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Terrorism |
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August 2004
Produced by the National Disaster Education Coalition, Washington, D. C.
Terrorism
What is terrorism?
Terrorism is the use of force or violence against persons or property for the
purpose of intimidation, coercion, or
ransom. Terrorists often use violence and
threats
to create fear among the public, to try to convince people that their
government
is powerless
to prevent acts of terrorism, and to get immediate publicity for their causes.
Acts of terrorism can range from threats to actual assassinations, kidnappings,
airline hijackings, bomb scares, car bombs,
building explosions, mailings of
dangerous
materials, agroterrorism, computer-based attacks, and the use of chemical,
biological,
and
nuclear weapons—weapons of mass destruction (WMD).
Why talk about terrorism?
In addition to the natural and technological hazards described elsewhere in this
guide, people face threats of terrorism posed
by extremist groups, individuals,
and hostile
governments. Terrorists can be domestic or foreign, and their threats to people,
communities,
and the nation range from isolated acts of terrorism to acts of war.
High-risk terrorism targets include military and civilian government facilities,
international airports, large cities, and high-profile
landmarks. Terrorists
might
also target
large public gatherings, water and food supplies, utilities, and corporate centers.
They are
capable of spreading fear by sending explosives or chemical and biological agents
through
the mail.
Stay informed: know how you would receive alerts, warnings, and emergency
instructions.
Officials will provide alerts, warnings, and emergency instructions to the general
public, nearly always by radio and television.
Sirens, ringdown telephone systems, and other warning systems may also be used.
Broadcast stations (radio and television)
licensed by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) are required to participate
in the Emergency Alert System (EAS)
and broadcast warnings. Many cable television networks also carry emergency warnings
and instructions. NOAA Weather Radio
disseminates advisories, watches, and warnings through essentially the same radio
and television stations, as well as directly through
NOAA Weather Radio. In addition, many communities have specific sirens,
What is the Homeland Security Advisory System?
The Homeland Security Advisory System is a mechanism for disseminating information
about the current risk of terrorist acts to federal,
state, and local authorities
and,
through them and the media and to the public. The system provides graduated warnings—called
threat
conditions—that mandate increasing security measures as the risk of an
act of terrorism increases. Each threat condition triggers a
corresponding set
of protective measures
by federal departments and agencies to reduce vulnerability and increase response
capability,
including situation reports and, as appropriate, recommendations to states and
local governments.
You will be informed by local officials
if you need to take specific actions
where
you live and work.
Preparedness and Threat Conditions
Low (green): low risk of terrorist attacks
Guarded (blue): general risk of terrorist attacks
Elevated (yellow): significant risk of terrorist attacks
High (orange): high risk of terrorist attacks
Severe (red): severe risk of terrorist attacks
What is the best source of information in the event of a terrorist act?
In case of a terrorist act of any kind, you should pay close attention to official
instructions via radio, television, and whatever other means
of alert, warning,
and providing
instructions officials may use. In the immediate area of a terrorist act, officials
of the local police,
fire, and
other safety departments are the best sources of information and instructions.
What general precautions can I take in advance to protect myself
from a terrorist act?
Many of the steps you should take to prepare for the possibility of a terrorist
act are the same steps you should take to prepare for natural
or technological
disasters: Stay
Informed; Make a Family Disaster Plan and keep it up to date; assemble and maintain
a Disaster
Supplies Kit;
learn and practice evacuation and sheltering procedures; and prepare for any
special protective measures included in your plan.
Within the immediate area of a terrorist act, you would need to rely on police,
fire, and other officials for instructions. However, you can be
ready for terrorism
in much the
same way you would stay alert for other emergencies.
You should:
• Be aware of your surroundings.
• Move or leave if you feel uncomfortable or if something does not seem right.
• Be prepared to evacuate or to take shelter if officials instruct you to do so.
• Take precautions when traveling.
-Be aware of conspicuous or unusual behavior.
-Do not accept packages from strangers.
-Do not leave luggage unattended.
-Promptly report unusual behavior, suspicious or unattended packages, and strange
devices
to the police or security personnel.
• Learn where emergency exits are located in buildings you frequent. Plan how to
get out in the event of an emergency.
• Know the location and availability of hard hats in buildings in which you spend
a lot of time.
• Ask if your local radio and television stations participate in the Emergency
Alert System (EAS).
• Be prepared to do without services you normally depend on—electricity,
telephones, natural gas, gasoline pumps, cash registers,
ATMs, and Internet transactions.
• Work with apartment and office building owners to ensure that the following items
are located on each floor of the building:
-Portable, battery-operated radio and extra batteries
-Several flashlights and extra batteries
-First aid kit and manual
-Hard hats and dust masks
-Bright colored tape to rope off dangerous areas
To be prepared, no matter what the threat condition under the Homeland Security
Advisory System, you should:
• Learn what the five threat conditions mean, and make sure members of your household
know
too.
• Discuss with children their fears about terrorists, terrorist attacks, or other
hazards they may reveal as frightening to them.
• Update your Disaster Supplies Kit, emergency supplies for your vehicle, and Family
Disaster
Plan.
• Consider expanding your Family Disaster Plan by developing more detailed plans
for communications with household members
and out-of-area contacts.
• Choose the room your household would use to shelter-in-place for a short time.
Gather
and prepare the items needed to seal the room.
• Make sure you have appropriate supplies on hand.
• Plan for someone to take care of your pets, even evacuating them if necessary,
in case you are not home in an emergency but the pets are.
Make sure the person
is familiar with your pet, knows where the pet’s emergency kit is and to
take it along,
and knows how to reach you
so you can be reunited with your pet.
• Also choose the room or space for a tornado shelter and protection from radiation,
preferably
in the basement (See: “Wind Safe Room”),
or for
protection against a chemical agent, choose a room on a higher floor, preferably
an inner room most
easily sealed against outside air in
which to “Shelter-in-Place”.
• Learn what the plans are for each threat condition at your workplace, at your
children’s schools or daycare centers, or any other place
members of your
household spend
time.
• Check with school officials to determine their plans for an emergency and procedures
to reunite children with parents and caregivers.
• If you live in an apartment building, discuss with the building manager what
preparations management has made and exactly what you
should do during an emergency.
• If you have a mobility problem or other special need, make emergency plans for
warning,
evacuation, and shelter with your family, friends,
employer, co-workers,
and building manager.
• Contact your neighbors to discuss their plans and needs.
• Develop alternative routes to and from school, work, and other places to which
you routinely travel. Have all drivers in your household practice them.
• Learn your community’s public warning system. Learn what the warning signals
sound like and what you should do when you are notified.
• Keep informed by routinely listening to a local radio or television station.
• In addition to your Family Disaster Plan, be prepared with a disaster plan at
work, at school, or wherever you spend considerable time.
• Learn where emergency exits are located in buildings you frequent.
• Notice where exits are when you enter unfamiliar buildings.
• Plan how to get out of a building, subway, congested public area, or traffic
in an emergency.
• Notice where staircases are located.
• Notice heavy or breakable objects that could move, fall, or break in an explosion.
• Ensure that you and your family can continue functioning even if you cannot return
home by regularly updating the important
documents you keep in safe places inside
and outside your home. In your primary family vehicle, keep a copy of your Family
Disaster
Plan and copies of other items or information you would need if something were
to prevent you or other family members from returning
home for several days,
or
even longer. (Your Family Disaster Plan contains the phone numbers of family
members
and out-of-town
contacts; postal and email addresses; prescription numbers and
the
phone numbers of prescribing physicians.)
Employers:
• Make sure your workplace has a building evacuation plan that is regularly practiced.
• Take a critical look at your heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system
to determine if it is secure or if it could feasibly be upgraded to
better filter potential contaminants, and be sure you know how to turn it off
if you need to.
• Think about what to do if your employees cannot go home.
In response to elevated threat conditions under the Homeland Security Advisory
System:
• If the Homeland Security Advisory System threat condition is yellow (significant
risk):
-Be extra observant and report any suspicious activity to authorities.
• If the threat condition is orange (high risk), to the steps for yellow, add:
-Avoid high-profile or symbolic locations.
-Exercise caution when traveling.
-If a need is announced, donate blood at a designated blood collection center.
• If the threat condition is red (severe risk), to the steps for orange and yellow,
add:
-Follow official instructions about restrictions to normal activities.
-Contact your employer to determine whether or not to go to work.
-Avoid public gathering places, such as sports arenas, fairgrounds, theme parks,
or
other high-risk locations.
-Keep listening to a local radio or television station for possible warnings
or instructions.
-Prepare to shelter-in-place (see Shelter in Place) or evacuate if instructed
to
do
so
by officials.
SPECIFIC TYPES OF TERRORISM
What can I do to protect myself and my family from specific types of terrorism?
While there are general precautions you and your family can take to help prepare
for various types of disasters, many
protective measures, such as those that
follow,
are
addressed to one or more specific kinds of hazards and the nature
of the threats
they pose.
Shelter-in-place applies to different types of terrorist attacks, but details
vary. For example, you would use duct tape and
plastic sheeting to seal an internal
room against chemical
agents. For sheltering against radiation dispersed by a radiological
dispersion
device (RDD
or “dirty bomb”) or radioactive fallout particles after a nuclear
explosion, you would normally
prefer
a basement shelter to a higher floor; duct tape and plastic would help keep radioactive
dust out, but primary protection from
radioactive particles would be achieved
by applying the principles
of mass, distance, and time (see Factors for Protection
From Radioactive
Fallout).
Preparedness measures for the most commonly known and logically anticipated possibilities
are covered in the following sections.
I. BUILDING EXPLOSION
What can I do before a terrorist attack to protect myself and my family from
building
explosions?
The most common terrorist attacks, those that have caused the most casualties
and damage, have been explosions. Explosions can
collapse buildings and cause
fires.
If you live or work in a large
or multi-level building, or visit one frequently, you should:
• Know where emergency exits are located.
• Review and practice emergency evacuation procedures.
• Get training in first aid and CPR/AED. Contact your local chapter of
the
American Red Cross for information.
• Make sure that the following items are on your floor of the building and you
know where to find them:
-Fire extinguishers in working order. (Make sure you know how to use them.)
-A portable, battery-operated radio or television and extra, fresh batteries.
-Flashlights and extra, fresh batteries.
-Hard hats.
-First aid kit and first aid manual.
-Bright-colored tape to rope off dangerous areas.
If an Explosion Occurs at Work or in a Public Building, Sports Arena, or Stadium
• Leave the building as quickly as possible. Do not stop to retrieve anything or
to make phone calls.
• Take the stairs, not an elevator.
• If things are falling around you, get under a sturdy table or other object that
can shield you until they stop falling. Then leave
quickly, watching for weakened
floors
and stairs and falling debris as you exit.
• In an open arena or stadium without a dome, the open field may be the safest
place, however crowded, until things stop falling.
• If there is a fire, stay low to the floor and exit the building as quickly as
possible. (For further information, see “Fire, Residential.”)
If you are trapped by debris:
• Do not light a match.
• Do not move about or stir up dust.
• Cover your mouth with a densely woven handkerchief or clothing.
• Rhythmically tap on a pipe or wall so that rescuers can hear where you are.
• Use a whistle if one is available.
• Shout only as a last resort when you hear sounds and think someone will hear
you. Cover your mouth and nose with a handkerchief
or cloth instantly after each
shout
to prevent dust inhalation. Shouting can cause a person to inhale dangerous amounts
of dust.
II. CHEMICAL WEAPONS
What are chemical weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and what can I do to protect
myself
and my family?
Chemical agents are poisonous vapors, aerosols, liquids, and solids that have
toxic effects on people, animals, or plants. They can
be released by bombs or
sprayed from aircraft,
boats, and vehicles. They can be used as a liquid to create a hazard to people
and
the environment.
Some chemical agents may be odorless and tasteless. They can have an immediate
effect
(a few seconds to a few
minutes) or a delayed effect (2 to 48 hours). Chemical
agents
that are potentially lethal are difficult to deliver in lethal concentrations.
Outdoors,
the agents often dissipate rapidly. Chemical agents are also difficult to produce.
A chemical attack could come without warning. Signs of a chemical release include
people having difficulty breathing, experiencing
eye irritation, losing coordination,
becoming nauseous, or having a burning sensation in the nose, throat, and lungs.
Also, the presence
of many dead insects or birds may indicate a chemical agent release.
What to Do to Be Prepared for a Chemical Weapon
• Check your Disaster Supplies Kit to make sure you have available and ready to
use:
-A roll of duct tape (recommended thickness of 10 millimeters) and scissors.
-Plastic sheeting for doors, windows, and vents for the room in which you will
shelter-in-place.
To save critical time during an emergency,
pre-measure and pre-cut the plastic sheeting for each opening (recommended thickness
of 4 to
6 millimeters or greater).
• You may want to store these items that you would use to seal a room against chemical
agents
in the internal room selected as the
place to shelter-in-place.
• Choose an internal room to shelter in, preferably one without windows and on
the highest level.
• Pet owners should encourage local health authorities to have plans for people
and their pets to be decontaminated together, where
they can be treated quickly,
to prevent repeated cross-contamination.
How to Shelter-in-Place (Chemical Incident)
Note: The following information is for safety in the event of
a chemical incident. For information about where to go in the event
of a nuclear/radiological
incident (fallout shelter), see below.
Guidelines for sheltering-in-place are based on the need to shelter for only
a few hours— more than sufficient time for a short-term
release of airborne agents to dissipate. Ten square feet of floor space per person
will provide sufficient air to prevent
carbon dioxide
build-up for up to five hours, assuming each person is resting and breathing
at
a normal rate. The cloud
released by a terrorist’s chemical
weapon would have dissipated within three hours. However, local officials are
unlikely to recommend the public shelter
in
a sealed
room
for more than 2-3 hours because the effectiveness of such sheltering diminishes
with time
as the contaminated outside air gradually seeps
into the shelter. At this point, evacuation from the area is the better protective
action to take. In any event, follow instructions
from
local
officials, and ventilate the shelter when the emergency has passed to avoid breathing
contaminated
air still inside the shelter.
A shelter-in-place room should be an interior room, preferably one without windows,
that you can seal to block out air that may
be contaminated by the short-term
release
of hazardous chemical agents. The room should be above the ground-level floor.
In the
case
of a chemical threat, an above-ground location is preferable because some agents
are heavier
than air and may seep into
basements even if the windows are closed.
If officials advise people in a specific area to shelter-in-place because of
a short-term chemical release, households should
have the following in the shelter-in-place
room:
• Plastic sheeting pre-cut to fit room openings. (Cut the plastic a minimum of
6 inches wider than each opening. The thickness of the
plastic should be 4 to
6 millimeters
or greater.)
• Duct tape and scissors. (The thickness of the duct tape should be 10 millimeters
or greater.)
What to Do During a Chemical Attack
If you are instructed to shelter-in place in your home or office building, you
should:
• Close and lock all windows and exterior doors.
• Keep your pets with you, and have additional food, water, and cleaning supplies
for them.
• Turn off all ventilation, including furnaces, air conditioners, vents, and fans.
• Move to shelter in an internal room and take your Disaster Supplies Kit. Be sure
you have a working battery-powered radio.
• Seal the room with duct tape, plastic sheeting, and modeling clay. Use duct tape
with a minimum thickness of 10 millimeters and
pre-cut plastic sheeting with
a
thickness
of 4 to 6 millimeters or greater to seal all cracks around doors, windows, and
vents,
and all
wall plugs, switch plates, and cables. Use duct tape to seal around pipes and
to seal
off drains or other such openings.
• If you are told there is danger of explosion, close the window shades, blinds,
or curtains.
• Call your emergency contact. Ideally your room will have a hard-wired telephone.
Cellular
telephone service may be overwhelmed
or damaged during an emergency.
You will need a working phone if you have to report a life-threatening emergency.
• Keep listening to your radio or television until you are told all is safe or
you are told to evacuate. Local officials may call for
evacuation in specific
areas at greatest
risk in your community.
At home:
• Close the fireplace damper.
• Bring your pets with you, and be sure to bring additional food and water for
them.
• Keep pets under your direct control. If you have to evacuate, you will not lose
time trying to find them.
• Have plenty of plastic bags and newspapers (puppy training pads are also useful
for this), as well as containers and cleaning supplies
to deal with pet waste.
If you are caught in an unprotected area, you should:
• Move away immediately.
• Get upwind of the contaminated area.
• Find shelter as quickly as possible.
What to Do After a Chemical Attack
Decontamination is needed within minutes of exposure to minimize health consequences.
Do not leave the safety of a shelter to go outdoors
to help others until authorities
announce it is safe to do so.
A person affected by a chemical agent requires immediate medical attention from
a professional. If medical help is not immediately available,
decontaminate yourself
and assist in decontaminating others.
Pets should be decontaminated along with their owners, according to the best
practices for each type of hazard. Any pet with you when you
become contaminated
may then contaminate
you or others (cross-contamination). If you and your pet may have been contaminated
together,
contact your local health authorities as well as your doctor and veterinarian.
Chemical decontamination guidelines:
• Use extreme caution when helping others who have been exposed to chemical agents.
• Remove all clothing and other items in contact with the body. Contaminated clothing
normally
removed over the head should
be cut off to avoid contact with the eyes,
nose, and mouth. Put contaminated clothing and items into a plastic bag and seal
it.
Decontaminate hands using soap and water. Remove eyeglasses or contact lenses.
Put glasses in a pan of household bleach to
decontaminate them, and then rinse
and
dry them.
• Flush eyes with water.
• Gently wash face and hair with soap and water; then thoroughly rinse with water.
• Decontaminate other body areas likely to have been contaminated. Blot (do not
swab or scrape) with a cloth soaked in soapy
water and rinse with clear water.
• Change into uncontaminated clothes. Clothing stored in drawers or closets is
likely to be uncontaminated.
• Proceed to a medical facility for screening and professional treatment.
III. BIOLOGICAL WEAPONS
What are biological weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and what can
I do to protect myself and my family?
Biological agents are organisms or toxins that can kill or incapacitate people,
livestock, and crops. The three basic groups of biological
agents that would
likely
be used
as weapons are bacteria, viruses, and toxins. Most biological agents are difficult
to grow and
maintain.
Many break down quickly when exposed to sunlight and other environmental factors,
while others, such as anthrax spores, are very long
lived. Terrorists can disperse
biological
agents by spraying them into the air, by infecting animals that carry the disease
to humans,
and by
contaminating food and water.
Specific information on biological agents is available at the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention Web site, www.bt.cdc.gov.
Delivery methods include:
• Aerosols—biological agents can be dispersed into the air as a fine mist
or powder that may drift for miles. Inhaling the agent may cause
disease in people
or animals.
• Animals—some diseases can be spread by insects and animals, such as fleas,
mice, flies, mosquitoes, and livestock.
• Food and water contamination—some pathogenic organisms and toxins can persist
in food and water supplies. Most microbes can be
killed and toxins deactivated
by
cooking food and boiling water. Most microbes are killed by boiling water for
one minute,
but
some require more time. Follow official instructions.
• Person-to-person—a few infectious agents can be spread from person to person.
Humans
have been the source of infection for smallpox,
plague, and the Lassa viruses.
What to Do Before a Biological Attack
• Check with your doctor to ensure that all required or suggested immunizations
are up to date. Children and the elderly are particularly
vulnerable to biological
agents.
• Consider installing a High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter in your furnace
return duct. These filters remove particles in the
0.3- to 10-micron range and
will
filter out most biological agents that may enter your home. If you do not have
a central heating
or
cooling system, a stand-alone portable HEPA filter can be used.
Filtration in Buildings
Building owners and managers should determine the type and level of filtration
in their structures and the level of protection it provides
against biological
agents.
The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) provides technical
guidance on this
topic in its
publication, Guidance for Filtration and Air-Cleaning Systems to Protect Building
Environments from Airborne Chemical, Biological, or
Radiological Attacks. To
obtain
a copy,
call 1-800- 35NIOSH or visit http://www.cdc.gov/NIOSH\publist.html and request
or download
NIOSH Publication 2003-136.
If There Is a Biological Threat
Unlike an explosion, a biological attack may or may not be immediately obvious.
While it is possible that you will see signs of a biological
attack, as was sometimes
the
case with the anthrax mailings in 2001, it is perhaps more likely that local
health
care workers
will report a
pattern of unusual illness or there will be a wave of sick people requesting
emergency medical attention. You will probably learn of the danger
through an
emergency radio or
TV broadcast, or some other signal used in your community. You might get a telephone
call or emergency
response workers may come to your door.
In the event of a biological attack, public officials may not immediately be
able to provide information on what you should do. It will take
time to determine
exactly what
the illness is, how it should be treated, and who is in danger. However, you
should
watch TV, listen
to
the radio, or check the Internet for official news including the following:
• Are you in the group or area authorities consider in danger?
• What are the signs and symptoms of the disease?
• Are medications or vaccines being distributed?
• Where? Who should get them?
• Where should you get emergency medical care if you become sick?
What to Do During a Declared Biological Emergency
• If a family member becomes sick, it is important to be suspicious.
• Do not assume, however, that you should go to a hospital emergency room or that
any illness is the result of the biological attack.
Symptoms of many common illnesses
may overlap.
• Use common sense, practice good hygiene and cleanliness to avoid spreading germs,
and
get medical advice.
• Consider if you are in the group or area authorities believe to be in danger.
• If your symptoms match those described and you are in the group considered at
risk, immediately get emergency medical attention.
If you are potentially exposed:
• Follow instructions of doctors and other public health officials.
• If the disease is contagious, expect to receive medical evaluation and treatment.
You may be advised to stay away from others.
• If you have been exposed, you might be quarantined.
• For non-contagious diseases, expect to receive medical evaluation and treatment.
If
you become aware of an unusual and suspicious substance nearby:
• Quickly get away.
• Wash with soap and water.
• Contact authorities.
• Watch TV, listen to the radio, or check the Internet for official news and information
including
what the signs and symptoms of the
disease are, if medications or vaccinations are being distributed, and where
you
should get medical attention if you become
sick.
• If you become sick, get medical attention.
Using HEPA Filters
HEPA filters may be useful in biological attacks. If you have a central heating
and cooling system in your home with a HEPA filter,
leave it on if it is running
or turn the fan
on if it is not running. Moving the air in the house through the filter will
help
remove the agents
from
the air. If you have a portable HEPA filter, take it with you to the internal
room where you are taking
shelter and turn it on.
If you are in an apartment or office building that has a modern central heating
and cooling system, the system’s filtration should provide
a relatively
safe level of protection
from outside biological contaminants.
HEPA filters will not filter chemical agents.
IV. RADIOLOGICAL DISPERSION DEVICE (RDD)
What is a radiological dispersion device (RDD) and what can I do to protect myself
and my family?
Terrorists’ use of an RDD—often called “dirty nuke” or “dirty
bomb”—is considered far more likely than their use of a nuclear explosive
device. An RDD combines a conventional
explosive device—such as a bomb—with radioactive material. It is
designed
to
scatter
dangerous and sub-lethal amounts of radioactive material over a general area,
but no nuclear
explosion is involved. RDDs appeal to
terrorists because they require limited
technical knowledge
to build and deploy compared with a nuclear device. Also, the radioactive
materials
in
RDDs are widely used in medicine, agriculture, industry, and research and are
easier to obtain
than weapons grade
uranium or plutonium.
The primary purpose of terrorists’ use of an RDD would be to cause psychological
fear and economic disruption. Some devices could
cause fatalities from exposure
to radioactive materials. Depending on the speed at which the area of the RDD
detonation was
evacuated or
how successful people were at sheltering-in-place against radiation, the number
of deaths and injuries from an RDD might not be substantially
greater than from
a conventional
bomb explosion.
The size of the affected area and the level of destruction caused by an RDD would
depend on the sophistication and size of the conventional
bomb, the type of radioactive
material used, the quality and quantity of the radioactive material, and the
local
meteorological
conditions, primarily
wind and precipitation. The area affected could be placed off-limits to the public
for several months during cleanup efforts.
What to Do Before an RDD Attack
There is no way of knowing how much warning time there might be before an attack
by terrorists using an RDD or which measures the
situation would call for, so
being prepared
in advance and knowing what to do and when are important. Be ready to take the
same protective
measures first that you would for a conventional explosion (see General Precautions and
Building Explosion).
Also be ready to take additional
measures you
would for protection from fallout radiation after a nuclear blast. The force
of
the blast
would be
like a conventional explosion, not a nuclear blast. (See Nuclear Weapons below.)
During an RDD Attack
While the explosive blast of an RDD will be immediately obvious, the presence
of radiation will not be known until trained personnel
with specialized equipment
are on the scene.
Whether you are indoors or outdoors, at home or at work, be extra cautious if
you witness
an explosive blast. It would be safer to assume radiological contamination has
occurred—particularly
in an urban setting or near other likely
terrorist targets—and take the
proper precautions.
As with any radiation, you want to avoid or limit exposure.
If you are outdoors:
• Move to shelter indoors immediately.
• If appropriate shelter is not available, move as rapidly as is safe upwind and
away from the location of the explosive blast. Then, move to
appropriate shelter
as soon
as possible.
• Continue listening to a local station on your radio or television for instructions
from local officials, whether you have evacuated or sheltered-in-place.
• Do not return to or visit an RDD incident location for any reason.
If you are indoors:
• Consider the time you have available. If you have time, turn off ventilation
and heating systems, close windows, vents, fireplace dampers,
exhaust fans, and
clothes dryer vents. Get your Disaster Supplies Kit and battery-powered radio
and take them
to your shelter room.
• Take shelter immediately, preferably underground or in an interior room of a
building, placing as much distance and dense shielding as possible
between you
and the outdoors where the radioactive material may be.
• Listen for official instructions and follow directions.
• Seal windows and external doors that do not fit snugly with duct tape to reduce
infiltration
of radioactive particles. Plastic sheeting will not
provide shielding
from radioactivity or from blast effects of a nearby explosion.
What to Do After an RDD Attack
Contamination from an RDD could affect a wide area, depending on the amount of
conventional explosives used, the quantity and type
of radioactive material released,
and
meteorological conditions. Radiation dissipation rates vary, depending mostly
on the decay rate
of the
radioactive materials dispersed by the RDD and how much of the radioactive material
is concentrated in any particular spot after it is
scattered by the explosion.
Evacuation
might be more practical than staying in shelter near any spots with relatively
high radioactivity
readings.
An RDD will not produce a high-altitude cloud, so it cannot carry radioactive
particles hundreds of miles as a surface-level nuclear blast would.
V. NUCLEAR WEAPONS
What are nuclear weapons and what can I do beforehand to protect myself and my
family from a nuclear explosion ?
The explosion of a nuclear weapon produces a blast or shock wave, intense heat,
thermal radiation, initial nuclear radiation, and residual
nuclear radiation.
Such nuclear
devices can range from a weapon carried by an intercontinental missile launched
by a hostile
nation to a
single weapon transported to a port or major city by terrorists. The danger of
a massive strategic nuclear attack on the United States, involving
many weapons,
receded with the
end of the Cold War in 1989. However, some terrorists have been supported by
nations
that have
nuclear
weapons programs.
Hazards of a Nuclear Explosion
All nuclear devices cause deadly effects when exploded, including blinding light,
intense heat (thermal radiation), initial nuclear radiation,
blast, fires started
by the heat
pulse, and secondary fires caused by damage to buildings, gas and electrical
lines,
etc. In addition,
a nuclear
explosion at or near the earth’s surface produces radioactive particles
that rise
in a mushroom-shaped cloud, and ultimately fall as radioactive
fallout. A nuclear
weapon detonated
high in or above the earth’s atmosphere can create an electromagnetic pulse
(EMP), a high-density
electrical
field that acts like a powerful stroke of lightning.
The extent, nature, and arrival time of these hazards are difficult to predict.
The geographical dispersion of hazard effects will be
defined by the following:
• Size of the device. A more powerful bomb will produce more distant effects.
• Height above the ground the device was detonated. This will determine the extent
of blast effects.
• Very high altitude nuclear explosions can produce EMP (electromagnetic pulse)
effects throughout a 1,000-mile radius on the surface of the earth.
• Nature of the surface beneath the explosion. Some materials are more likely to
become radioactive and airborne than others. Flat areas are more
susceptible
to
blast
effects than hilly terrain.
• Existing meteorological conditions. Wind speed and direction will affect arrival
time of fallout. Precipitation may wash fallout from the atmosphere,
affecting
where
it falls, the amount of fallout affected areas receive, and where it settles
as
rain is absorbed, puddles or runs off of surfaces.
Blast and Fire
Most of the material damage caused by a nuclear explosion at or near the surface
is due directly or indirectly to the shock (or blast) wave that
accompanies the
explosion.
Fires that burn out remaining buildings may be caused by the force of the explosion
breaking
gas or electric
lines or, closer to the explosion, caused by initial thermal radiation.
If there were threat of an attack from a hostile nation during a crisis, which
is not currently a realistic threat, people living near potential targets
could
be advised to evacuate
or they could decide on their own to evacuate to an area not considered a likely
target. Protection
from
radioactive fallout would require taking shelter in an underground area or in
the middle of a large building.
In general, potential targets of strategic or terrorist nuclear weapon attacks
include:
• Strategic missile sites and military bases
• Centers of government such as Washington, D.C., and state capitals
• Important transportation and communication centers
• Manufacturing, industrial, technology, and financial centers
• Petroleum refineries, electrical power plants, and chemical plants
• Major ports and airfields
Radioactive Fallout
Even if individuals are not close enough to be directly affected by the blast,
heat, or immediate radiation, they may be affected by the
resultant radioactive
fallout. Blasts
that occur at or near the earth’s surface create much greater amounts of
fallout than blasts
that occur at higher
altitudes. This is because the tremendous heat produced from a nuclear blast
causes an updraft of air, which forms the familiar mushroom cloud.
When a blast
occurs near the
earth’s surface, millions of vaporized dirt particles are also drawn into
the cloud.
As the heat diminishes,
radioactive materials that have vaporized condense on the particles and fall
back to earth. The phenomenon is called radioactive fallout. This fallout
material
decays over a
long period of time and is the main source of residual nuclear radiation.
Radioactive particles from a nuclear explosion may be carried aloft by wind currents
for hundreds of miles if the right conditions exist. Effects from
even a small
portable
device exploded at ground level can be potentially deadly.
Nuclear radiation cannot be seen, smelled, or otherwise detected by normal senses.
Radiation can be detected only by radiation-monitoring devices.
This makes radiological
emergencies different from other types of emergencies, such as floods or hurricanes.
Monitoring
can project the fallout arrival
times, which will be announced through official
warning channels.
However, any increase in surface buildup of gritty dust and dirt should be a
warning
to
take protective measures.
Factors for Protection From Radioactive Fallout
Remember that any protection, however temporary, is better than none at all;
and the more shielding, distance, and time you can take
advantage of, the better.
The three factors for protecting oneself from radioactive fallout are distance,
shielding, and time.
• Distance—the more distance between you and the fallout particles, the better.
An underground area, such as a home or office building
basement, offers more
protection than the first (ground) floor of a building. A floor near the middle
of a high-rise
may be better, depending
on what is nearby at that level on which significant
fallout
particles would collect. Flat roofs collect fallout particles, so the top floor
is not
a
good choice, nor is a floor adjacent to a neighboring flat roof.
• Shielding—the heavier and denser the shielding materials—thick walls,
concrete, bricks, books, and earth—between you and the fallout
particles,
the better.
• Time —fallout radiation loses its intensity fairly rapidly. In time, you
will be able to leave the fallout shelter. Radioactive fallout poses the
greatest
threat to people
during the first two weeks, after which time it has declined to only about one
percent of its
initial radiation level.
What to Do to Be Prepared for a Nuclear Explosion
• Modify your Disaster Supplies Kit so it is adequate for up to two weeks.
• Find out from officials if any public buildings in your community have been designated
as fallout shelters. If none have been designated,
make your own list of potential
fallout shelters near your home, workplace, and school. These places would include
basements or the
windowless center area of middle floors in high-rise buildings.
• Subways and tunnels may be designated as fallout shelters, but should not be
entered as long as there is immediate danger of nuclear
attack because a blast
over the
area can convert them to a wind tunnel conveying a fatal shock wave.
• If you live in an apartment building or high-rise, talk to the manager about
the safest place in the building for sheltering and about
providing for building
occupants
until it is safe to go out.
Taking shelter before a nuclear explosion is absolutely necessary. There are
two kinds of shelters—blast and fallout.
• Blast shelters are specifically constructed to offer some protection against
blast pressure, initial radiation, heat, and fire; but even a blast
shelter could
not withstand
a direct hit from a nuclear explosion.
• Fallout shelters do not need to be specially constructed for protecting against
fallout. They can be any protected space, provided that the
walls and roof are
thick and dense
enough to absorb the radiation given off by fallout particles.
In Case of Warning of a Nuclear Attack
If you hear a nuclear attack warning, you should:
• Take cover as quickly as you can, below ground if possible, and stay there unless
instructed
to do otherwise.
• Listen for official information and follow instructions.
If you are caught outside and unable to get inside before the explosion occurs,
you should:
• Never look at the flash or fireball—it can blind you.
• Take cover behind anything that might offer protection.
• Lie flat on the ground and cover your head. If the explosion is some distance
away, it could take 30 seconds or more for the blast wave to hit.
• Take shelter, as soon as you can, even if you are many miles from ground zero
where the attack occurred—radioactive fallout can be
carried by the winds
for
hundreds of miles. Remember the three protective factors: distance, shielding,
and time.
After a Nuclear Attack
Decay rates of the radioactive fallout are the same for any size nuclear device.
However, the amount of fallout will vary based on the size
of the device and
its
proximity
to the ground. Therefore, it might be necessary for those in the areas with highest
radiation
levels to shelter for
up to a month.
The heaviest fallout would be limited to the area at or downwind from the explosion,
and 80 percent of the fallout would occur during
the first 24 hours. People in most of the areas that would be affected could
be
allowed to come out
of shelter within a few days and,
if necessary, evacuate to unaffected areas.
ELECTROMAGNETIC PULSE (EMP)
In addition to other effects, a nuclear weapon detonated in or above the earth’s
atmosphere can create an electromagnetic pulse (EMP),
a high-density electrical
field. An EMP
acts like a stroke of lightning but is stronger, faster, and briefer. An EMP
can
seriously damage
electronic devices connected to power sources or antennas, including communications
systems, computers, electrical appliances, and
automobile or aircraft ignition
systems. The damage
could range from a minor interruption to actual burnout of components. Most electronic
equipment
within 1,000 miles of a high-altitude nuclear detonation could be affected. Battery-powered
radios with short antennas generally
would not be affected. Although an EMP is
unlikely to harm
most people, it could harm those with pacemakers or other implanted electronic
devices.
What measures can I take to protect electric and electronic appliances from the
effects
of EMP?
Primary protective measures apply the same basic principles as lightning arrestors
(you may find them where telephone lines enter your home)
and surge protectors
for computers
and other electronic equipment. Any wire cable with a series of receptacles that
is not
in use should be
grounded at both ends. If a cable is in use, ground one end only. Electrical
and electronic conduits (such as cable television leads) are conductors
and should
also be grounded.
Metal shielding will provide some protection but would be practical only for
small,
unplugged appliances. Metal
shielding should cover but not touch the item it
protects,
to prevent coupling to the protected item.
Grounding supplies are readily available at electrical and hardware stores. Lightning
arrestors and surge protectors are also available at some
electronics stores.
For EMP protection,
look for the strongest protection against the most rapidly peaking surge. Ideally
that
would be
nanoseconds, which you are unlikely to find, or the smallest number
if
given
in milliseconds.
If there is warning of an imminent nuclear attack, quickly do the following:
• Turn off your main power switch.
• Unplug all cables, extension cords, electrical appliances, and telephones.
• Disconnect wires connecting units of sound and video systems.
• Disconnect computers from the printer, monitor, keyboard, and other peripherals.
• Remove wireless phones from wired cradles.
• Fold up and/or disconnect all antennas.
Each of these measures helps a little, and helps more at the outer range of the
EMP’s reach, but could be inadequate against the EMP
of a high-altitude
nuclear explosion,
depending on the range of the electrical field produced by the detonation of
the
nuclear device.
Because of the similar characteristics of lightning and EMP, the devices used
for EMP protection will also provide a high degree
of lightning protection, but
the converse
is not necessarily true.
Returning to Your Home
Any of the specific kinds of terrorist attacks described in the foregoing pages
could make it necessary for you to evacuate your home.
When you return, you should:
• Keep listening to the radio or television for news about what to do, where to
go, and places to avoid.
• Stay away from damaged areas. Stay away from areas marked “radiation hazard” or “
HAZMAT.” Remember that radiation cannot
be seen, smelled, or otherwise
detected by human senses.
(For general information on returning home, see “Evacuation
and Sheltering, and Post-disaster Safety.”)
VI. AGROTERRORISM
What is agroterrorism and what can I do to protect myself and my family?
Agroterrorism involves the act of any person knowingly or maliciously using biological
or other agents as weapons against the
agricultural industry and the food supply—plants
and especially animals. Experts believe outbreaks caused by the deliberate spread
of animal
diseases by terrorists are likely to have much higher costs than natural occurrences
or epidemics,
because terrorists will act
strategically, that is, they will aim at causing
as
much
damage as possible. Agroterrorism does not require a high level of technical
knowledge.
It is relatively
easy to acquire and spread the agents causing plant and animal diseases. In addition,
the most likely
agents, such as anthrax, hoof and mouth disease, or fungi-causing plant diseases—rusts,
blast, and smuts—pose little risk to the potential
terrorist. The low level
of
knowledge required and the low risk make agroterrorism an attractive option for
terrorists.
The primary responsibility for prevention and public education rests on government
agencies and research organizations that have
the technical and scientific role
and capability
to identify plant and animal diseases, isolate and eliminate early cases, and
direct
countermeasures
to control outbreaks when they occur.
Agricultural education and extension services inform farmers and livestock operators
of the threats and work with farmers, veterinarians,
and crop consultants to
prevent
and control plant and animal diseases.
Stay Informed
People concerned with agroterrorism should take steps to be informed. The consuming
public should also be informed of the nature of
agroterrorism and the forms it
may take.
Concerned individuals may also want to be involved at the local level to be sure
that people
involved with community disaster plans are aware of the process for dealing with
outbreaks
that threaten production of a healthy food
supply and the local agricultural
economy.
It is also important to be informed about what the threats are, what measures
are taken to combat and control outbreaks of any kind, and
what foods and food
sources are
unaffected and still safe. Keep informed of how outbreaks are managed and how
the response and
recovery
proceed so you can have confidence in the food production system and the effectiveness
of steps to deal with problems whenever they arise.
Follow Instructions
Follow instructions of officials when an outbreak occurs. It is especially important
to cooperate fully with quarantine orders and instructions
about what to avoid,
and not to
find ways to avoid the cost or inconvenience of efforts to quickly eliminate
threats
to a safe food
supply.
VII. CYBER-TERRORISM
What is a cyber (computer-based) attack and what can I do to protect myself and
my family?
Information technology, through the use of computers, has changed the way we
transact business, run the government, conduct national
defense, keep order,
and
communicate
with our friends and families. All of these activities—both critical and
mundane—are
accomplished
through an interdependent electronic and communications network. If the security
of this network is compromised, services could be
interrupted, including essential
infrastructure services in areas such as telecommunications, energy, finance,
manufacturing,
water,
transportation, health care, and emergency response.
Cyber attacks targeted against information technology can occur in the following
ways:
• Hacking—an attack against the software of an information system by an unauthorized
person
who electronically enters the system from
the outside.
• Sabotage—an attack against the software and/or hardware of an information
system by a person on the inside who is trusted with access
to the system.
To protect yourself from some of the effects of a cyber attack, you should:
• Be prepared to do without services you normally depend on that could be disrupted—electricity,
telephones, natural gas, gasoline pumps,
cash registers,
ATMs, and Internet transactions. See chapters on “Disaster Supplies Kit” and “Family
Disaster Plan.”
• Keep handy a battery-powered radio or television and routinely listen to local
broadcasts. Be prepared to respond to official instructions
if a cyber attack
triggers other
hazards, for example, a hazardous materials release, nuclear power plant incident,
or dam
or flood control
system failure. You may need to evacuate the area, go to a public shelter, or
shelter-in-place.
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