The Same Old Story

     As we were preparing to put this issue to bed, the news broke about the terrorist plot to bomb multiple airplanes flying from the United Kingdom to the United States.

     It's no secret that terrorists like anniversaries, and with the fifth anniversary of the attacks of September 11, 2001, just around the corner, many folks have been concerned about how evildoers in the world might choose to commemorate the date. Did the individuals under arrest plan to mark that anniversary with carnage and mass murder? And if they did, would we be ready to respond?

     This issue of EMS Magazine attempts to answer that question with a comprehensive cover report by John Erich that reviews how far (or not) we've come since September 11, 2001, in terms of disaster preparedness (see Masters of the Ordinary, p. 66). As we watched airports descend into chaos following the announcement of the plot in England, it is no surprise to find that we have not traveled that far.

     As we reported in last month's issue, the Institute of Medicine says that the state of EMS is woeful indeed, and this is just as true whether talking about everyday responses or terrorism preparedness.

     "From a preparedness standpoint, EMS in the big cities around this country is busier now than it's ever been. Demand continues to grow, but we have no resources, no assets. Our EMS systems have no capacity. They can't keep up with what comes through the 9-1-1 chute, never mind extraordinary events," says Gregg Lord, retired operations chief for Worcester EMS in Massachusetts.

     One culprit that always shows its face is EMS' lack of representation at the local, state and federal levels of government. If those terrorists had managed to board the planes and set off a series of explosions over American soil, would your agency have been equipped to respond to the destruction as planes fell to the ground? You're probably tired of me posing this question, but there are no answers yet. We have yet to come together as a profession to create a national, unified voice, and meanwhile, we go unheard. So when the next big one hits and our services and personnel are stretched to breaking point, will we find our voice then, or will it just be too late?