Weapons of Mass Destruction
Recognition and Response
US Government Color-Coded Threat Condition
Red ———- Sever risk of terrorist attacks
Orange——- High risk of terrorist attacks
Yellow——– Significant risk of terrorist attacks
Green——–Low risk of terrorist attack
Indicators of Possible Chemical and Biological Weapons Use:
-
Indicators of possible chemical weapon use
. Unusual dead of dying animals
. Lack of insects
.Unexplained causalities
. Multiple victims
. Serious illnesses
. Nausea, disorientation, difficulty breathing, convulsions
. Definite casualty patterns
. Unusual liquid, spray or vapor
. Droplets, oily film
. Unexplained odor
. Low flying clouds/fog unrelated to weather
. Suspicious devices/packages
. Unusual metal debris
. Abandoned spray devices
. Unexplained munitions
- Indicators of Possible Biological Weapons Use:
. Unusual dead or dying animals
. Sick or dying animals, people of fish
. Unusual causalities
. Unusual illness for region/area
. Definite pattern inconsistent with natural disease
. Unusual liquid, spray, vapor
. Spraying and suspicious devices or packages
. Unusual swarms of insects
IF RELESE IS SUSPECTED
- Stay calm
- Put on personal protective equipment (PPE)
- From save vantage point, reassure victims that assistance is on the way.
- Wait for properly equipped help at a safe location (UPWIND, UPHILL, UPSTREAM)
SAFELY ISOLATE AND DENY ENTRY AND MAKE NOTIFICATIONS (SIN)
Notification Essentials
. Observed CW/BW indicators
. Wind direction and weather conditions at scene
. Plume direction (direction of clouds or vapor travel)
. Orientation of victims (direction, position, pattern)
. Number of apparent victims
.Type of injuries, symptoms presented
. Witness statements or observations
. Nature of CW/BW agents (if known) from detection, equipment or monitors
. Exact location of reporting unit
. Suggested safe access route and staging area