Getting some video feeds from Vimeo, I stumbled into this short video about Urban Shield, which is a full-scale preparedness exercise held in the Bay Area and supported by the Department of Homeland Security. All first responders, from Police and SWAT units, to paramedics and Fire Departments are tested in how they respond to scenarios in an urban setting, where they are confronted with natural and man-made problems.

We do live in uncertain times, with growing urbanization of the world, more and more people are getting more concentrated in urban areas which demand more resources in terms of people, food,  infrastructure, employment, and basic services. With this concentration of people come unique problems which pose a lot of challenges to those who help in keeping order, safety, and ensure that the economies of urban centers continue humming. Even terrorists prefer attacking urban centers where they can make a big impact in one area to put their message of terror across.  Just imagine the Nairobi Mall attack in Kenya just recently, and the Mumbai terror shootings in November 2008.

There is always a question of such magnitude of attacks being possible in the United States. Indeed,  we do see that it is possible, given easier access to firearms in the country and more concentrated cities especially along the coastal areas. The USA boasts some of the biggest cities in the world --- New York City is the prime example as it has always been high in the list of terrorist to attack even after 9/11 due to its symbolism.

The answer to the question is always preparedness. Rather than be caught unprepared, many first responder units in many major cities across the US conduct their "Urban Shield" to test how they can respond to such situations like a terrorist attack whether via mass shootings, bombing, chemical attack, and destroying infrastructure. Thus, we see SWAT Units assaulting train coaches with airsoft guns to rescue hostages and subdue or kill the terrorists who are comprised of actors. Fire Departments and Paramedics responding to accidents with Hazmat units checking chemical or radiation levels to find out if these are dangerous to both responders and civilians.

In the Vimeo video, we also see people protesting about such large scale exercises, with the Occupy Movement leading such protests. Please do take an open mind with such opposition as they also have valid concerns that authorities need to answer for, such as the militarization of the Police and the allocation of resources to such expensive exercises when money is needed to feed the hungry and shelter the homeless in the cities. The concern of the militarization of the police is evident in with Police units now sporting equipment only seen in military units and their responses are similar to military tactics, which are usually meant to kill rather than to preserve life. We will discuss further this concern of police preparedness in another feature story in light of people with airsoft guns getting shot by the police.

Now getting back to the airsoft-related aspect of Urban Shield. We see more and more airsoft use in armed response scenarios, making them more needed for training and preparedness purposes such as what Urban Shield intends to provide. Don’t let me drone on the benefits of using airsoft as compared to other "less lethal" alternatives, we have already established a long time ago that airsoft has more training benefits as it gives the most bang for the buck.

Indeed, it is better to be prepared for any eventuality. Urban Shield, even with the costs involved, is a good value proposition as the costs to being unprepared is much greater in magnitude. Just imagine being ill-prepared when terrorists strike, or a natural disaster such as an earthquake happens, and the Bay area is no stranger to one of the worst earthquake disasters in U.S. history. But authorities need to keep in mind that they also need to respond to the basic needs of people, who after all, build the cities.