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
- Terrorism is the illegal use of force against persons or property to intimidate the public or coerce a government.
- Domestic and international terrorists share a common purpose.
- Domestic terrorists are American citizens or nationals who use violence to try to influence federal policy.
- International terrorists are not citizens of the government, they are attacking through the use of violence to try to influence governmental policies.
- 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.
- Awareness level
- Operations level
- Technician level
- Weapons of mass destruction (WMD) are used to indiscriminately kill or maim large numbers of people at one time.
- The three major classifications of WMD are nuclear, biological, and chemical (NBC).
- Nuclear or radiological weapons
- 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
- Conventional bombs
- Biological agents
- Bacterial agents: anthrax, plague, glanders (animal to human)
- Viral agents: smallpox, ebola
- Biological toxins: botulism, ricin
- Chemical weapons
- Nerve agents: sarin
- Blister agents: mustard gas
- Blood agents: cyanide
- Choking agents: chlorine gas, phosgene gas
- Irritating agents: tear gas, pepper spray, riot gas
- 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.
- Emergency operations plan (EOP): interagency document assigning responsibilities to departments or organizations
- Federal response plan (FRP): federal emergency plan that can be activated when state and local authorities are overwhelmed
- The emergency response plan should outline additional resources that may be needed on scene of a terrorist incident.
- Preparedness, assisted by understanding possible threats, can aid in reducing threats.
- TRACEM: enumerates the hazards possible with terrorist attacks
- Thermal harm
- Radiation harm
- Asphyxiants
- Corrosive chemicals
- Etiologic
- Mechanical
- Self-protection for the EMT is based on three concepts: time, distance, and shielding.
- Time: tactical withdrawal—spend a minimum amount of time in the area
- Distance: withdrawal to a minimum safe distance based on the ERG
- Shielding: barrier devices
- 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