Emergency Response to Terrorism TC: Hazardous Materials

1. Emergency Response to Terrorism TC: Hazardous Materials Unit 8: Conclusion

2. Terminal Objective • The students will be able to identify key resources available to their communities in the emergency response to terrorism.

3. Enabling Objectives The students will: • Identify the advantages of haz mat and bomb squad interaction. • Identify several actions that could improve a community’s preparation for the Federal response to a terrorist incident. • Identify several ways the responders can help the medical community prepare for response to a terrorist incident. • Explain the steps for activating a Federal response.

4. Introduction • Terrorist incidents will initiate a massive Federal response. • Management of response may be overwhelming. • Prepare by establishing relationships now. • Improve everyday response by preparing with these partners.

5. Haz Mat and Bomb Squad • Must work together. • Bomb squad may have only one or two people on duty. • Difficult for bomb tech to get dressed in a bomb suit; principles are the same as PPE; haz mat responders can help. • Principles for command, entry, and safety are the same as haz mat.

6. Police and Fire Interface • Haz mat is a good point of interface. • Many areas to work out ahead of time, approach to: • Isolation • Evacuation • Setting up equipment • PPE • Robots and bomb trailers

7. Bomb Tech Training • Train bomb tech to haz mat tech level. • Useful in explosion/chemical incident. • Some equipment could be used in common. • Approximately 70 percent of incidents are explosive in nature.

8. Bomb Tech Training (cont'd) • Discuss levels of PPE and explosive devices prior to the incident. • Diverse opinions regarding levels of PPE exist within haz mat teams and bomb techs.

9. Hospital System • Include it in your plan. • Identify decon centers. • Personnel need to be trained to handle haz mat patients. • Strive for hospital self-sufficiency. • Hospitals could become overwhelmed easily by numbers.

10. Other Health Care Providers • Include other categories of emergency providers in your plans. • Probably not tied into the routine emergency response, but in a large incident they will get many victims. • Establish method of notification with them.

11. Others: Local and State • Environmental agencies • Health departments • Police • Transportation, rail, and Federal police if they are responsible for targets in your community

12. Local Emergency Management Agency • Can activate EOC • Notify and coordinate outside resources • Key player in restoration and recovery • Should be included early in an incident • Potential funding

13. State or Joint Response • State emergency management agency • State environmental agencies • State police • National Guard

14. Federal Response • Can be hours away • Logistical concerns • Responders still rescue the sick and injured • Initial tactical decisions will be from local emergency response community

15. Federal Resources Overview • FBI HMRU • TEU • USMC CBIRF • FEMA USAR • MMRS • ATF and Secret Service • NEST

16. FBI HMRU • Provides haz mat support for terrorism • Resources of the evidence response force and lab • Responds to large-scale events • Evidence collection and processing • Technical resource for 1st responders

17. FBI HMRU (cont'd) • Risk assessment, triage, treatment, and transport handled locally • Can perform from street tests up to lab analysis

18. FBI HMRU Responds Worldwide for: • Escorting • Rendering safe • Disposing • Sampling • Verification • Mitigating hazards • Identifying weaponized and nonweaponized chemical, biological, and haz matagents

19. Technical Escort Unit (TEU) • Located at Aberdeen Proving Grounds, MD • Routinely handles warfare agents for research agencies • Serves as a chemical/biological emergency response force

20. TEU Responds Worldwide for: • Escorting • Rendering safe • Disposing • Sampling • Verification • Mitigating hazards • Identifying weaponized and nonweaponized chemical, biological, and haz matagents

21. TEU’s RTAP • Real Time Analytical Platform vehicle • Has gas chromatograph to measure nerve and mustard agents • Sample analysis in 10 minutes • Set up for the chemicals it expects to encounter, self-contained

22. Marine CBIRF • Trained and equipped to counter chemical/biological terrorist threat • Located at Indian Head, MD • Responds worldwide upon request • Can assist local jurisdiction • Five self-contained specialty areas

23. CBIRF Assistance • Initial relief efforts • Security and area isolation • Detection and identification • Decon • Expert medical advice • Equipment

24. Activation of Resources • Procedure outlined in your jurisdiction’s emergency plan • Local and State emergency must have been declared • State must declare a disaster before Federal resources follow • Local process needs to be streamlined

25. Other Local Routes to the Federal Resources • Local jurisdictions can request some military units by phone. • Local FBI can be notified and can elect to recommend Federal assistance.

26. Summary • Get to know your Federal representatives before a crisis. • Cooperate in planning with your local bomb squad and medical emergency facilities. • Know how to get a Federal response and whom to look to for help, but be aware of the delay.

27. Final Exam 1. In a response to a potential terrorism incident, haz mat responders should Think outside the box Respond in a conventional manner Respond in a safe, effective, and efficient manner, using detection, protection, and science.