American Companies Are Unprepared for Anoother Terrorist Attack

(PRWEB) November 21, 2003

Tyngsborough, MA, November 19, 2003 - As the country continues to struggle its way out of the economic recession, corporate America remains fundamentally unprepared to face another major terrorist attack. These are the findings of an analysis of corporate preparedness carried out by Gerard Group International, a Tyngsboro, MA consulting firm specializing in counter-terrorism preparedness.

According to the firm’s senior partner, Ilana Freedman, “There is an underlying desire on the part of corporate managers to think of 9/11 as a one-time event and to dismiss the need for proactive preparedness programs. Despite the recurring warnings from Washington that another terrorist attack is a certainty, companies remain without serious programs for personnel and asset protection, and business continuity.”

Among the findings in Gerard Group’s ongoing research:

•     Many companies are still working quarter-to-quarter and not on long-term strategy
•     The focus of security measures is towards accident and crime prevention
•     Counter-terrorism preparedness is not a corporate priority
•     The pervasive attitude tends to dismiss the likelihood of an attack “happening here”
•     Little or no attention is being paid to the secondary impact from attacks in other locations such as supply chain disruption, workforce dysfunction, or communications failure
• Among the most vulnerable are companies with facilities in and around ports and along waterways

“9/11 had an enormous economic impact,” said Freedman, an internationally recognized specialist in counter-terrorism. “The economy cannot take another major disruption like that without serious fallout. The solution is for companies to take a proactive stand in this war against terrorism by putting programs in place that will ensure their continued operation .”

Gerard Group International is a leading-edge provider of programs in threat and vulnerability assessment and preparedness. Its multi-national counter-terrorism team includes leading experts in facility and perimeter security, information technology, electronics, communications, business continuity, supply chain protection, marine and harbor security, executive safety, and personnel response training.

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