R

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RD needs for the protection of first responders
against catastrophic terror attacks

• F. STEINHÄUSLER
• Div. of Physics and Biophysics
• University of Salzburg

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Topics

• Risk due to international terrorism
• Interdisciplinary risk management
• RD needs for risk minimisation

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1. Risk due to international terrorism
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Peter GRIDLING, Head,Counter-Terrorism Unit,
EUROPOL, Sept. 2002

• It is now only a matter of time before the
  offer meets the demand in such lethal substances
  (i.e., for nuclear material). Possibly the
  question is not if, but when the first attempt
  will occur

Div.of Physics Biophysics
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The war on terrorism is not over. It is just
the beginning. And unfortunately we must prepare
for the worst to come.

• Jim LEACH,
• Chairman,
• Asia-Pacific and International Terrorism
  Subcommittees,
• Washington, D.C.,
• October 23, 2003

Div.of Physics Biophysics
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In Germany we have an Islamic scene which is
willing to carry out such (catastrophic) terror
attacks

• August HANNING,
• President,
• Bundesnachrichtendienst,
• Germany,
• 21 Nov. 2003

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1. Muslim jihadists are increasing in both
number and geographic dispersion2. New
jihadists networks and cells are increasingly
likely to emerge3. Veteran foreign jihadists
might focus their efforts on operations outside
Iraq

• US National Intelligence Estimate
• April 2006
• consensus of 16 US intelligence agencies

Div.of Physics Biophysics
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New Dimension of TerrorCatastrophic Terrorism
(CT)

• Suicide terrorism
• Weapons of mass killing
• Weapons of mass destruction
• Parallel attack on IT system
• Intentional environmental contamination

Total energy release 50 trucks with TNT
Div.of Physics Biophysics
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Increasing brutalitySuicide terrorism

• Period 2000-2003
• No. of suicide attacks 354
• No. of persons killed
• 3 125
• Increasing no. of first responders among victims

Div.of Physics Biophysics
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2. Interdisciplinary risk management
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Main risks for first responders due to
catastrophic terrorismCBRNE IT

• Chemical (Sarin)
• Biological (Anthrax)
• Radiological (Dirty Bomb)
• Nuclear (Crude device)
• Explosive (Truck bomb)
• Information Technology (Cyber-attack)

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3. FE Needs for Risk Minimisation

• NATO - Emergency Preparedness After a Major
  Terror Attack (2006)
• EU Ass. of the Vulnerabilities of Modern
  Societies to Terrorist Acts (2004)

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EU First Responders and CBRNEIT

• Military special units will arrive after 12 hours
  
• No uniform recommendations about decontamination
  procedures for first responders
• Slow/complicated/costly sampling procedures
• EU-Average

Div.of Physics Biophysics
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EU-Emergency management and CBRNEIT

• No common operational concept
• No standardised CBRNE-training
• Outdated training material (e-learning,
  3D-simulation)

Div.of Physics Biophysics
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CBRNEIT Scenarios

• Only few terror scenarios have been modelled
  sufficiently (no data on concentration, dose, no.
  different casualties, etc)
• No sensitivity analysis for most terror attack
  modelling
• No account for 2nd and 3rd order effects

Div.of Physics Biophysics
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Secondary effects of CBRNE terror attacks

• Inadequate data on socio-economic effects of
  society under attack
• No training of first responders on psychological
  stress in view of mass killings

Div.of Physics Biophysics
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B-Terror and the EU

• No early warning system
• Inadequate detection methods for agro-terror
  attack
• Moderate degree of automated measuring methods

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CBRNE-personal protection equipment (PPE) for
first responders

• Inadequate PPE for medical professionals
• Inadequate PPE for public servants
• Inadequate cooling capability
• Inadequate communication capabilities
• Inadequate gas masks for special tasks

Div.of Physics Biophysics
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There is no little nuclear weapon...
Div.of Physics Biophysics
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Failure of first responders...
Div.of Physics Biophysics
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E mailfriedrich.steinhaeusler_at_sbg.ac.at
Div.of Physics Biophysics