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15 Initial Emergency Response Efforts
attacks against American embassies in Tanzania and Kenya, as well as its attacks
against both World Trade Center buildings, the Pentagon, and the thwarted attack
against (presumably) the White House on September 11, 2001. Other terrorist
attacks around the world have also included secondary devices set with the purpose
of injuring of killing emergency responders and/or members of the public in the
aftermath of an initial attack as described above.
For this reason, many law enforcement and military groups will quickly move
to conduct careful searches of areas in the vicinity of an attack as well as somewhat further afield to search for secondary explosives as well as jamming cell phone
frequencies to try to block that method of activating explosive devices. These sweeps
can be performed by any personnel who have been trained to recognize explosive
devices, but anything that is found should be investigated by trained bomb technicians to determine what has been found and (if necessary) to remove or to render
the device(s) safe. Areas checked should include chokepoints into and out of the
area attacked, areas where the public congregates, and likely emergency responder
command and staging areas.
Snipers and gunmen pose an additional threat to emergency responders and the
public, so another aspect of force protection should involve searching for and neutralizing this threat. Such efforts can include establishing counter-sniper positions on
rooftops and other elevated locations in the vicinity of the scene of the attack, the
Command Post, chokepoints, and other areas where people congregate; they can
also include actively searching (visually, with metal detectors, and/or via thermal
imaging) the crowd for persons with weapons; thermal imaging, explosive trace
detection, and dogs can be used to search for persons with explosives at the same
time. Helicopters (if available) can also be used to search rooftops, bridge towers,
and other elevated locations for adversary snipers.
If responders are free of worry about snipers and secondary explosives then they
can give their undivided attention to the response efforts. In addition, they might be
able to remove ballistic (bullet-proof) vests, which can be heavy, hot, bulky, and can
hinder movement and response efforts. Thus, force protection not only helps to safeguard the public and emergency responders, but can help the responders themselves
to work more effectively.
15.5 Radiation Safety at the Crime Scene(s)
The area where an explosion occurs is a crime scene—in the “First 100 min” document DHS recommends that the Incident Commander designate the area within 20 m
of the detonation point to be a part of the crime scene. But the scene of the attack is
likely not the only crime scene—any location where radioactive materials were stolen,
stored, or made into the weapon; any location in which explosives were fabricated or
stockpiled; any locations where waste from the bomb lab was disposed…these are all
locations that bear investigation and that might become additional crime scenes. All
of these locations must be investigated, and investigators must take care to remain
15 Initial Emergency Response Efforts
attacks against American embassies in Tanzania and Kenya, as well as its attacks
against both World Trade Center buildings, the Pentagon, and the thwarted attack
against (presumably) the White House on September 11, 2001. Other terrorist
attacks around the world have also included secondary devices set with the purpose
of injuring of killing emergency responders and/or members of the public in the
aftermath of an initial attack as described above.
For this reason, many law enforcement and military groups will quickly move
to conduct careful searches of areas in the vicinity of an attack as well as somewhat further afield to search for secondary explosives as well as jamming cell phone
frequencies to try to block that method of activating explosive devices. These sweeps
can be performed by any personnel who have been trained to recognize explosive
devices, but anything that is found should be investigated by trained bomb technicians to determine what has been found and (if necessary) to remove or to render
the device(s) safe. Areas checked should include chokepoints into and out of the
area attacked, areas where the public congregates, and likely emergency responder
command and staging areas.
Snipers and gunmen pose an additional threat to emergency responders and the
public, so another aspect of force protection should involve searching for and neutralizing this threat. Such efforts can include establishing counter-sniper positions on
rooftops and other elevated locations in the vicinity of the scene of the attack, the
Command Post, chokepoints, and other areas where people congregate; they can
also include actively searching (visually, with metal detectors, and/or via thermal
imaging) the crowd for persons with weapons; thermal imaging, explosive trace
detection, and dogs can be used to search for persons with explosives at the same
time. Helicopters (if available) can also be used to search rooftops, bridge towers,
and other elevated locations for adversary snipers.
If responders are free of worry about snipers and secondary explosives then they
can give their undivided attention to the response efforts. In addition, they might be
able to remove ballistic (bullet-proof) vests, which can be heavy, hot, bulky, and can
hinder movement and response efforts. Thus, force protection not only helps to safeguard the public and emergency responders, but can help the responders themselves
to work more effectively.
15.5 Radiation Safety at the Crime Scene(s)
The area where an explosion occurs is a crime scene—in the “First 100 min” document DHS recommends that the Incident Commander designate the area within 20 m
of the detonation point to be a part of the crime scene. But the scene of the attack is
likely not the only crime scene—any location where radioactive materials were stolen,
stored, or made into the weapon; any location in which explosives were fabricated or
stockpiled; any locations where waste from the bomb lab was disposed…these are all
locations that bear investigation and that might become additional crime scenes. All
of these locations must be investigated, and investigators must take care to remain