New york city subway system as a potential target for the terrorists

New York City Subway System
The New York City subway system is the largest subway system in the world boasting of 468 stations along its channel. It passes through a number of centers in New York like The Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan and Queens (Itzkowitz, 2014). These areas are referred to as boroughs. Travelling using the subway system requires a metro card that the system recognizes as the most efficient way of payment for the transport service. The subway system opened in 1904 and assisted in solving the commuter nightmare in New York. The subway handles about 4. 5 million commuters every day and operates twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week (History, 2015). The city cannot operate without the rapid transport system. This makes the subway an integral part of everyday life in New York.
The importance of the New York City subway system makes it a potential target by the terrorists. The objective of terrorists is to instill fear in the minds of dwellers of a particular region by disrupting their activities and economy. The terrorists target the infrastructure that a city or state cannot do without. They disrupt operations and crumble economies. This makes the subway a preferred target.
The attack involves a gas that will be spread across the subway to render the commuters there inactive. Since the terrorist expect maximum casualty, this will be their best approach. Thereafter, a bomb will be detonated to destroy the underground transit system.
Such an act will affect a number of systems. The first will be the electricity transmission lines. System the underground transport system depends entirely on electricity for lighting and controlling the temperatures, the bomb is expected to destroy the wire lines that will have an impact on the city-wide transmission lines. A number of blocks adjacent to the building will go without electricity after the attack. The gas will pollute the air around New York City and might affect the Hudson River water.
When such an attack is launched in a system as expansive as the New York City subway system, a number of activities need to be realized to assist in containing the situation. A first, every station will need to have their own communication base where all communication to the commuters and workers will be initiated. The security heads at every base will need radios and protective gear. Two at each station will be enough to ensure seamless communication. This will require 936 radios. The personnel will also need protective gear to protect them from the dangerous gases. Since the subway transit system is very expansive, help will be sought from the Emergency Operation Center (EOC) to augment the one the subway system operates.
The blast will render the whole transit system dark. This will require many flashlights to keep the darkness at bay and save as many casualties as possible. The flashlights will be provided from the store and a further consignment will be secured from the surrounding shops retail stores. Gas masks will also be required to help those who are still alive. They will be provided by EOC. The ventilation system will be increased by burrowing holes through the walls of the subway system to bring in fresh air and save more people.
References
History. (2015, June). New York City subway opens – Oct 27, 1904. Retrieved from http://www. history. com/this-day-in-history/new-york-city-subway-opens
Itzkowitz, L. (2014, October). The NYC Subway – History Facts And Secrets. Retrieved from http://www. thrillist. com/entertainment/new-york/the-nyc-subway-history-facts-and-secrets