Transcript Chapter 30

Chapter 7
Terrorism
Awareness
Introduction
• There is a potential for terrorism in this
country
• Must remain in the thoughts of
firefighters
• Other incidents are occurring on a
regular basis
• This chapter looks at:
– Terrorism
– Hazardous materials crimes
– Other potentially dangerous criminal
situations
7.2
Figure 7-2 A truck bomb caused the devastation
in the Oklahoma City bombing in which 167
people were killed and 759 injured. The damage
extended several blocks in each direction, and
300 buildings were damaged. Fatalities occurred
in 14 separate buildings. (Courtesy of John
O’Connell)
7.3
Types of Terrorism
• Divided into two distinct areas:
– Foreign based
– Domestic
• FBI defines terrorism as:
– Violent act or an act dangerous to human life
in violation of the criminal laws of the United
States or any segment to intimidate or
coerce a government, the civilian population,
or any segment thereof, in furtherance of
political or social objectives
7.4
Determining if a Threat is
Credible
• The thought process for determining if a
threat is credible or not has five
elements:
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Terrorist’s educational ability
Ability to obtain the raw materials
Ability to manufacture the devices
Ability to disseminate the agents
Motivation
• If a person has several of these
capabilities, the credibility factor is
increased
7.5
Potential Targets
• Exist throughout every community
– Commercial buildings
– High-rise buildings
– Residential homes
• Some buildings that could be targeted:
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FBI buildings
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms
Internal Revenue Service
Military installations
Social Security buildings
7.6
Figure 7-3 Any location is a potential target for
a terrorist. Any location where large numbers of
people are present, such as a mall or sports
event, is a prime target.
7.7
Figure 7-4 Other than special events, the
most common location where large numbers
of people are together is at sporting events.
At this stadium, if an incident were to occur,
more than 50,000 people could become part
of the incident.
7.8
Indicators of Terrorism
• Most common device is the pipe bomb
• Any suspicious package should be
suspected
• Presence of chemicals or lab equipment
in an unusual location
• Intentional release of chemicals into a
building or environment
• Smelling unusual odors or seeing vapor
cloud
7.9
Figure 7-5 The most common explosive
device is a pipe bomb, and it is very effective.
It is a very dangerous device, not only for
responders but for the builder as well.
7.10
Hazardous Materials
Crimes
• Clandestine labs for illicit production is
on the rise
• One big exposure issue for emergency
responders is drug related
– Chemicals are toxic and flammable
• Most common situation where
responders are directly affected by drug
use is when a person is huffing
– After inhaling the gas from a paper bag, the
vapors remain in the room
7.11
Clandestine Labs
• Biological weapons labs can run unattended
without any major concern
– Can be shut down without major consequences
• Drug, explosives, or chemical labs should only be
shut down by someone qualified to do so
• Drug labs moving eastward
– Drug labs found in homes, barns, hotels, storage
units
– Shutting down a drug lab is complicated and
dangerous
• Explosives and terrorism agent labs are less
common
7.12
Figure 7-7 Methamphetamine lab seizures
across the United States. Note the high
number of labs in the Midwest. In years past,
the largest numbers of lab seizures occurred in
the West. The prevalence of
methamphetamine labs is moving eastward at
a fast pace.
7.13
Incident Actions
• A terrorist incident combines four types
of emergency response into a large
incident
• IC will have enormous responsibilities:
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Mass casualties
Crime, terrorism, or just an emergency?
Massive response from federal government
Who is in charge?
Evidence preservation
• Cooperative effort is needed
7.14
General Groupings of
Warfare Agents
• Terrorists could use a number of
possible warfare agents:
– Weapons of mass destruction
– Nuclear, biological, and chemical (NBC)
– Chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear,
and explosive (CBRNE)
• Military has devised a naming system
for many of these agents
7.15
Nerve Agents
• Related to organophosphorus
pesticides:
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Tabun
Sarin
Soman
V agent
• In order to kill large numbers of people,
dissemination device must function
properly
– All military warfare agents have vapor
pressure less than water
– Not a large hazard unless touched
7.16
Incendiary Agents
• Most commonly used chemicals
are flammables and combustible
liquids
• Most common is the Molotov
cocktail
• Arsonists use a mixture of
chemicals to create fast, hightemperature fires
– Usually oxidizers
7.17
Blister (Vesicants)
• Commonly called blister agents
• Includes chemical compounds
called:
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Mustard
Distilled mustard
Nitrogen mustard
Lewisite
• Used to incapacitate enemy
• Biggest threat from skin contact
7.18
Blood and Choking
Agents
• Blood agents include:
– Hydrogen cyanide
– Cyanogen chloride
• Choking agents include:
– Chlorine
– Phosgene
• Release of chlorine from a 90-ton railcar
would result in several hundred
thousand deaths
• Small amounts of chlorine can be
deadly or cause panic
7.19
Irritants (Riot Control)
• Most commonly used:
– Mace
– Pepper spray
– Tear gas
• Often impacts a large number of
people
• Not extremely toxic
– Symptoms disappear after 15 – 20
minutes of exposure to fresh air
7.20
Biological Agents and
Toxins
• Some of the materials:
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Anthrax
Mycotoxins
Smallpox
Plague
Tularemia
Ricin
• Easiest for terrorists to make
7.21
Radioactive Agents
• Two types of radiation events:
– Nuclear detonation
– Radiological dispersion devices (RDDs)
• Nuclear detonation is unlikely
• RDD threat is more probable
– Radiological materials attached to
conventional bomb
– Pharmaceutical grade radioactive material
attached to pipe bomb
– Strength of radiation source dictates how
harmful RDD would be
7.22
Other Terrorism Agents
• Many common industrial or household
materials can be just as deadly
– Pipe bomb with ricin
– Moving truck filled with ammonium nitrate
and fuel oil
• About 3,000 small bombings occur each
year
– Kill an average of 32 people
– Injure 277 people each year
7.23
Detection of Terrorism
Agents
• Confirmation that terrorist agents have
been used is difficult
• Detection of terrorism agents addresses
three major categories of hazards:
– Chemical agents
– Radiological materials
– Biological agents
• Many devices detect chemical warfare
agents
7.24
Figure 7-10 This detection device
has the capability to detect chemical
warfare agents such as sarin nerve
agent and several toxic industrial
chemicals.
7.25
Federal Assistance
• Federal government has established roles and
responsibilities in the event of terrorism
– PDD 39
– FBI is lead agency during emergency
– FEMA leads when incident is no longer an
emergency
• FBI Hazardous Materials Response Unit
(HMRU)
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Terrorist incidents
Incidents involving explosives
Drug labs
Environmental crimes
7.26
Lessons Learned
• Within a community, there are multiple
agencies that respond to a terrorist
attack
– Coordination is difficult
• Responders should wear all PPE
• Be aware of potential secondary
devices
• Scenarios involve tremendous loss of
life
• Evidence collection is challenging
7.27