McEntire defines a “disaster” as a “disruptive and/or deadly and destructive outcome of triggering agents when they interact with, and are exacerbated by, various forms of vulnerability.” A volcanic eruption or an earthquake can be a “triggering” agent that originates from a natural event; however, triggering agents can also come from human activities such as terrorism. Vulnerability pertains to all the factors, acting both independently and in combination, that contribute to the risk for an event that triggers a disaster, as well as the factors that can determine the extent and nature of the destruction caused by the triggering event. Emergency managers, including police and other public-safety agencies, must continuously and regularly assess their jurisdiction’s vulnerability to terrorist attack. This involves accumulating knowledge about the likely occurrence, targets, and cost of various types of terrorist attacks. This requires the development of an ongoing intelligence system that involves all levels of government and disaster preparedness and response. Collecting and analyzing intelligence enables emergency management systems to make cost-effective security decisions about which targets to harden and what security measures should be established. Such planning and action not only reduces the nature and extent of the damage should a terrorist attack occur, but also reduces the likelihood that an attack will be attempted, i.e., the risk of a “triggering” event is reduced. 19 references