Introduction
Risk assessment is part of a management procedure that helps identify the health and safety of an organization or building. There is need to take sound measures to mitigate the occurrence of risks that may affect the organization. There are various reasonable steps that may be taken to avoid such risks and mitigate their effect on the state of an organization or building. The law requires that risk assessment procedures and steps are conducted as a means of mitigating the threats that may be as a result of diverse risks. There are numerous risks and hazards to consider when conducting risk assessments. Each risk needs to be analyzed because various possibilities and scenarios may occur depending on factors such as magnitude, location and timing. As a result, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, FEMA, developed a risk assessment guide that provides the procedures that may be used to mitigate attacks against buildings. The guide provides information on the methodology that can be used to secure a building against attacks in a clear and comprehensive manner. It gives an outline of the methods that can be used to identify the critical functions and assets of a building, identifying the threats to those functions and assessing the risks and how they will affect the building. The Empire State building is a major iconic building in the United States. Given the tendencies of terrorist to seek high profile targets for more casualties, the Empire State building is at risk of a terrorist attack. An attack on the building would lead to potential loss of many lives, general panic and world attention to the capabilities of the terrorists. This paper will consist of explanations to each step of mitigating the risk of a potential terrorist attack and how it related to the Empire State building. The steps will include threat identification, asset value assessment, vulnerability assessment, risk assessment, and the available mitigation options.
Threat Identification and Rating
The risk being assessed is terrorist attacks on the Empire State Building. The threat is the individuals or groups (FEMA , 2005) that are capable of attacking such a huge iconic building in the United States, one of the largest powers in the world. The threat is identified through the history of terrorism in the country, expressed intentions on such an attack, and available information that suggests a looming threat to the building. The information collected will provide a way forwards as to the potential aggressors who may want to launch a terrorist attack on the building. Based on the history of the United States, and New York, the empire state building has over the years been named among the top list of buildings that are likely to go through terrorist attacks. In 2007, a terrorist organization known as al-Qaeda was said to have a likelihood of destroying the iconic building and creating mass casualties in a planned attack. Further, in earlier years, 1997, the building went under attack after an armed 69-year-old man opened fire on the observation deck of the building. The gunman managed to injure approximately six persons and took the life of one citizen. In addition to this, a group of Islamic terrorists announce an imminent attack on three buildings in New York and Chicago in 2015. The terror group expressed the chances of attacking the Empire State Building in New York, One World Trade Centre in New York and Willis Tower in Chicago, Illinois. The historical information suggests that the threat to the Empire State Building is Al-Qaeda, Al-Shabab and other Islamic terrorist groups that wish to harm the general population and government of the United States. Based on the past experiences, and the fact that the Empire State Building is the largest building in New York, and the second largest in America after Willis Tower in Chicago, it is rated among the top ten buildings that could face a terrorist attack in the United States of America. The rating is also associates to the fact that the building fits the profile of terrorists when it comes to the level of mass destruction and impact that they aim for.
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Assets Assessment Value
After the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Centre, security measures were beefed up at the Empire State Building as a result of terrorist threats against New York City. In 2002, the current president of the United States, Donald Trump, old his claim to the land of the Empire State Building Associates together with Yokoi. As such, it is clear that the building is worth more than the 57.5 million dollars that the land was sold for. In 2009, the building went renovations that cost approximately 550 million dollars. The building receives revenue from tourism and leasing office space. The largest amounts of revenue are received from its observational decks. The decks are located on the 86 th and 102 nd floors of the building. The decks generate a revenue of approximately 40% of the total revenue. The second largest revenue is majorly from the leasing of office space. The building has a leasing of 2.7 million square feet of office space. The rent accumulated from renting the office space provides for 37% of the generated profits of the building. In addition to this forms of revenue, the building also gets a large sum of money from tenant reimbursements. The reimbursements are for the offset and maintenance of impact inflation and from property taxes. The tenant reimbursement accounts for 13% of the revenue received by the building (Maxfield, 2015) . The fourth source of revenue from the building is the generation of licenses. The Empire State Building generates the licensing of the use of its broadcasting mast to television and radio broadcasters. The broadcasting mast licenses account for 7% of the total revenue gained from the building. In addition, the building also receives revenue from retailers. It leases its lower floors to retailers such as Starbucks and other retailers under contract with the building. The retail leases generate 3% of the total revenue of the building. The total amount of the different revenue generators amount to millions of dollars. The observatory deck generates 11m million; the office leases 104 million, the tenant reimbursements 35 million, the broadcasting licenses 20 million, and the retail leases 9 million dollars (Maxfield, 2015) . A terrorist attack on the building would mean the destruction of an asset that generates a large amount of revenue for New York and the United States.
The building is managed by the Empire State Realty Trust, which is a publicly traded company as of 2013 (Bullard, 2017) . The annual financial reported released by the organization provide the value of the asset and provides people with an opportunity to view its financial performance and assess the value of the building. The Empire State Realty Trust provides services such as responsive building management, unsurpassed quality services that have led to the success of the building. Despite the revenue contribution of the building, the building is a valuable and crucial asset to the history of the United States. It was named the tallest building in the world in earlier years. The building has been used as an icon to describe the city of New York. In 2007, a survey was conducted by the American Institutes of Architects, which ranked the Empire State Building as the most favourite building in the United States. In addition to this, the building has been considered as a world wonder in modern-day architecture. It is listed as a modern Civil Engineering Wonder in the modern world by the American Society of Civil Engineers. Its importance to the history of America has been seen in its inclusion in famous movies, video, games, TV shows, and books.
Vulnerability Assessment
This assessment provides the vulnerability of the asset, in this case, the Empire State Building. It is the first step towards determining the mitigation procedures to avoid loss or damage to the building. The assessment gives the probability of the risk occurring. Terrorists have a tendency of seeking high profile areas that will have a great impact upon any attack. The Empire State Building is vulnerable to terrorist attacks in so many ways. The building is an icon of the City of New York and the United States of America. It is frequented by many tourists from all over the world. The building is designed to be accessed by large numbers of people who wish to view the entire city of New York through the observation decks in the building. As a symbol of the nation, the Empire State Building is seen as a weak point for the downfall of the United States. An attack on such an icon would lead to the mistrust of people in the government to keep them safe. It will also mean the reduction of tourist visits in the country. The building is also a symbol of the economic strength that New York holds. It allows for the generation of revenue through various means as mentioned above. An attack on the Empire State Building would mean an attack on the economy since it has significant contributions to the economy. It is vulnerable to attacks as a result of the large body count and businesses that it would affect. Terrorist groups target areas whereby the consequences of their actions will lead to grave destruction and loss of lives. An attack would cause panic and fear among the people and bring world attention to the terrorist group.
Risk Assessment
Risk assessment analyzes the threat, the asset value and the vulnerability of the building when a terrorist attack happens (Homeland Security , 2011) . It looks at the probability of occurrence of the risk. There is a very high likelihood of a terrorist attack on the Empire State Building with a large consequence. The likelihood of an attack is facilitated by the fact that it is the tallest building in New York. This means that a terrorist attack may be made from a flying plane that may crush through the building. There have been incidences in the past that have seen planes crush of miss the Empire State Building after mechanical problems. Such an incidence is the 1945 plane crash and the 1946 incidence that saw a plane miss the building, which led to fear by those who were at the observation decks. The building may also face an attack as a result of suicide boomers. Over the years, numerous cases have been recorded of suicide attempts. More than 30 people have attempted to take their lives through jumping from the high points of the building. The historical events are a clear indication that any person can access the floors which may be an opportunity for terrorists. There is also a high possibility of mass shootings in and around the building. The building has been vulnerable to shootings with various persons opening fire to the public. The building has witnessed the shooting of seven persons in the observation decks by a 68-year old man who killed one of the persons. In 2012, another 58-year old man opened fire at an employee of a building in the as a means of revenge. He had gotten fired a year before and took matters into his own hands. Given the past of the building, there is a high possibility that terrorists may use this means to enforce terror, destruction and death.
Mitigation Options
The fact that the Empire State Building has a high likelihood of an attack and a larger consequence of the events, the risks can be mitigated through the allocation of more resources to protect the icon. The protection of the building and those in it will require a large pool of funds that will be directed to the prevention of any terrorist attack. The resources may be used to acquire explosive detection devices, security cameras, bomb-sniffing dogs and the deployment of the police force around the building, in entrances, exists and all floors of the building. The explosive detection devices will allow for the identification of persons who might carry explosives into the building, whereas the bomb-sniffing dogs are trained to detect explosives carried by any man. The deployment of a police task force around the building allows for the suspicious detection activities that may lead to terrorist attacks. Furthermore, the existence of the officers at the entrance and in the building ensures that the terrorists contemplate on their choices. It also allows for early reporting of a terror incidence. Addition, the officers and security personnel of the Empire State Building can conduct thorough and random bag searches to keep people in the loop and allow for detection of bombers and other terrorists. The deployed officers and security personnel should be given roles of engaging themselves with tourists at the observation desks and observe events and individuals who carry suspicious-looking bags. The bags may be suspiciously placed at certain points in the room. These mitigation options will reduce or eliminate the chances of having a terror attack on the Empire State Building.
Conclusion
In the construction of a new building, various tools and techniques may be used by engineers and designers to mitigate various risks. For older buildings such as the Empire State Building, renovations may be done to ensure that the building meets all the required standards that alleviate different risks. In the case of a terror attack, it is essential for a building to lay down measures and steps that facilitate risk assessment of the building. The steps include the identification of the threat and its rating, the asset value assessment, the vulnerability assessment, the risk assessment, and the consideration of the mitigation options. The threat identified for the Empire State Building is Islamic groups, and the occurrence of the threat is rated as highly probable. The building is worth millions of dollars which can be identified through the revenue it generates. It has various factors that favour an attack such as the existence of different tourists, the fact that it is an icon of New York City, it is a pillar of the economy of the United States, and its destruction will lead to world recognition and show the capabilities of a terror group. Risk assessment procedures need to be carried out to identify the plans that need to be set in place to mitigate the risk. The plans are set to ensure the safety of the people and the protection of an iconic monument at the heart of New York. As a result, the mitigation efforts need to be funded with a larger pool of resources for the creation of tighter security measures.
References
Bullard, L. (2017). The Empire State Building. Lerner Publications.
FEMA . (2005). Risk Assessment: A How-to Guide to Mitigate Potential Terrorist Attacks Against Buildings. Department of Veterans Affairs.
Homeland Security. (2011). Reference Manual to Mitigate Potential Terrorist Attacks Against Buildings.
Maxfield, J. (2015). How the Empire State Building Makes Money.
