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Abstract:
The Virgin Islands (VI) is underprepared for major natural disasters and terrorism. Many emergency plans are incomplete, based on inaccurate information, wrongly optimistic, and assume an infrastructure that does not exist. The VI is at risk for a direct terrorist attack and also is subject to secondary consequences that could result from a stateside attack because virtually 100 percent of its food, fuel, medicine, oil to make electricity and potable water, and tourists -- the economy's lifeblood -- are imported. Other factors to be considered are as follows: (1) geographically, help is not readily available from any neighboring city or state; (2) the VI's first responders are likely to be affected by the same disaster they are responding to and will be unable to assist; (3) the VI must assume more of the emergency preparedness functions that would typically be shared between neighboring communities; (4) the VI must have more funding than similar communities on the mainland; and (5) preparedness planning must include the importing of mainland resources. The purpose of this thesis is to point out how the VI is different from the mainland United States with regard to its needs for disaster preparedness. Section I examines the geographic risks and vulnerabilities facing the VI, inadequacies in government infrastructure, and inadequacies in its law enforcement agencies. Section II examines the islands' current preparedness level in terms of its own Government agencies responsible for disasters and the U.S. agencies that are assigned to assist the VI in case of a disaster. Section III focuses on mismanagement in the VI government and its consequences. Section IV looks at how private citizens and organizations have helped foster preparedness and the newly formed Terrorism and Natural Disasters Planning Group. Section V is a blueprint for other actions that can be taken by law enforcement, the border patrol, and volunteers to increase preparedness.
| Limitations: |
 APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE |
| Description: |
Master's thesis |
| Pages: |
217 |
| Report Date: |
MAR 2006 |
| Report Number: |
A162644 |
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