Integrated Rapid Visual Screening of Tunnels. Buildings and Infrastructure Protection Series

摘要

Since the events of September 11, 2001, government officials, law enforcement, the design community, transportation specialists, and first responders have understood that the risk environment has changed and that the Nation's critical assets must be protected. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has identified transportation infrastructure as a Critical Infrastructure and Key Resource (CIKR) Sector. DHS has sponsored the development of a methodology for assessing the risk and resilience of tunnels to terrorist attacks and selected natural hazards. The methodology, referred to as the integrated rapid visual screening (IRVS) for tunnels, was developed by the DHS Science and Technology Directorate (DHS S&T), Infrastructure Protection and Disaster Management Division, in partnership with the Risk Assessment Division of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). TSA is currently adopting the IRVS of mass transit stations to enhance its risk assessment of transportation systems throughout the country. The following were also involved in the development and testing of the methodology for the IRVS of mass transit stations: Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority; Port Authority of New York and New Jersey; and private-sector stakeholders involved in the design, operation, and management of critical infrastructure. The result of an IRVS of tunnels is a quantifiable assessment of the risk of a given tunnel to a terrorist attack or natural disaster that leads to catastrophic losses (fatalities, injuries, damage, or business interruption) and a quantifiable assessment of the resiliency of the tunnel (ability to recovery from such an event).