Emergency Response to Domestic Terrorism

“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.

Author Biography

Dr. Alethia Cook is Assistant Director of the Security Studies Program at East Carolina University. As an assistant professor in the Political Science Department, Dr. Cook teaches courses in terrorism and response to terrorism.