Access Control
& Security Systems

CNN.com has published an analysis of how well the nation's 30 largest cities are prepared to handle major catastrophes. A panel of six law enforcement, security/terrorism and emergency management experts evaluated the cities and found that many are better prepared for disasters than they were before the Sept. 11 attacks. However, analysts found that improvements still need to be made in the areas of public health, emergency response, evacuation planning and inter-agency communication.

New York averaged the highest score. The lone knock against New York from the CNN.com analysis came in the transportation category, where experts cited the potential for gridlock -- a factor in getting responders to the scene as well as transporting the injured and ill to medical facilities.

Several other large cities also didn't fare well under transportation -- notably Boston, Philadelphia and Detroit. They were not as strong as New York in the other categories and, along with Las Vegas, Milwaukee and New Orleans, were found less prepared by the panel than other large cites.

According to a National League of Cities survey, 83 percent of cities with a population of more than 100,000 have terrorism prevention and response plans. Of those, 66 percent intend to reassess their plans in light of September 11.

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