Note especially the part,
<< O'REGAN: You also allay a lot of fears. One of the more interesting points that you make is how strong nuclear power plants are. Because there has been some talk, of course, about crashing planes into nuclear power plants, that being a possible terrorist target.
MacINNIS: Yes, that's one thing. Containment buildings are far stronger than we thought initially. >>
Not being part of the nuclear industry, by "we," MacInnis means himself & the general public (don't expect the antis to learn, ever).
Jaro
Doctor/Explorer Delivers New Book on Terrorism
Seamus O'Regan interviews Dr. Joseph MacInnis, Author, "Surviving Terrorism"
CANADA AM -- CTV News and Current Affairs
Wed 25 Sep 2002, 08:14:00 ET
O'REGAN: At the top of the hour I said that Dr. Joseph MacInnis would be in here to talk about how we can prevent terrorism. That wasn't, I think, a proper description of your book. It's how --. He's here with us now, Joe MacInnis.
Thanks very much for joining us. But this book deals with a lot of fears I think that people have after 9/11. We don't know enough about the roots of terrorism or how we as individuals might be able to prepare ourselves for it, or in the very small instance survive an attack were we caught in one.
MacINNIS: Yeah, that was the reason I wrote the book. I found out that myself and other people were confused and somewhat frightened by what happened on the 11th. And when I saw the towers go down I asked myself what kind of contribution could I make. I'm not an expert on terrorism.
O'REGAN: You're a deep-sea explorer and you're a scientist --
MacINNIS: I know.
O'REGAN: What do you know about terrorism?
MacINNIS: Well, I don't know anything -- I didn't know at that time. But I do know something now. I did know something about health and safety, extreme environments, life-safety systems. And I thought, well, I can make a contribution by getting together with some good people. And some volunteers and good friends and experts and writers came together, helped me with the research in the first draft. And then I spent about six months putting this together to try and get it simple and accurate, about who they were, what their weapons were, what the targets might be, and some very simple steps that we can take to protect ourselves.
O'REGAN: Well, let's talk about that. Although I have to say one of your messages, of course, is that the primary weapons of the terrorist is not bullets or biological weapons or bombs, it's fear itself. And yet, you give possible scenarios of how terrorists could pass on viruses in subway systems and stuff like that. Were you worried about creating fear?
MacINNIS: There's nothing in the book that isn't already out in the literature, in newspapers, on television. And I have a very strong sense about fear -- as a guy who has been frightened in my work under the sea. Fear can be an ally if you take it in small doses. Fear is what motivates you to look for good information, to talk to the experts, to listen. And fear is a way back into confidence, if you use it carefully and selectively.
O'REGAN: You also allay a lot of fears. One of the more interesting points that you make is how strong nuclear power plants are. Because there has been some talk, of course, about crashing planes into nuclear power plants, that being a possible terrorist target.
MacINNIS: Yes, that's one thing. Containment buildings are far stronger than we thought initially. And there's other things as well. And that is that there's an awful lot of good people in nuclear power plants and out there on the front line -- firefighters, police, who are working on our behalf. Emergency Management Ontario has a great team. All of these people are out there working on these problems, setting up the defences in a state of alertness that we didn't have before. And I feel very confident about that.
O'REGAN: Let's talk about part two of the book, about what people can do to prepare.
MacINNIS: Well, it's the same kind of thing, isn't it, that you do when you think about Y2K or an earthquake or a flood or, let's say, another ice storm. You take simple preparations to protect yourself and your family. If you have to leave where you are you have an emergency plan. You put away food, you put away some water and fuel and the kinds of things will allow you to be independent for two or three days, let's say, if there was another ice storm or a terrorism attack shut down, let's say, the power grid.
O'REGAN: A lot of it is common sense: keep in good physical condition, keep in good mental condition.
MacINNIS: Absolutely.
O'REGAN: Do you have to be constantly aware, constantly vigilant, that something could happen? There has been lots of talk about that, especially in the States, that every citizen should do their part for homeland security and keep their eyes peeled and that sort of thing.
MacINNIS: Well, I think that's a little bit overdone. But keep in mind, we live in Ontario where there are 21 nuclear power plants, a lot of chemical facilities. We are wedged in between Michigan and New York. And there are a lot of American assets here in southern Ontario. So we should have a good sense of vigilance.
O'REGAN: What general rules of thumb, quickly, Joe, should people follow, should they find themselves in a situation, something's happened?
MacINNIS: Well, first of all, if something happens then you have got to stay calm. Remember that your best weapon is your mind. Look for assets that can help you, including other people. And wait for the people who are on their way to help you -- the firefighters, the police, the emergency service. These guys are on their way.
O'REGAN: This is a great primer. And you include lots of resources and direction for people to go in if they want to explore further. Thanks very much.
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