Most people in EMS didn’t really think about terrorism before September 11th, but because of my military experience and being sort of a history nerd, it has been a topic that I have worried about since my late teens. Terrorism by definition is any act to create fear or disrupt a society. The motivation for these acts are as diverse as the cowards that commit them. As EMS professionals, we must stay vigilant and look for indicators in our response area.
We must remember that the terrorist has no moral conscience and if they take out the people sent to clean up their attack, they will see it as a bonus prize. Are we being mindful of the possibility of a secondary device? What potential targets do you have in your area? Have there been any unusual “coincidences” occurring?
Let’s start with potential targets. It could be government buildings, religious centers or special events. How devastating it would be to lose power or water to a major metropolitan area. Even the threat that the water was contaminated would cause a crisis. Think of the potential body count of a bomb threat in a crowded event like a sports stadium.
The weaponry used can be something as simple as a spray bottle to more common weapons such as guns and explosives. We also need to consider weapons of mass destruction. Some of these can be obtained very cheap and have a huge death toll. I was amazed that nearly no one knew that we carried all of the components needed to create the same explosive used by Timothy Mc Veigh on our ambulance. If it wasn’t for an expert teaching the class confirming my statement, they wouldn’t have believed it. Even more alarming is the fact that I can still buy the components without raising any red flags. NBC weapons are a threat we need to consider.
Nuclear weapons are not just controlled by a few countries, but could be as simple as an explosive device used to spread nuclear material, the dirty bomb. There is also the potential for unstable countries having devices getting in the hands of rouge people. How secure is the local hospital with the radiological equipment?
Biological weapons are a weapon that we may not recognize we have been attacked until afterwards. Some of these do occur in nature, but when they are weaponized, the toll can be catastrophic. It would only take about 6 grams of weapons grade botulinum to kill every mammal on earth. The biggest limitation would be the dispersal method. The US Capital was attacked with anthrax in 2001 and to this day, no arrest has been made.
Chemical weapons have been called the poor man’s nuke. They can be made very cheaply with a big death toll. Some of our deadliest chemical weapons were created by accident trying to make insecticides. Ricin can be made from naturally occurring vegetation found in a large part of the United States. I am personally worried about drugs coming into our country being used as a weapon.
I still remember hearing the news that Eric Rudolph was arrested and I told my wife that all first responders can relax just a bit with him in custody. His claim to fame was the use of a secondary device. He was responsible for the 1996 Olympic Park bombing, the abortion clinic and LGBTQ nightclub bombings in Atlanta Georgia. The estimated number of bomb threats he made to the abortion clinic in Atlanta was in the 50’s. He watched the response by the responders and chose the dumpster as the prime location of his secondary device. Luck would have it that a reporter was in the area and beat the first engine on scene and parked near the same dumpster that the fire truck had always parked near. It was reported that the device was poorly placed as it would only injure the firefighters. When he bombed the nightclub, all of the secondary devices placed in the back entrance were meant to explode at head level. What is your agency’s policy on responding to bomb threats. Have you considered that your radios could trigger a secondary device? If this is a repeat event, where did you stage last response? The first large scale multi jurisdiction WMD exercise I participated in, I looked over at the Incident Command Center that was placed under the nearest shade tree and I told the Assistant Director of EMS, that if I were the terrorist I would have placed my secondary in that tree and just take out the entire command staff so easy it’s scary. When asked about any other evil thoughts I also asked how many places they thought I could hide with a rifle to take out responders? To stop evil, our strategy must take into account their depths of hatred for us.
As for coincidences, there shouldn’t be any when dealing with people that want to kill us. Numerous bomb threats may be used to observe our response and plan the attack on us. Multiple patients with similar symptoms. Unusual illnesses may be an indicator that the attack has occurred.
So, how as EMS professionals should we prepare? Train and study, what have they done in the past, what are the potential targets in your response area, and train like your life depends on it, because it does. Don’t be afraid to speak up if you see a weakness in the plan. My statement of a secondary in the nearest shade tree had them scrambling to get portable canopies. They might not like what you have to say, but if I can think it, what evil plan has the terrorist made?
Keep your head on a swivel. If something looks off, report it. A potential car bomb in New York City’s Time Square was discovered by 2 veterans that alerted police in different parts of the area of what they saw and it was defused without loss of life. Be the voice that saves lives.
Stay safe and vigilant.
David Davis