By Richard Gallia
Dispatch advises of a possible explosion, it’s unknown if it was a bomb or an accident. Everybody is rolling and the first unit off advises that the whole building has blown up, casualties are everywhere and he needs assistance. Fire and rescue are rolling, the Command Staff is en route. The area is an unbelievable scene. Bodies, wreckage and that all too familiar smell of death. Everybody: cops, firemen and citizens, jump into hero mode and start saving lives. It isn’t until now that the smell of death is accompanied by something more.
What is it? Why is his chest hurting?
It’s a chemical agent and everyone exposed starts dying. Sounds like a scene out of a movie! Until the chemical/biological agents part, what I described was the Oklahoma bombing. Had chemical agents been included with the Oklahoma bomb the first responding units to the scene could have been wiped out. Gary Marrs, Chief of Oklahoma Fire Department stated, “Local Fire and Emergency Service Agencies are neither trained nor equipped to deal with a chemical, biological or nuclear terrorist incident.”
In March, 1995 twelve Japanese commuters were killed and over 500 more were hospitalized when a Japanese Cult (Aum Shinrikyo) released Sarin Nerve Gas into a Tokyo subway system. A 1995 New York City test designed to study the city’s ability to deal with poison in the subway system showed that more than 100 of the first responders could have been killed.
Sarin Nerve Gas appears to be a favorite among terrorists. Its presence has been felt around the world including the Gulf War. Severe poisoning symptoms include a reduced level of consciousness, miosis, respiratory difficulty and paralysis. Minor symptoms include headache, dizziness, nausea, chest pains and abdominal pains.
The Pentagon considers the threat serious enough that it is training firefighters, police and emergency crews on how to recognize the presents of chemical weapons. The program which will start in 27 cities is already underway in Denver, Colorado. The program will train the responding units on how to limit the exposure until specialized units arrive. Emergency officials fear that first responders may spread the contamination by moving and treating casualties before help arrives.
Some large U.S. cities such as Chicago, New York and Los Angeles have teams trained to respond to hazardous materials including chemical agents. The Department of Defense can also be contacted for help in preparing your response teams to deal with this type of incident. It is important to realize that this type of domestic terrorism is becoming more of a threat to all law enforcement agencies, large and small. These “terrorist” have already targeted response teams. In a bombing attack on an Atlanta abortion clinic, six law enforcement officials and reporters were injured when a 2nd bomb, intended for rescue personnel, exploded.
Where and when the next attack on first responders will occur is anyone’s guess. Taking into account the type of targets usually attacked (federal buildings, newspapers, banks and clinics) it could very well happen in your community.