Terror attacks on the nation's food supply present a distinct set of challenges for the risk communicator.

1. Risk communication
during terror attacks*
Rusty Cawley, APR | TheColdCrisis.com
* Condensed from the National Center for Food Protection and Defense’s
“Risk Communicator Training for Food Defense Preparedness, Response &
Recovery,” module 2, topic 3.

2. Natural disasters vs. terror attacks
Natural disasters
• Acts of God
– Hurricanes, floods,
earthquakes, fires
• Usually have a well-defined
beginning and end
• Sensory cues
– Where is the danger?
– Where is safety?
Terror attacks
• Acts of man
– CBRNE (chemical, biological,
radiological, nuclear,
explosive)
– Food defense focuses on
chemical and biological
• Ill-defined beginning and
end
• Few sensory cues

3. Public response to terror attacks
• Unique emotional
responses
– Who is doing this?
– Why are they doing this?
– Will they do it again?
– Am I the next victim?

4. Sources of outrage from terror attacks
• Artificiality
• Unfamiliarity
• Lack of control
• Involuntary exposure
• Effects on children,
elderly and other
innocents
• Risk to future
generations
• Lack of response
• Over-assurances
• Media attention
• Previous attacks and
vulnerabilities
• Delayed effects
• Lack of information
• Irreversible effects

5. Challenges posed by food-based terror
• Long fuse, slow burn
– Contamination may
continue for days or
weeks
• Even a hoax can
undermine trust and
trigger over-reaction
• Many unknowns lead to
major uncertainty

6. Conflicting goals
Terrorism
• To undermine
public trust in
legitimate authority
by attacking critical
infrastructures
– Uncertainty
– Outrage
• Fear
• Anger
Risk communication
• Reduce the
uncertainty
• Help people
manage their
outrage

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