Unit 51Emergency Response to Terrorism

Instructor Resource Materials

National Education Standard: The Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) will demonstrate a simple depth and breadthof understanding of the risks and responsibilities of operating on the scene of a naturalor man-made disaster.

Unit 51, Handout 1

Student Outline

I.Introduction

II.Terrorism Defined

A.International versus Domestic Terrorism

III.Emergency Response to Terrorism

A.Levels of Training

IV.Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

A.Nuclear or Radiological Weapons

1.Personal Protection

2.Contamination versus Irradiation

B.Biological Weapons

C.Bacterial Agents

1.Viral Agents

2.Biological Toxins

D.Chemical Weapons

1.Nerve Agents

2.Blister Agents

3.Blood Agents

4.Choking Agents

5.Irritating Agents

V.Preparedness

A.Emergency Operations Plan

1.Emergency Responders and the EOP

B.Emergency Response

C.EOP Activation

D.Air Monitoring and Detection Devices

E.Self-Protection

F.Threat Reduction

1.Incidental Exposure to Nerve Agents

VI.Conclusion

Unit 51, Handout 2

Key Concepts Revisited

  1. Terrorism is the illegal use of force against persons or property to intimidate the public or coerce a government.
  2. Domestic and international terrorists share a common purpose.
  3. Domestic terrorists are American citizens or nationals who use violence to try to influence federal policy.
  4. International terrorists are not citizens of the government, they are attacking through the use of violence to try to influence governmental policies.
  5. EMTs must be trained to recognize the hallmarks of a terrorist attack, how to protect themselves from harm, and how to activate the emergency response plan.
  6. Awareness level
  7. Operations level
  8. Technician level
  9. Weapons of mass destruction (WMD) are used to indiscriminately kill or maim large numbers of people at one time.
  10. The three major classifications of WMD are nuclear, biological, and chemical (NBC).
  11. Nuclear or radiological weapons
  12. Nuclear dispersion device (NDD), a conventional explosive device used to disperse nuclear material or radioactive materials across a wide area, also known as dirty bombs
  13. Conventional bombs
  14. Biological agents
  15. Bacterial agents: anthrax, plague, glanders (animal to human)
  16. Viral agents: smallpox, ebola
  17. Biological toxins: botulism, ricin
  18. Chemical weapons
  19. Nerve agents: sarin
  20. Blister agents: mustard gas
  21. Blood agents: cyanide
  22. Choking agents: chlorine gas, phosgene gas
  23. Irritating agents: tear gas, pepper spray, riot gas
  24. The EMT must maintain a constant vigil for the presence of threats and plan for terrorist attacks by establishing and practicing an effective emergency response plan.
  25. Emergency operations plan (EOP): interagency document assigning responsibilities to departments or organizations
  26. Federal response plan (FRP): federal emergency plan that can be activated when state and local authorities are overwhelmed
  27. The emergency response plan should outline additional resources that may be needed on scene of a terrorist incident.
  28. Preparedness, assisted by understanding possible threats, can aid in reducing threats.
  29. TRACEM: enumerates the hazards possible with terrorist attacks
  30. Thermal harm
  31. Radiation harm
  32. Asphyxiants
  33. Corrosive chemicals
  34. Etiologic
  35. Mechanical
  36. Self-protection for the EMT is based on three concepts: time, distance, and shielding.
  37. Time: tactical withdrawal—spend a minimum amount of time in the area
  38. Distance: withdrawal to a minimum safe distance based on the ERG
  39. Shielding: barrier devices
  40. The EMT’s role is to communicate the nature of the incident and activate the emergency operations plan.

Unit 51, Handout 3

Key Terms

Awareness level

Biological agents

Chemical weapons

Coagulopathy

Domestic terrorist

Emergency Operations Plan (EOP)

Federal Response Plan (FRP)

Geiger counter

International terrorist

LACES

Nuclear Dispersion Device (NDD)

Radiation pager

Secondary device

SLUDGEM

Terrorism

TRACEM

Weapons of mass destruction (WMD)

Zoonotic

Chapter 10 EMS OperationsUnit 51Emergency Response to Terrorism