FEMA
Overview: The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) developed this Reference Manual to Mitigate Potential Terrorist Attacks Against Buildings to provide needed information on how to mitigate the effects of potential terrorist attacks. The intended audience includes the building sciences community of architects and engineers working for private institutions, and state and local government officials working in the building sciences community. The manual supports FEMA’s Mission (Lead America to prepare for, prevent, respond to, and recover from disasters) and the Strategic Plan’s Goal 3 (Prepare the Nation to address the consequences of terrorism), all of which will be done within the all-hazards framework and the needs of Homeland Security.
The building science community, as a result of FEMA’s efforts, has incorporated extensive building science into designing and constructing buildings against natural hazards (earthquake, fire, flood, and wind). To date, the same level of understanding has not been applied to manmade hazards (terrorism/intentional acts) and technological hazards (accidental events). Since September 11, 2001, terrorism has become a dominant domestic concern. Security can no
longer be viewed as a standalone capability that can be purchased as an afterthought and then put in place. Life, safety, and security issues must become a design goal from the beginning.
