WMDTERRORISM AWARENESS

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WMD/TERRORISMAWARENESS

• Program developed by
• Marc Rudder
• KCTCS-State Fire/Rescue Training
• Area 13 Coordinator

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OBJECTIVES

• Define terrorism.
• Define weapons of mass destruction.
• Describe WMD tactics and targets.
• Describe terror incidents in the United States.
• Describe types of weapons of mass destruction.

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WHAT IS TERRORISM?

• Terrorism can be described as the unlawful use of
  violence or threats of violence to intimidate or
  coerce a government, the civilian population, or
  any segment thereof, to further political or
  social objectives.
• CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS 28 CFR SECTION 0.85

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ULTIMATE GOAL

• To produce feelings of terror in a population or
  group.

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FBI CLASSIFICATION OF TERRORISM

• DOMESTIC Acts are committed within the United
  States by individuals of groups that operate
  entirely within the US and are not influenced by
  any foreign interests.
• INTERNATIONAL Includes any acts that transcend
  international boundaries.

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WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION/WMD

• Devices used by terrorist which can cause maximum
  damage to property or people.

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WMD TACTICS

• Terrorists aim to instill fear and panic among
  the general population and to disrupt daily ways
  of life.
• Choose method of attack that will make the
  desired statement or achieve maximum results.

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WMD TARGETS

• SYMBOLIC TARGETS
• Places of Worship
• Embassy
• Monument
• Prominent Government Building

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WMD TARGETS

• SIGNIFICANT TARGETS TO THE TERRORISTS CAUSE
• Example Economic Turmoil
• Interfere with transportation, trade, or commerce.

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WMD TARGETS

• CIVILIAN TARGETS
• Arenas and Stadiums
• Airports
• Schools
• Shopping Malls
• Theme Parks

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WMD TARGETS

• CYBERTERRORISM TARGETS
• Banking and Finance Computer Systems
• Business Computer Systems
• Court Computer Systems
• Government Computer Systems
• Law Enforcement Computer Systems
• Military Computer Systems

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MAJOR INCIDENTS IN U.S.

• SEPTEMBER 1984 Dalles, Oregon
• To influence local elections, a religious sect
  spread Salmonella on salad bars in four
  restaurants. The result was 750 cases of
  Salmonella.
• February 1993 New York City
• A large explosive device was detonated in a van
  parked in the underground storage area of the
  World Trade Center. The result was six workers
  killed and more than 1000 injured.

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MAJOR INCIDENTS IN U.S. (CONT.)

• APRIL 1995 OKLAHOMA CITY, OK
• The Alfred E. Murrah Federal Building was
  demolished by a truck bomb that also killed 167
  people.
• 1978-1995 UNITED STATES
• Over a period of 17 years, the Unabomber
  (Theodore Kaczynski) mailed at least 16 packages
  containing explosives to university professors,
  corporate executives, and other targeted
  individuals. These attacks killed 3 individuals
  and injured 23 others.

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MAJOR INCIDENTS IN U.S. (CONT.)

• JULY 1996 ATLANTA, GEORGIA
• A pipe bomb exploded in Centennial Olympic Park,
  killing one person and injuring 111 others.
• JANUARY 1997 ATLANTA, GEORGIA
• Following the bombing of an abortion clinic in
  suburban Atlanta, a secondary device exploded,
  wounding several emergency responders. A month
  later, another secondary device was found and
  disarmed at the scene of a bombing at a gay
  nightclub in Atlanta.

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MAJOR INCIDENTS IN U.S. (CONT.)

• JANUARY 1998 BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA
• A bomb killed a police officer who was providing
  security at an abortion clinic.
• OCTOBER 1998 VAIL, COLORADO
• Arson destroyed eight buildings at a ski resort.
  An extremist environmental group opposed to
  expansion of the resort claimed responsibility.

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MAJOR INCIDENTS IN U.S. (CONT.)

• SEPTEMBER 11, 2001 NEW YORK CITY/WASHINGTON
  D.C./PENNSYLVANIA
• Terrorists hijacked four commercial jets. Two
  were flown into the World Trade Center, one
  struck the Pentagon, and the fourth crashed into
  a field in rural Pennsylvania. More than 3000
  people died in the various incidents.
• FALL 2001 UNITED STATES
• Five people died after letters containing anthrax
  virus were sent to various locations in the
  eastern United States.

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EXAMPLES OF WMD WEAPONS

• Chemical
• Biological
• Radiological
• Conventional Weapons
• Explosives and Incendiary Devices

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CHEMICAL WEAPONS

• CHOKING AGENT Chlorine, Cyanide
• NERVE AGENT Tabun (GA), Soman (GD),
• Sarin (GB), V-agent (VX)
• BLISTER AGENT Sulfur Mustard, Lewisite
• PULMONARY AGENT Phosgene, Chlorine
• METABOLIC AGENT Cyanide

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BIOLOGICAL AGENT

• ANTHRAX Infectious disease caused by the
  bacterium Bacillus anthracis
• PLAGUE Infectious disease caused by the
  bacterium Yersinia pestis which is commonly found
  on rodents
• SMALLPOX Highly infectious disease caused by
  the virus Variola

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RADIOLOGICAL

• Radioactive materials release energy in the form
  of electromagnetic waves or energy particles.
• In recent years, the radiation dispersal device
  or dirty bomb has emerged as a source of
  serious concern in terms of terrorism. This
  would involve packing a radiation source around a
  conventional explosive device to contaminate a
  wide area.

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RADIOLOGICAL (CONT.)

• TYPES OF RADIATION
• ALPHA Quickly loses energy and a sheet of paper
  or clothing will stop these particles
• BETA More powerful will travel 10 to 15 feet.
  Metal, plastic, and glass can stop this type of
  energy.
• GAMMA Travels significant distances, penetrate
  most materials, and through the body. Concrete,
  earth, and lead (dense materials) will stop this
  type of energy.

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CONVENTIONAL WEAPONS

• GUNS
• KNIVES

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EXPLOSIVES AND INCENDIARY DEVICES

• AMMONIUM NITRATE FERTILIZER AND FUEL OIL (ANFO)
  Explosives that can be purchased prepared or can
  be home-made. Used in Oklahoma City bombing.
• IMPROVISED EXPLOSIVE DEVISE (IED) Any explosive
  devise that is fabricated from readily available
  materials.
• Pipe bomb
• Letter bomb
• Truckload of explosives

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EXPLOSIVE OR INCENDIARY DEVICE (CONT)

• INCENDIARY DEVICE A device or mechanism used to
  start a fire or explosion.
• Mol-a-tov cocktail

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HOMELAND SECURITY COLOR-CODED THREAT LEVEL SYSTEM

• SEVERE (Red) Severe risk of terrorist attacks.
• HIGH (Orange) High risk of terrorist attacks.
• ELEVATED (Yellow) Significant risk of terrorist
  attacks.
• GUARDED (BLUE) General risk of terrorist
  attacks.
• LOW (GREEN) Low risk of terrorist attacks.

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SUMMARY

• This presentation described Terrorism and WMD
  incidents.
• The following topics were covered
• WMD Tactics
• WMD Targets
• Terror Incidents (within the U.S.)
• Types of Weapons of Mass Destruction

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Material contained in presentation obtained from

• Abel, Chad, Michael Anderson, et al. Fundamentals
  of Fire Fighter Skills. 2nd ed. Sudbury, MA
  Jones and Bartlett, 2009. 894-915.