Landlords and property managers, whether you know it or not, you have been recruited as soldiers for the war on terrorism. You have a duty to your tenants, your insurance company and your country to fight terrorism. Shirking that responsibility could result in jail, fines and/or civil damages.

Landlords and property managers now realize that they are potentially vulnerable to attack from a well-organized, well-financed and determined enemy. In the aftermath of 9/11, security and terrorism have been central concerns for many of us.

These issues were brought directly to landlords in May of 2002 when the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force issued a warning that terrorists may be targeting apartment buildings for future attacks. Eleven of the nineteen September 11 hijackers were tenants of apartments. The al-Qaida handbook specifically mentions apartments as ideal hiding places and potential targets because of their light security.

Many landlords know exactly what to do if a pipe leaks or a lock is broken. But few know what to do if a terrorist attack wiped out power, communication systems and HVAC and forced tenants to be quarantined inside their apartment complex.