Question:

You are a research analyst for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The department has received credible intelligence from the NSA, FBI, and Department of Defense that Al Qaeda is planning a biological attack using smallpox against Los Angeles, CA. Although the dispersal method is unknown, it is believed the most likely method will be airborne, through a populated shopping mall's ventilation system. The lax security at these locations, coupled with a wide social and economic population sampling, will make identifying victims and stopping the spread of the disease difficult.

The intelligence indicates that the attack is scheduled to occur within 7-10 days.

Your department has been tasked with reviewing historical incidents of smallpox, including academic assessments of its use as a biological agent for terrorism. Use the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's smallpox Web site as a guide to available resources and current planning (CDC Smallpox Information). With these tools, develop a communication plan that addresses the following:

Assignment Guidelines

Revise and amend your Week 4 Key Assignment by adding what you learned in the Discussion Board posts following the task, as well as taking into consideration your instructor's comments.

Address the following with regard to the above information, and add your responses to your Key Assignment final draft:

Provide an overview of the threat (disease characteristics).

How can mass hysteria be prevented within the population?

What should the federal government share with the state, and can this information be controlled?

What should the federal government share with the city, and how can this information be controlled?

What should the federal government share with the nation?

When should information be disseminated to each recipient (state, city, and nation)?

What should be the characteristics of this information''s release to the public (consider medium, frequency, and timeliness)?

Be sure to reference all sources using APA style.

Professor comment regarding week 4 assignment and how to revise it:

. Provide a brief summary of the event.
. What psychological impacts will most likely be present
 - at the local level? Explain
 - at the national level? Explain.
. What could be the social impacts? Explain.
 - Consider that the attack has significantly affected a major form of public transit for a major city.
. What could be the economic impacts? Explain.
 - Consider consumer confidence and impacts to businesses.
. How would the government respond to the attack? Explain.
 -  How would the government address the psychological, social, and economic impacts? Explain.
 -  Consider immediate, short-term, and long-term impacts

Edmond this is pretty good work. Your paper attempts to addresses all the listed requirements in listed above. The paper reads well and flows logically.
.
Opportunities for improvement: There is however, a significant area for improvement. This was to be a comprehensive white paper--but your paper reads more like an opinion piece. Though your information is solid, it is not substantiated or supported by references or citations. In fact, you do not have one citaton in the entire paper. .
Additional Comments: Excellent work!.