FAIRFAX, Va. — On January 19, the media reported that al-Qaida claimed to be planning another attack on the United States. The Arab news network Al-Jazeera had aired an audiotape that allegedly featured warnings from Osama bin Laden.
“This report serves as a reminder that America’s fire service must remain vigilant and prepared to respond to a terrorist incident,” said IAFC President Chief Bill Killen. “Whether or not we have the luxury of a warning, we must be ready.”
The IAFC recommends that all fire chiefs take the following actions:
* Review your protocols for mass prophylaxis, mass decontamination, and responding to mass casualties
* Meet with your command officers to discuss these protocols, and require them to meet with their companies as well
* Review available resources on improvised explosive devices (IEDs), secondary explosive devices (SEDs), and suicide bombings. Some suggestions include:
* A video produced in 2005 by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Office for Domestic Preparedness (ODP) and the IAFC entitled, “Suicide Bombings: The New Chaos,” which is available on the IAFC Web site at http://www.iafc.org/displaycommon.cfm?an=1&subarticlenbr=365. (Due to our agreement with ODP, only members of the IAFC may access this video on the IAFC web site. Non-members should contact ODP at the address listed below.)
* A series of videos produced by ODP on managing terrorism incidents, responding to a weapons of mass destruction (WMD) crime scene, and surviving WMDs and SEDs. These videos are described in detail at http://www.ojp.usdojgov/odp/docs/video.htm. (To order these videos, please contact ODP at the address listed below. They are free of charge to state and local agencies.)
* A fact sheet for first responders on SEDs from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, which may be found at http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/emergencypreparedness/guides/secondary.html.
* A Department of Homeland Security training guide on explosive devices, available at http://cdp.dhs.gov/pdfs/agert/Explosive_Devices.pdf.
To order videos from ODP, please e-mail your request to askcsid@dhs.gov. Be sure to include the full title of the DVD(s) you are requesting as well as your mailing address. You may also send a request via regular mail on your agency’s letterhead to: Director, VIDEO REQUEST, Office for Domestic Preparedness Support, 810 Seventh Street, N.W., Washington, DC 20531.