14.4 Managing Large Interdiction Efforts
159
PRDs, a few dozen will be equipped with backpack detectors, a dozen Tier 2 responders might have hand-held RIIDs, and another dozen will be in vehicles (automobiles, helicopters, and boats) carrying large-volume scintillation detectors. The
remaining 40–50 personnel will be staffing portal monitors, monitoring communications, dispatching Tier 2 responders to help adjudicate alarms, running replacement
detectors to fixed locations, monitoring data and mapping displays, and all of the
other minor tasks that help those in the field to work effectively. In addition, for a
major event, the State and Federal governments (in the US) might send personnel
and equipment as well, which will need to be coordinated with the local resources
to minimize overlapping efforts.
A single interdiction effort might stretch across an entire city if the event being
covered is a marathon or a large parade, it might last for days or weeks if it is to
cover an extended event such as a sport championship series or a major international
conference, it might be limited to a relatively small area for a very controversial
event, or any of a number of other possible situations. Every scenario will call for a
different level of effort and a unique disposition of the available resources aimed at
ensuring the security of a particular event in a specific location and that takes place
in the social and political climate of that time.
One of the key stations during an interdiction is the data display—a single location
showing the readings from all of the instruments, fixed and mobile, deployed in the
field. The person(s) monitoring this display might be the only person with a coherent
view of radiological conditions through the monitored area, who can not only review
alarms as they occur, but who can also see which areas might require additional
resources or more careful attention. The subject matter expert (SME) will likely not
have the authority to dispatch additional resources as needed; if not then the SME
will need to make recommendations to the event commander or other command
staff as appropriate, who can give the appropriate directions to personnel in the field
(Fig. 14.5).
For an event of any complexity the commander will be well-advised to appoint a
command staff to attend to the details while the commander maintains a high-level
view of the entire event, similar to that which is established during response to fires
and similar emergencies [2]. This command staff might include a radiological expert
to interpret the data as it is collected and transmitted from field locations and to act
as a subject matter expert, a health and safety officer (especially on very cold or hot
days, and particularly when personnel are wearing body armor), a logistics officer
to ensure that necessary personnel and equipment are available, liaisons with other
levels of government, and so forth. In addition to helping the commander maintain
an appropriate span of control, in the event that an attack takes place this will also
provide the basis for the incident command structure that will be needed to manage
the initial emergency response efforts. Figure 14.6 shows one example of such a
command structure.
159
PRDs, a few dozen will be equipped with backpack detectors, a dozen Tier 2 responders might have hand-held RIIDs, and another dozen will be in vehicles (automobiles, helicopters, and boats) carrying large-volume scintillation detectors. The
remaining 40–50 personnel will be staffing portal monitors, monitoring communications, dispatching Tier 2 responders to help adjudicate alarms, running replacement
detectors to fixed locations, monitoring data and mapping displays, and all of the
other minor tasks that help those in the field to work effectively. In addition, for a
major event, the State and Federal governments (in the US) might send personnel
and equipment as well, which will need to be coordinated with the local resources
to minimize overlapping efforts.
A single interdiction effort might stretch across an entire city if the event being
covered is a marathon or a large parade, it might last for days or weeks if it is to
cover an extended event such as a sport championship series or a major international
conference, it might be limited to a relatively small area for a very controversial
event, or any of a number of other possible situations. Every scenario will call for a
different level of effort and a unique disposition of the available resources aimed at
ensuring the security of a particular event in a specific location and that takes place
in the social and political climate of that time.
One of the key stations during an interdiction is the data display—a single location
showing the readings from all of the instruments, fixed and mobile, deployed in the
field. The person(s) monitoring this display might be the only person with a coherent
view of radiological conditions through the monitored area, who can not only review
alarms as they occur, but who can also see which areas might require additional
resources or more careful attention. The subject matter expert (SME) will likely not
have the authority to dispatch additional resources as needed; if not then the SME
will need to make recommendations to the event commander or other command
staff as appropriate, who can give the appropriate directions to personnel in the field
(Fig. 14.5).
For an event of any complexity the commander will be well-advised to appoint a
command staff to attend to the details while the commander maintains a high-level
view of the entire event, similar to that which is established during response to fires
and similar emergencies [2]. This command staff might include a radiological expert
to interpret the data as it is collected and transmitted from field locations and to act
as a subject matter expert, a health and safety officer (especially on very cold or hot
days, and particularly when personnel are wearing body armor), a logistics officer
to ensure that necessary personnel and equipment are available, liaisons with other
levels of government, and so forth. In addition to helping the commander maintain
an appropriate span of control, in the event that an attack takes place this will also
provide the basis for the incident command structure that will be needed to manage
the initial emergency response efforts. Figure 14.6 shows one example of such a
command structure.