Center for Disease Control
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From: "Andrew D. Gable"

Alrighty, two more questions for a scenario I'm working on:

1. If, when a CDC quarantine is levied on an area, substantial numbers of non-U.S. citizens are present in said area, would we have grounds for an international incident of the sort DG would probably just as soon avoid?

2. In the case of an escape of prisoners from a federal penitentiary, would there be a question of jurisdiction? Would state/county/local police forces be called in, or would the escape be strictly a matter for the FBI?


From: "Elliot Rushing"

1. If, when a CDC quarantine is levied on an area […]

Not sure I understand your question here, but if there's a CDC quarantine in effect, I'd assume there'd be no exceptions based on nationality. Given proper circumstances, I'm sure such a scenario could quickly develop into an interesting international incident. ;)

2. In the case of an escape of prisoners from a federal penitentiary […]

We get a lot of jurisdiction questions on the list, so don't feel bad about it. A key concept in the US is concurrent jurisdiction. Often many agencies will have jurisdiction over a certain situation, and resolving "who's in charge" is rarely satisfied by flashing a federal badge. In reality, federal jurisdiction over a criminal situation is often tenuous at best (it *still* kills me to see Mulder and Scully fouling up state-law homicide crime scenes on a regular basis). ;)

In the situation you describe, it would depend on the individual fugitive, really. First off, FBI will have to jockey a position regarding the Federal Bureau of Prisons and the U.S. Marshals, who usually handle federal fugitives (the Marshals have their own task force for this, and the U.S. Marshals (in sharp contrast to the FBI) are renowned for working well with local agencies). If the fugitive is very dangerous, local or state agencies may get involved to the extent they can spare manpower, essentially using their superior knowledge of the local area to "flush" the fugitive so the task force can arrest him..

Often, there's a difference of opinion regarding how to address a fugitive. For example, we currently have a federal fugitive hiding out in the mountains of NC, a Rudolph subject. The feds (namely the FBI, as it's a domestic terrorism case) are determined to hunt him down, even after local agencies advised them that hunting a lone, highly-trained survivalist in several thousand acres of verdant mountain woodlands was really an exercise in futility that didn't merit the expense of manpower. The feds said "We'll do it without you, then."

Yeah, right. They're still looking. Eventually this fella will surface at a 7-11 and a local cop will arrest him. ;)


From: Graeme Price

1. If, when a CDC quarantine is levied on an area […]

[I'm not going to say anything on the second question, which was so ably - as always - dealt with by Elliott]

This is a kind of tricky question to answer. I guess it depends on where the non-US citizens are from, and what the reason given for the quarantine is. Most countries friendly to the US probably wouldn't object too much, depending on how good the cover story is. The most trouble will come from nations hostile to the US, who may suspect that the US authorities are harassing their citizens (which in fact they are: freedom of movement is supposed to be guaranteed under the international convention on human rights IIRC, and removing freedom of movement is exactly what a quarantine is all about). This will doubtless lead to movements in the United Nations and all sorts of diplomatic hassle.

Of course, it also depends on exactly _who_ is being quarantined. For example, take the case of fearless Soviet used-Zil limousine salesman ("Da! Ees bullet-proof, bombe-proof, ant does two kilometers per gallon of gasoline. Ant as a special zis month, I vill throw in ze free plough-towing hook. Nifty, Da?") Ivan Smithski. Now no one is really going to care if he is caught in a quarantine, so diplomatic efforts to get him out are going to be negligable. Now, if he is Ivan Smithski, Russian ambassador, then things are going to be a different story entirely. If she becomes Ivana Smithski, the mistress of the Russian foreign minister on an illicit viagra purchasing trip… expect all sorts of hell and brimstone!

It may also be important who is enforcing the quarantine, and how good a job they are doing of it. The CDC may _declare_ a quarantine, and supervise the technical aspects of it, but the manpower which will be needed to actually enforce it could be provided by the local sherriff's department, the national guard, or a divison of marines depending on the situation. If the quarantine is going badly (and troops open fire on fleeing civilians, as an extreme example) then everyone is going to be baying from blood - starting at the ACLU and working upwards via the UN, the Oval Office, and finally CNN (in that order of power!).

I guess it's entirely up to how difficult you want to make life for you players. On a related note, I'm toying with the idea of watching "Outbreak" on the TV tonight. I need a good laugh. [actually, the first hour isn't too bad, but when they start trying to find an 8" high monkey, so they can bleed it to produce the serum to heal the town… by infusing them with half-litre bags of the stuff! Well, I nearly chocked on my popcorn in the cinema].

And welcome to Carl Congdon. I'm sure you'll be quickly amazed by the sheer depravity and malice inherent in the thought processes of everybody on this list. Not that depravity and malice are bad things. :)

Goodness, who can he be talking about? We're all as innocent as the driven snow here… and no one is going to be able to find the witnesses to prove otherwise!!


From: The Man in Black

1. If, when a CDC quarantine is levied on an area […]

CDC has quarantined places in Latin America nad Africa. Most govts. aren't going to hassle CDC. After all, even the most incompetant dicatorship isn't stupid enough to mess with foreign civilian doctors trying to contain a public health disaster. Especially if they're backed up by American military consequences.

2. In the case of an escape of prisoners from a federal penitentiary […]

The Bureau of Prisons would not really involve the FBI, Fugitive Manhunts are under the authority of the US Marshal Service. USMS would call in every last warm body in their effort to penetrate every outhouse, henhouse, doghouse and dollhouse in a ten-miles radius.


From: Tenebrous Technologies

The Bureau of Prisons would not really involve the FBI, Fugitive Manhunts are under the authority of the US Marshal Service. USMS would call in every last warm body in their effort to penetrate every outhouse, henhouse, doghouse and dollhouse in a ten-miles radius.

I'd reckon that the USMS would call in the FBI or at the very least, local law enforcement if it went beyond that radius though. Not to mention turning there collectivie eyes to local media in the surrounding area. The Marshalls don't have the funding they used to, movies aside.

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