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Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)
Terrorism:
Some Practical Things You Can Do to Help Yourself and Your Family
Gary Eifried COL(R), USA, Vice President, EAI Corporation
Over
the past few weeks I have been asked by many people who are aware of
the work we have been doing (to improve the readiness of emergency responders
to react to a WMD incident) "What can I do to protect myself and my
family if the terrorists use chemical or biological weapons? Should
I buy a gas mask for everybody? Can I get anthrax shots?" and similar
questions. Lots of folks are concerned and worried. This paper attempts
to answer those questions, and hopefully will alleviate some of that
worry. Most of all, I will try to provide some positive actions you
can take without creating a major change in your life. Here are some
of the questions and my answers, based on over 37 years of experience
in dealing with these kinds of weapons.
1. Is this really going to happen? Are the terrorists going to use
chemical, biological or radiological weapons on us?
My feeling
is , "Unfortunately, yes." It will happen somewhere, some
time. I have been expecting it to happen since the Aum Shinrikyo used
the nerve agent Sarin in the Tokyo subway system in 1995. The things
I've been hearing lately only add to my concern. The fact that those
involved, or associated with those involved, in the World Trade Center
attack were seeking to rent crop duster aircraft and obtain hazardous
materials trucking licenses is troubling. However, you have to put this
in perspective. The probability that you will be in the wrong place
at the wrong time is pretty low. The probability that any one of us
will be a victim is somewhere around 1 in 290,000, which is less than
the probability that a person will be hit by lightening.
2. Are there places I should avoid?
The short
answer is, "No." I do not plan to change what I do or where
I go in any significant way. However, having said this, you should understand
that enclosed places with large numbers of people are more likely targets.
We should all be more conscious of our surroundings, and know how to
get to at least the two nearest exits.
3. Should I buy a gas mask for my family and myself?
I can best
answer this by telling you that I do not have one and I am not planning
to buy them for my family. Unless you plan to carry one around with
you all day, everyplace you go, it will probably not be available when
you might need it anyway.
4. If I still want to buy a mask, which one should I buy?
The key
to an effective mask is a good fit and the right filter. Most masks
are made for adult males and do not properly fit men with beards, children
or people with small faces. If you don't have a good fit and the right
filter, a mask will give you a false sense of security, and you are
likely to be better off doing what is indicated in the answers to questions
7 and 8.
Don't buy
a surplus military M9 or M17 unless you really know what you are doing.
Most of these masks I have seen are in bad shape, the critical rubber
valve materials are crumbing, and the filters may not be the ones that
would protect you from toxic chemical agents. Other surplus masks on
the market are of unknown quality and effectiveness. You should buy
a new mask from a reputable manufacturer, such as the Millennium or
Advantage 1000 made by MSA or the AV2000 by Scott. Be sure that the
filters are certified to protect against chemical and biological warfare
agents. These masks will cost about $200 each.
The masks
that you can carry around in your pocket are probably not worth the
cost or effort, and some of them can be dangerous.
Incidentally,
for biological and radiological materials, breathing through a doubled
over T-shirt has been found to significantly reduce the hazard in an
emergency escape situation (this unfortunately does not work very well
for chemical agents).
5. How will I know if a WMD attack is happening where I am?
With a chemical
attack, you may smell a strange odor, or start to see numbers of
people showing symptoms such as coughing, choking, gasping for air,
tearing, salivating, complaining of eye pain, collapsing, becoming unconscious,
convulsing or other unusual action. You may feel some of these symptoms
yourself, and in addition it may seem to be getting dark. With a biological
or radiological agent, it is unlikely that you will even know something
is going on during the attack---it may be days or weeks before we become
aware that an attack has occurred. Of course, if you see some unusual
activity or device, or see a device spraying something, you should be
suspicious, warn others and immediately move out of the area.
6. Is there something else I can do?
Remember
these three principles: time, distance and protection. Stay in
the affected area for as brief a time as possible, get as much
distance between you and the incident area as you can, and seek
protection immediately. If you are inside an area where an incident
occurs, get outside as quickly as possible. If the incident occurs outside,
and you are outside, get inside as quickly as possible.
7. If an incident occurs outside, will I really be safe inside?
You will
probably be safer than if you stayed outside with the agent. Buildings
today are very airtight, which will tend to keep the toxic agent out,
especially if we are talking about an incident in which the agent was
released all at once. The cloud will travel with the wind and blow past
pretty quickly, depending on the wind speed. This is the procedure used
in Hazmat operations known as "shelter in place." Go to
a room on the upper floors in the building (chemical agents are
usually heavier than air and will tend to stay down low), close windows
and doors, and turn off the air handling system (you don't want
to pull in outside air). Place wet towels under door jambs.
8. If the incident is outside (where I am) and I can't get into
a building, which direction should I go?
Keep your
head, see if you can figure out which way the wind is blowing, and move
cross-wind. If you move upwind you may inadvertently move towards the
higher concentration, if you move downwind you may be in the toxic cloud
for a longer period of time. Moving cross-wind will most often get you
out of the toxic cloud fastest. Avoid low lying areas as chemical agent
may collect there.
9. What about decontamination?
Unless you
have agent liquid or particles on you, you probably don't really need
extensive decontamination. Removing your clothes will remove 80-90%
of any potential contamination on you or imbedded in your clothing.
Then wash with water, or soap and water if readily available.
If you are involved in an incident and emergency responders have set
up decontamination lines, you will probably be asked to strip down to
your underwear and proceed through a shower system. Follow their instructions;
they know what they are doing.
10. But what about a biological agent? If we don't know an attack
has occurred until days or even weeks later, what can we do then?
Once the
authorities recognize that a biological attack has occurred, they will
issue instructions about what to do. You should be alert for flu-like
symptoms, as these are the likely first signs of biological infection.
If you learn that a biological attack has happened in your area, and
you begin to start feeling like you are getting the flu, seek medical
attention immediately. The sooner medical treatments are started,
the better the chance of success.
11. What about carrying around the antidotes or having the antibiotics?
The answer
to this one is similar to answer #3 about the gas masks. Since we don't
know for sure which agents the terrorist might employ, we would have
to obtain a variety of pharmaceuticals and carry them with us at all
times, which would be impractical, if not dangerous. If WMD terrorism
happens and you are a victim, it will be best to rely on the medical
professionals to help you.
12. What do I do if a bomb goes off near where I am?
Get out
of the area, seek medical attention if required. Since an explosive
device could be used to disseminate a chemical, biological or radiological
weapon, follow the advice in answers to questions 5 through 10. Remember
time, distance and protection.
13. How about helping others? Is it dangerous?
This is
a tough one, and each of us has to make our own decision about how much
risk we are willing to take. Try to avoid touching people who are showing
symptoms, they may be contaminated or infected. Try to keep them calm
and encourage them to come with you to seek emergency help. If they
can't move, and you can't safely remain with them, leave the area, and
inform emergency responders of their location, symptoms and condition.
(note: the information presented in this paper is intended
for citizens who have no emergency response functions. Emergency responders
will require special training, protective equipment and procedures to
allow them to do their jobs safely in the event of WMD terrorism)
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