Basics of Weapons of Mass Destruction : Basics of Weapons of Mass Destruction
What are WMD?1 : What are WMD?1 Any destructive device including any explosive, incendiary, or poison gas
Any weapon that is designed or intended to cause death or bodily injury through the release, dissemination, or impact of toxic or poisonous chemicals, or their precursors
Any weapon involving a disease organism, or
Any weapon that is designed to release radiation or radioactivity at a level dangerous to human life 1. 18 USC Sections 2332a and 921(a)(4)(A)
What is a CBRNE Incident? : What is a CBRNE Incident? CBRNE - Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, Explosive
Deliberate or unintentional events
Potential to produce catastrophic loss of life or property or strike terror in the affected population
Differences Between WMD Incidents and Other Incidents1 : Differences Between WMD Incidents and Other Incidents1 Situation may not be recognizable until there are multiple casualties
There may be multiple events
Responders are placed at a higher risk of becoming casualties
The location of the incident will be treated as a crime scene
Contamination of critical facilities and large geographic areas may result 1. FEMA: Concept of Operations Plan – Situation, www.fema.gov/rrr/conplan/conpln3b.shtm
Differences Between WMD Incidents and Other Incidents1 : Scope of the incident may expand geometrically and may affect mutual aid jurisdictions
There will be a stronger reaction from the public than with other types of incidents
Time is working against responding elements
Support facilities are at risk as targets
Specialized State and local response capabilities may be overwhelmed 1. FEMA: Concept of Operations Plan – Situation, www.fema.gov/rrr/conplan/conpln3b.shtm Differences Between WMD Incidents and Other Incidents1
Types of Terrorist Threats to Transportation Facilities : Types of Terrorist Threats to Transportation Facilities Structural/functional damage/destruction resulting from portable, truck-or boat-borne explosives and fire damage
Casualties from blast or fire
System shutdown via exposure and contamination from biological and/or chemical WMD, e.g., introduced through tunnel vents
Collateral damage to other lifelines, e.g., telecommunications, power, and pipelines carried along bridges or tunnels
CBRNE Characteristics : CBRNE Characteristics
Chemical Agents : Chemical Agents Intended to kill, seriously injure, or incapacitate people through physiological effects
Incidents demand immediate reaction from emergency responders
Can be introduced through aerosol devices, breaking containers, or covert dissemination
Types of Chemical Agents : Types of Chemical Agents
Characteristics of an Incident Involving a Chemical Agent : Characteristics of an Incident Involving a Chemical Agent Effects mostly local to release site but may be distributed beyond release site by wind and contamination
Area may be marked by unusual clouds, haze, mist, odors, tastes, droplets, etc.
May be persistent in environment
Indicators of Possible Chemical Agent Use : Indicators of Possible Chemical Agent Use Stated threat to release a chemical agent
Initial unexplained casualties and illnesses
Unusual liquid, spray or vapor
Suspicious devices or packages
Biological Agents : Biological Agents Recognition of a biological hazard can occur through identification of a credible threat, discovery of bioterrorism evidence, diagnosis, and detection
Delay between exposure and onset of illness
Victims may serve as carriers of the disease with the capability of infecting others
Could affect agricultural commodities over a large area
Types of Biological Agents : Types of Biological Agents
Characteristics of an Incident Involving a Biological Agent : Characteristics of an Incident Involving a Biological Agent Immediate effects mostly local to release but may be expanded distribution through human transmittal
Possible persistence in environment
Possible geographic contamination
Indicators of Possible Biological Agent Use : Indicators of Possible Biological Agent Use Stated threat to release a biological agent
Initial unexplained deaths and illness possibly beginning a day or more after an incident
Unusual occurrence of dead or dying animals
Unusual casualties
Unusual liquid, spray or vapor
Radiological Agents/Nuclear Weapons : Radiological Agents/Nuclear Weapons An attack may be difficult to detect - the presence of radioactive material may or may not be obvious
Different devices may be used to launch an attack:
Improvised Nuclear Device (IND)
Radiological Dispersal Device (RDD)
Simple RDD
Types of Nuclear Radiation Emitted From Radioactive Materials : Types of Nuclear Radiation Emitted From Radioactive Materials Alpha Radiation
Internal hazard
Beta Radiation
Slight or Internal hazard
Gamma Radiation
Acute hazard Graphic reproduced from FEMA/USFA/NFA-ERT:SS, “Emergency Response to Terrorism Self-Study”, June 1999
Indicators of Possible Radiological Agent/Nuclear Weapon Use (e.g., dispersion of radioactive material by non-nuclear explosion or pressurized gas, nuclear detonation with radioactive fallout) : Indicators of Possible Radiological Agent/Nuclear Weapon Use (e.g., dispersion of radioactive material by non-nuclear explosion or pressurized gas, nuclear detonation with radioactive fallout) A stated threat to deploy a nuclear or radiological device
Unexplained deaths and illness
The presence of nuclear or radiological equipment (e.g., spent fuel canisters or nuclear transport vehicles)
Nuclear placards or warning materials along with otherwise unexplained casualties
Characteristics of an Incident Involving a Radiological Agent or Nuclear Weapon : Characteristics of an Incident Involving a Radiological Agent or Nuclear Weapon Effects mostly local to release but may be some distribution via, e.g, wind beyond release site
Persistence in environment
Geographic contamination
Extensive radioactive fallout
Radioactive poisoning of foodstuffs, water sources and long-term illnesses
Large-scale infrastructure destruction
Conventional explosive used for dispersal may cause additional effects and explosions
Conventional Explosive Devices : Conventional Explosive Devices Easiest to obtain and use
May be used to cause massive local destruction or to disperse chemical, biological or radiological agents
Characterized as being explosive or incendiary, employing high or low filler explosive materials to explode and/or cause fires
High Explosives : High Explosives RDX
ANFO (Ammonium nitrate fuel oil solution)
Potassium Chlorate
Nitrostarch Explosives
Picric Acid (Tri-Nitro-Phenol)
Ammonium Picrate (Explosive-D)
Lead Azide
Dynamite
Relative Destructive Forces of Explosives : Relative Destructive Forces of Explosives
Indicators of Use of Conventional Explosive Devices (e.g., detonation of military type or commercial bombs, such as fuel, oil-fertilizer, etc.) : Indicators of Use of Conventional Explosive Devices (e.g., detonation of military type or commercial bombs, such as fuel, oil-fertilizer, etc.) Explosions
Casualties
Various types of localized blast damage up to structural collapse
Exposure to dust and hazardous building materials, e.g., asbestos
Types of Explosive Weapon Threats to Highway Assets : Types of Explosive Weapon Threats to Highway Assets Portable, hand-placed charges placed on or near structures, e.g., 100 pounds of C4
Vehicle or boat-borne explosives, e.g., 4,000 pounds of explosives of fertilizer/oil mix (ANFO)
Up to 60,000 pounds of explosive delivered in a semi-trailer or boats of various sizes
Vehicle Bomb Explosion Effects : Vehicle Bomb Explosion Effects Source: Federal Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms Agency website
Combined Hazards : Combined Hazards WMD agents can be combined to achieve a synergistic effect
Mixed infections or intoxications may occur
Casualties may suffer from multiple effects
Potential exists for multiple incidents in single or multiple municipalities
Initial Detection of a WMD Terrorist Attack : Initial Detection of a WMD Terrorist Attack Will likely occur at the local level by either first responders or private entities
State and local health departments and local emergency first responders will identify unusual symptoms and symptom patterns
First responders must be protected from the hazard
Investigation and Containment of Hazards : Investigation and Containment of Hazards The proper local, State and Federal authorities capable of dealing with and containing the hazard should be alerted to a suspected WMD attack after State or local health departments recognize the occurrence of unusual or unknown symptoms
Federal Response : Federal Response FEMA is authorized to support the DOJ until the Attorney General transfers the overall lead role to FEMA
FEMA is designated as the lead agency for consequence management within the U.S. and its territories
Federal response will include experts in the identification, containment, and recovery of WMD
Resources : Resources “Guide for All-Hazard Emergency Operations Planning”, State and Local Guide (101), Chapter 6, Attachment G- Terrorism, FEMA, April 2001
“Emergency Response to Terrorism, Self-Study”, FEMA/USFA/NFA-ERT:SS, June 1999
“Surface Transportation Vulnerability Assessment”, U.S. DOT, RSPA, Volpe Center, Oct. 25, 2001
“A Guide to Highway Vulnerability Assessment for Critical Asset Identification and Protection”, http://security.transportation.org/community/security/guides.html
FEMA: Concept of Operations Plan – Situation, www.fema.gov/rrr/conplan/conpln3b.shtm
Various other WMD related websites