest of the region). Traffic was stopped for four hours as authorities investigated the device and ultimately ended up sending a bomb squad robot in to destroy it with high-pressure water.
The device ended up being foam wrapped together, but if you ask me - I’d agree that it looked awfully suspicious. Especially with the red bungee cord dandling off if it looking like wire or commercial det-cord.
I think this is a great example of how an event on a public highway can impact the surrounding area. Take a second to think about what is transported daily over interstate highways. Sure, you’ve got a huge amount of corporate commuters passing you at 120mph, soccer moms in their huge SUVs, geriatric drivers who remember when the road was a horse path and service vehicles of every sort trying to hurry home or to their next job. But - you’ve also got hazardous materials like deadly chemicals, radioactive sources, explosives and truckloads of McDonald's food supplies whizzing by you just a few feet away.
So when something terrible happens on that highway - either accidental or intentional - there’s always the chance that the hazardous materials can be involved. And when that occurs, it has the potential to impact everything within miles. Not so bad if you are in the middle of BFE. But when you’re in the heart of a metropolitan hub, business district or residential development - the issue becomes very critical, very quickly.
A few years back, I wrote a little about this topic but I feel strongly about bringing it up again. Back then, I suggested that you consider the impact of this kind of event on the highway closest to your organization. Of course you have evacuation plans developed and tested (right?) and have tried to identify and mitigate threats that could impact your organization at that level... But have you considered not only the impact to your facility, but the logistical impact as well? If you are relying on that highway to get people out and away, or to bring in response support you’ve got to start developing plan b. Especially if the highway is a central part of your operation. Of course there are other routes that can be taken to get around a blocked highway, but how well are they known? Have you considered what using alternate routes will do to your time-lines? Have you considered the limitations of that alternate route and it’s capacity to handle your needs?
The same thing applies to other transportation methods and routes like railroads and even airports. All these things should definitely be considered in any emergency management plan, not only for the increased risk they bring, but the possible impact to your logistical plans.
