CBRNE ARCHIVES
The Need for Community Public Safety UAS Programs
Charles L. Werner
June 20, 2018
Unmanned aircraft systems (UAS/drones) offer great value for public safety, with support and guidance needed at the local, state, and national levels when considering such systems. UAS offer a profound new view and situational awareness of significant incidents, events, and disasters. This article describes the value of UAS and provides
Aiding the Response to Fentanyl With Portable Equipment
Philip Tackett
June 13, 2018
Illegal manufacturing of fentanyl continues to rise and, with it, the dangers of clandestine drug laboratories to responders. Dangerous crime scenes like these are not limited to any one location. Responders everywhere need to prepare to encounter them at any point. Portable gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC/MS) equipment can help
Averting Disaster – A Multi-Tier Approach
Catherine L. Feinman
May 30, 2018
Disasters can take many forms – naturally occurring like a volcanic eruption or solar flare, human-caused like a terrorist attack or radioactive material release, or technological like a cyberattack or data breech. Although a specific threat or hazard may be unavoidable, whether it eventually becomes a “disaster” is not a
Detecting & Preventing Nuclear/Radioactive Materials
Ian Pleet
May 16, 2018
This case study from a 2015 deployment to the U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) Combined Arms Training Center (CATC) Camp in Fuji, Japan, demonstrates effective ways to detect and prevent unwanted nuclear and radioactive materials from being brought aboard an overseas USMC installation. The author was deployed as the emergency manager
Cascading Consequences: Electrical Grid Critical Infrastructure Vulnerability
George H. Baker and Stephen Volandt
May 9, 2018
If there were a prolonged nationwide, multi-week or multi-month power failure, neither the federal government nor any state, local, tribal, or territorial government – acting alone or in concert – would be able to execute an effective response. This bleak outlook results from understanding that so many critical infrastructures depend
White Paper: Orthogonal Detection Can Help Save Firefighters Lives in the Overhaul Stage ofOperations
Domestic Preparedness
May 9, 2018
Building materials, furnishings, paints, plastics, and electronics found in today’s buildings have the potential to burn or decompose into acutely and chronically acting toxic gases and vapors. Studies have validated that toxic gases and vapors are not just present during suppression activities but also during the overhaul and investigation stages.
CBRNE Weapons & Islamic State – A Bad Combination
Richard Schoeberl
April 25, 2018
The recent developments concerning the nerve agent attack in the United Kingdom and their alleged country of origin, Russia, have raised fears in the international community. The ease of the attack raises concerns about terrorists utilizing similar methods. This raises questions about the likelihood of a similar attack against
The Key to Saving Lives in CBRNE Events
Bobby Baker Jr.
March 28, 2018
In January 2018, in New York City, a group of professionals – representing entities including the Department of Homeland Security, private contractors, hazardous materials/weapons of mass destruction (hazmat/WMD), law enforcement officers, and intelligence experts – gathered to discuss the emerging threats to U.S. passenger rail service. Not only are these
Emerging Threats to Rail Infrastructure: Part II, Passenger
Catherine L. Feinman
March 28, 2018
With millions of passengers travelling each day by rail and subway in the United States alone, the passenger rail industry and the communities they serve are faced with difficult safety and security challenges – from equipment failures to terrorist attacks. A whole community approach is needed to address these
Roles in Disaster – Completing the Chain
Catherine L. Feinman
March 28, 2018
A passenger train derails in an urban community. Whether caused by intentional or unintentional factors, this incident would have consequences that go well beyond the rail company and the passengers traveling in these fated rail cars. Surrounding companies and communities would be affected, hazardous materials may be a threat, critical
Historical Argument for Hardening Facilities
Michael E. Gray
March 14, 2018
People’s lives were changed forever on Tuesday, 11 September 2001. At the time of the 9/11 attacks, airport security was primarily focused on threats from guns and explosives. There was little worry about knives or sharp instruments. Even when detected at checkpoints, they were not often considered dangerous. Closing this
User Guide for Responder-Driven Technology Development
Ann Lesperance and Richard Ozanich
March 7, 2018
With new technology coming to market at a record pace, it can be difficult to know whether products are reliable, durable, and secure enough to make the nation’s emergency management professionals safer, better connected, and fully aware. The market is flooded with tools and capabilities that may be of benefit
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