First responders are those elements of law enforcement, fire and rescue, emergency medical services, and national security personnel including military units who respond to emergency calls of service. In this paper, the maritime terrorist threat is introduced and an updated status of the U.S. government's response to the threat through organizational change is documented. Some of the more recent changes within the U.S. Coast Guard that affect the nation's posture against maritime terrorism are presented. A list of some of the first responders and supporting organizations to a maritime security incident is provided. A plausible incident scenario is used to illustrate the resulting flow of information and the need to rapidly disseminate data to the first responders to help them be both safe and effective.
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