Table 1.
The questions queried about the volunteers’ knowledge, attitude, and the preparedness of respective organization about bioterrorist attacks
| The question | No (%) | Yes (%) |
|---|---|---|
| Knowledge | ||
| 1- Are you familiar with bioterrorism threats (biological disasters)? | 111 (62.5) | 9 (7.5) |
| 2- Are you familiar with causative and pathogenic bioterrorism agents? | 114 (95.0) | 6 (5.0) |
| 3- Are you familiar with diagnostic and therapeutic methods at the event of encountering bioterrorism agents? | 120 (100) | 0 (0.0) |
| 4- Do you believe the central upper management is partly responsible for the lack of education and consequently lack of intervention in urgent biological disasters? | 45 (35.0) | 75 (62.5) |
| Attitude | ||
| 1- Are you committed to staying at work at the event of a bioterrorist or biological attack? | 113 (94.2) | 7 (5.8) |
| 2- Do you tend to care and treat the probable victims at the event of a bioterrorist or biological attack? | 117 (97.5) | 3 (20.5) |
| 3- Do you tend to cooperate with your respective organization in biological defense (anti-bioterrorism) plans? | 115 (95.8) | 5 (4.2) |
| 4- If the personal protective clothing and complete isolation equipment are supplied, do you tend to work (able to take a role) in the area contaminated with pathogenic agent? | 108 (90) | 12 (10) |
| 5- Do you tend to participate in workshops and conferences related with bioterrorism? | 104 (86.7) | 16 (13.3) |
| 6- Do you tend to pass university courses or in-service training courses with the content of anti-bioterrorism defense? | 117 (97.5) | 3 (2.5) |
| Organization preparation | ||
| 1- Has your organization held retraining workshops and seminars in the field of biological defense and bioterrorism? | 100 (100) | 0 (0.0) |
| 2- Has a recorded and official instruction, proclamation, or training course been explained on how to intervene in biological and bioterrorist attacks? | 118 (98.3) | 2 (1.7) |
| 3- Does the organization you serve, provide the required financial supports for you at the time of encountering biological and bioterrorist attacks? | 119 (99.2) | 1 (0.8) |
| 4- Does the organization you serve, consider your worries and concerns about the security of yourself and your family at the time of facing biological and bioterrorist attacks? | 110 (91.7) | 10 (8.3) |
| 5- Does the central organization (in Tehran) consider your concerns and needs at the time of educational and strategic planning for preparedness against bioterrorist attacks? | 97 (80.8) | 23 (19.2) |
| 6- Do you believe material and spiritual encouragements by the upper management are necessary for better performance (quantitatively and qualitatively) at the event of bioterrorist attacks? | 95 (79.2) | 25 (20.8) |
| 7- What is your general attitude toward the preparedness level of relief and intervention teams at the event of a biological emergency? | 120 (100) | 0 (0.0) |
| 8- Do you have the required preparedness to be sent out to the zone of crisis if you are needed at the event of a biological attack in any part of the country? | 114 (95.0) | 6 (5.0) |