NYC-WTC_000233682

NYC 9/11 Public Portal Document

response guidelines

Isolate affected area if • Implement appropriate public • Characterize affected area. identified in the threat. health protection measures. • Revise public health protection

w Identify sites and initiate site characterization. • Plan for alternate water supply. • Analyze samples. measures as necessary. • Provide alternate water supply. ii Consult external information • Perform site characterization at • Plan remediation activities. sources. additional investigation sites. Gather information from law • Estimate spread of suspected enforcement assessment. contaminant. ii

Threats to contaminate the water made via direct notification by a perpetrator need to be taken seriously. However, the majority of such direct threats are hoaxes that may be intended to cause panic or disruption, gain attention, or fulfill a personal vendetta. Thus, the focus of the threat evaluation for this type of threat warning is to identify any credible threats amongst the larger number of hoax notifications. In any case, direct threats against the water supply should be reported to local law enforcement.

A key source of information that may support the threat evaluation under this scenario is provided directly by the perpetrator making the threat. In the case of a phone threat, it is important to collect information about the threat from the caller to support the threat evaluation. Similarly, a written notification should be carefully reviewed for details about the threat. Additional information collected throughout the investigation should be evaluated against the details of the threat notification, and it corroborates the details of the notification, then the threat is more likely to be deemed ‘credible.’

One of the potential challenges in managing a threat triggered by direct notification from a perpetrator is identification of an investigation site that will be the focus of site characterization activities. Unless a location is named in the threat, it will be necessary to use other information, such as that derived from vulnerability assessments or unusual water quality data/consumer complaints, to identify investigation sites.

73 Interim Final - August 2004

CITY_21MC100_0 04992412

NYC-WTC_000233755