Contingency planning: emergency preparedness for terrorist attacks

The terrorist attack is one type of emergency caused by humans. This emergency is rare, but can cause catastrophic effects. In the aftermath of 9-11, it is proprietary security personnel\´s responsibility to help every employee get back to "business as normal" while at the same time, being prepared for possible terrorist attacks. An up-to-date contingency plan is expected to help security managers to fulfill this role. Security managers should reassess or develop the contingency plan by using the Federal Emergency Management Agency\´s (FEMA) guidebook. They are encouraged to adopt the Homeland Security Advisory System, or alternatively to develop a simple color-coded system, to response the threats of terrorist attack in stages. They are suggested to consider three factors-top executive\´s commitment, adequate trainings, and coordination with public agencies-in the planning.