SISKIYOU COUNTY RACES/ACS, Siskiyou County Amateur Radio, N6MRX

WHY HAMS ARE NOT USED

I think the thing that we've all got to remember is, more importantly than the fact that we're Communicators, is the fact that we are ALL a part of the Emergency Management TEAM. Us, Fire, Law Enforcement, Search & Rescue, all of us... we've got different roles that we play in an incident, but we're all a part of the same team, working toward the same goal... Minimizing the chaos, and restoring order. Whether that means answering a phone, helping pull a hose line, shadowing a white helmet, running messages back and forth in the EOC, Running a radio, making coffee, directing traffic, or whatever needs to be done.

For whomever has the attitude that some of this "isn't my job" or is "beneath them"... let me just remind you, just like with any job, it's very simple. Ya do what needs to be done, or next time, they'll just find someone else to do it.

Brian Eller, AE6FJ
Emergency Communications Coordinator
Inland Empire Chapter (California) - American Red Cross

THIS IS PART OF AN ONGOING DISCUSSION OF HAMS INVOLVED
IN EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS.

>"Jeff E" wrote:
>
>Well, this is news to me....please share! What bad experiences have EMs
>had, and are they real, or just rumors and exaggerations from people who
>don't really know ARES and RACES?

----------------------------

You need to get out more. The "powers that be" in amateur radio seem
to be on a quest to keep all bad news from the amateur community. In
other words, you won't be reading this in "Q-S-T" anytime soon.

Here are some of the complaints I've heard. Keep in mind that no one
EM will have all (or even most) of these, only that these are the
common ones I run into.

1) Lack of standardized training: This does not mean "national
training." This means training in the sense that emergency
professionals are used to dealing with - like law enforcement or fire
service programs. This means that the training is relevant to local
needs, held regularly, has demonstrable standards, and that those
standards are tested. The results of training and testing are
documented, and the individual is retested and requalified at regular
intervals.

2) Ignorance of ICS and chain-of-command: most amateurs don't
recognize that when they are activated for an emergency, their boss
is no longer the EC - that person may or may not be their Team
Leader, but their boss is the IC, through the LSC and the COML.
Thorough ICS training (NIIMS standard, not the bastardized version
being taught at our national level) is a necessity, not an option.

3) Insistance on "the ham way": Amateurs tend to be inflexible; they
take the attitude that "this is the way WE do it, so this is the way
you have to do it." Refer back to #2 - a good example is the
Radiogram form. I've heard from more than a few EM's that they don't
want to see, hear, or deal with the Radiogram. They use ICS-213's,
and are very annoyed when the amateurs with whom they deal either
don't understand or simply refuse to use it. As someone recently told
me, "you'd think the Radiogram was handed to Marconi by God himself!"

4) Overinflated egos: amateur radio operators aren't "partners", they
are "resources"- but even (especially?) at the national level, this
is not understood. EMs want trained, capable, reliable RESOURCES.
They want to know that when they have a problem, the folks that they
call can deal with that problem, rather than trying to inject
themselves into the management and/or policy decisions. In other
words, they want us to be just like EVERY SINGLE OTHER PROFESSIONAL
RESOURCE they have at their disposal, and too often we're not.

5) Unprofessionalism: EMs want resources to look and act like other
resources; they want them to "fit in." This sounds petty, but is up
with #3 as the most common complaint I hear: hams don't dress
appropriately! From their complaints, the "average" amateur
responder would appear to be overweight, sloppy, wearing a hat
fronted by a bunch of strange numbers and festooned with hamfest
pins, and wearing a stained and untucked t-shirt proclaiming "CW
Forever!" How many folks do you know that fit this picture to one
degree or another? EMs don't want to see your callsign on your name
badge - they want to see YOUR NAME. Petty? Prejudicial? Yep - but
that's the perception, and perceptions become reality.

6) Political infighting: Amateur radio's purges, power grabs,
revolts, pressure tactics, and smear campaigns are infamous in the EM
community. Those who have the resources have bypassed the problems by
implementing their own RACES or ACS programs; those who don't, live
with the fear that their programs will fall victim to our "lack of
adult supervision."

Your comment regarding "people who don't really know ARES and RACES"
is a function of complaints #3, #4, and #6. It's not the EM's job to
become an expert on the nuances of the relationship between ARES and
RACES - it's our job as a resource to fit into their program and to
address their needs to the very best of our ability. Evidence would
indicate that we don't always do a very good job.

-=[ grant ]=- KD7JNW

Yes, our attitude as RACES members should be TO SERVE (and to enjoy
serving). Several years ago we had a severe fire storm in Orange
County (California), and County of Orange RACES requested mutual aid
from city RACES groups. Some of the county and city RACES members
were assigned to rumor control at the EOC. Members of one city RACES
group who responded became angry when they received their assignments
to rumor control (which involved answering telephone calls from the
public to provide information on the situation, mostly to alleviate
their fears). Rumor control was "beneath them," and they threatened
to leave the EOC if we did not assign them to operating positions on
RACES amateur radios. We took them up on their "offer," and let them
leave! The county's EM officials were certainly not impressed with
that city's RACES group! Fortunately, other cities responded with
RACES members who were eager to work in any assignment.

In OCRACES we have a philosophy that all RACES members are reserve
communicators. They are trained not only to utilize amateur radio
equipment in a professional manner in full support of the Orange
County Sheriff's Department/Communications, but also to use the
sheriff's public-safety radios and other communications equipment
(including telephones). They are also trained to respond to other
agencies to which the Sheriff's Department deploys them.

RACES members should be treated as unpaid staff, with the same
respect as paid staff. In order to have that respect, it is
necessary that RACES members be willing to accept the same
assignments as paid staff, such as answering telephones, faxing
documents, transporting equipment, etc. Being hams does not make us
"special," but our knowledge of radio communications gives us special
opportunities to serve our agencies on frequencies (and modes, such
as ATV, APRS, etc.) that would not normally be available to those
agencies. If our agency does not want us to use amateur radio
(RACES) frequencies during a particular incident, but rather assigns
us to a different duty, we should respond to that duty with
enthusiasm, as (unpaid) agency staff members. Showing a negative
attitude in such a circumstance will only harm the reputation of
RACES and amateur radio, and will destroy our future opportunities to
serve.

Ken Bourne, W6HK
Radio Officer
County of Orange (California) RACES
Orange County Sheriff's Department/Communications

On 31 May 2003 at 17:17, Duane Whittingham wrote:

> I agree, we ARE communicators, whether by radio, telephone, a message
> pad or smoke signals. We also support EOCs, Police, Fire, EMA and such
> and i consider it a privilege to be able to help and be trusted to be
> "inside" EOCs, PSAPs, or at a closed "scene".
>
> To gain that trust they have to be able to see you work, and depend on
> you, ive done radio, but also direct traffic, light crime scenes or
> fire scenes, pull hose. And all because I was a HAM. ;)
>
> And paperwork, fones, copying papers and stuff is part of the job.
>
> My .02 also. Duane Whittingham - N9SSN.
>
> NEDROG wrote:
>
> > What are RACES OPERATORS supposed to act like?
> >
> > Are we not communicators?
> >
> > When an EOC has been activated for whatever reason, we should be
> > able to communicate by: Using our radios when appropriate, By
> > answering the phones while in the EOC if asked, By running the
> > copier in the EOC if asked, By running messages back-n-forth between
> > the EOC radio room and EOC operations center if asked,
> >
> > These are all methods of communications that a lot of "HAMS" feel
> > are beneath them, especially when not on the radio.
> >
> > If the incident commander asks a "HAM" to act as a victim in an
> > exercise: we don't do that, we also don't direct traffic on the road
> > as we are not cops. So is this why some of the EM folks don't like
> > the "HAMS"?
> >
> > Who are the people that the EM's are going to use in their RACES
> > programs if not the "HAMS"? I think that some of the EM's think
> > that since they are "government," that they can just get on the "HAM
> > FREQUENCIES" and start talking, without being FCC licensed. I
> > believe that, that privilege is reserved for the armed forces alone.
> >
> > How many of the EM's hold regularly scheduled classes for their
> > RACES MEMBERS, to teach them what is really needed by the individual
> > EOC??
> >
> > My $0.02
> >
> > 73's
> >
> > Howard W3CQH
> > EC/RO Montgomery County, MD

Hello Grant and All -

Ken's point about attitude really sums everything up into one
word. You can treat it like manual, hard labor in a harsh place
with a lot of stress and be anxious for a chance to leave. Or,
you can see it as a new opportunity for service. For those who
seem to be unable to do more than sit and talk on a radio, they
are not only taking up space and using oxygen, their un-willingness
to work outside of their "radio only" attitude does reflect on those
of us who are willing to do what it takes to get the job done. I will
say that there have been and still are groups that will do no more
than operate their radios. They are fearful of operating anything
that is not ham radio and if you don't have an assignment for that
specific purpose, they are not willing to serve. These same groups
do little else for anyone and are really only about 15% useful.

> I've used this since to indoctrinate new folks who may be getting
> into EMCOMM under a misconception about the job. I think it goes
> a long way in fostering the proper attitude to serve.

I agree 100%, Grant. Attitude *IS* everything. I become frustrated
with I hear from other hams that claim that I am degrading our
service by recommending they expand their work into whatever
they are needed to do to get the job done. I can understand that
they want to operate radios and I also understand that trained
radio operators should not be assigned to drive a truck moving
supplies or file records or fill sand bags. But, a trained resource
should be applied where the talents are utilized properly. You
really can help with directing traffic if needed and there are no
reserve officers or other emergency people available. You will
in all likelihood have to use your radio at some time during that
process as well. There may be enough operators at that time
being utilized but, in order to help with the problem of the emer-
gency at hand, you would do well to put in a couple of hours at
directing traffic if it keeps from complicating a bad situation by
preventing accidents at an uncontrolled intersection. It's really
up to you - do you want to help and be part of the solution? Or,
sit back and refuse to do anything because it may not be radio?
It may not be your thing at all and you have every right to refuse
to do that task. If nothing else, maybe you can help finding a
volunteer who is willing to direct traffic for a couple of hours if
needed.

There is an unlimited list of other things than talking on a radio
that we can most certainly perform if it helps our EM's accomplish
the much greater task of managing an emergency. And that is
what ALL volunteers are about, regardless of their specialty. We
just happen to be hams and fill a unique place when needed.

Now that I've given everyone my two cents on the subject, I would
like to throw this item in as food for thought. We have not limited
our membership to licensed amateurs only. Our local ARES/
RACES group is open to those with an interest in emergency
communications. We have a handful of members who are not
licensed but, they come with their spouse and help out where
they are needed, doing various things that allow their other half
or friend to concentrate on doing 'radio'. Many have even been
taken to other locations to help with telephone calls and to do
issuing of emergency supplies, etc. But, we have earned a
place as a "value added" resource because we can do more
than just the single task we have talents in.

Since 9/11 the need has never been greater for our talents and
for volunteers in all aspects associated with emergency man-
agement to help out. Our agencies must have help to do their
jobs well and they are limited unless they have volunteer staff
people who are willing to help, willing to learn and willing to
give their time to making it all come together. It is a "willing"
attitude that makes a "winning" attitude and produces a job
well done.

73, Paul Cavnar - NN7B
Washoe Co., NV. RACES Officer

> He suggested that to foster the proper frame of mind we should adopt
> the motto "Semper Gumby." I no doubt looked very confused, at which
> point he smiled and said "Always Flexible." I think that pretty much
> says it all!

I like Clint Eastwood's line from the movie "Heartbreak Ridge" where
he played Gunny Highway; "We can improvise, adapt and overcome"
and that's been one of our mottos for training.

73, Paul Cavnar - NN7B
Washoe Co., NV RACES Officer

Homeland Security News

WEEK OF JUNE 23, 2003

VOLUME 2 ISSUE 25

National Radar

IRAQI SCIENTIST TURNS OVER NUKE MFG COMPONENT

Read the news story HERE

FEARS OF TERROR ARRIVING VIA SHIP
Search underway For 10 Iraqi Agents

Read the news story HERE

U.S. WARNS TEXAS OF POSSIBLE TERRORISM

Read the news story HERE

COUNTERTERRORISM COOPERATION FACT SHEETS

At the US-EU Summit in Washington, DC this week, several Extradition and Mutual Legal Assistance Agreements were signed, giving police and prosecutors on both sides of the Atlantic new tools for fighting terrorism and other serious crimes. These agreements are the latest result of US-EU counterterrorism cooperation in the aftermath of 9/11.

The White House fact sheet is HERE
The EU fact sheet is HERE

FBI GUIDE TO CONCEALABLE WEAPONS 2003

In the wake of the 9/11 airline hijackings, the Firearms and Toolmarks Unit of the FBI Lab has started a collection of small and easily concealed knives. This document is the first installment of a continuing effort to collect and distribute information on knives that otherwise may be dismissed as non threatening items. Each knife is shown with an accompanying scale for size reference and many include an X-ray photograph to show how these weapons might appear if placed in luggage and passed through a scanning device. A fascinating document.

Access the document HERE

NAT'L ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON CHILDREN AND TERRORISM
Recommendations to the Secretary

This document represents the consensus recommendations of the National Advisory Committee on Children and Terrorism, a group composed of a variety of experts and professional organizations from the fields of public health, education, pediatrics, child development, psychiatry, emergency mgmt., disaster planning and child advocacy. The NACCT was established on 5/12/02 per the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), for the purpose of making recommendations to the Sec. of the Health and Human Services on matters related to terrorism and its impact on children.

Access the report HERE

EVACUATION PLAN

In today’s world, USGOV employees and family members must live with the possibility of an evacuation from their overseas post. Evacuations are stressful experiences: Where to go? What to take? What personal papers are necessary? Stresses and frustrations can be reduced by contingency planning on your part. Note that as this data was prepared for U.S. Department of State employees, not all of the guidance will apply to private citizens, but the information may still be helpful for planning purposes.

Access the testimony HERE

NUCLEAR SECURITY: NNSA Needs to Better Manage Its Safeguards and Security
Program

The attacks of 9/11 intensified long-standing concerns about the security at four nuclear weapons production sites and three national laboratories that design nuclear weapons. As most of these facilities store plutonium and uranium in a variety of forms, they can become targets for such actions as sabotage or theft. GAO reviewed how effectively NNSA manages its safeguards and security program, including oversight of contractor security operations.

Access the document HERE

TERRORISM: HOW SHOULD OUR SCHOOLS PREPARE FOR THIS THREAT?

Throughout the Middle East and in other parts of the world, schools have been the focus of terrorist activity in the past. As such, it is believed that circumstances warrant that school administrators and their security personnel adopt a heightened state of awareness. This document, prepared by the Texas School Safety Center, contains some precautions that school admin should consider.

Access the document HERE

Perishable Links Below

THREAT LEVEL COULD CHANGE FOR JULY 4TH

6.25

Watchdog agency flails Energy Dept. on security at labs 6.25

Homeland funds distributed 6.25

US lauds arrest of terror suspects 6.25

Extradition agreement eases strain between Europe and US 6.25

U.S. reopens its embassy in Kenyan Capital 6.25

House approves $29.4 billion for Homeland Security Dept. 6.25

Report to warn of new wave of al-Qaida terrorist activity 6.24

Transcripts released in Sept. 11 case 6.24

Al-Qaeda suspect moved to military custody 6.24

Missing cargo jet prompts Africa search 6.24

Bush names 3rd enemy combatant 6.24

Nato 'terror' tipoff on explosives ship sailing to Sudan 6.24

More than 100 federal air marshals have been fired 6.24

House approves first bill to finance DHS 6.24

Bali bombing suspect 'tortured' 6.23

Man charged with lying about bogus Al Qaeda plot 6.23

Feds form antiterror e-posse 6.23

2003 ISSUE ARCHIVE

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HOMELAND SECURITY STAT OF THE WEEK

Rumsfeld Speaks Before Senate Armed Services Committee on Costs of U.S. Military Operations

According to the New York Times:

Estimated military costs in Iraq have nearly doubled from $2 billion per month—the estimate issued by administration officials in April—to $3.9 billion a month
The cost of operations in Afghanistan is now $900 million to $950 million monthly
142,000 military personnel have returned to their home bases, although most of those serve in the Air Force and Navy, leaving the burden in Iraq to American ground forces
The current ground force figure, 145,000, is down from its peak of 151,000
35,000 Iraqi police officers have been hired
Plans call for training a new Iraqi army of 12,000 within one year and 40,000 within three years
19 nations now have forces supporting the Iraq effort; 19 others have promised troops, and discussions are under way with 11 more
Allied forces already in Iraq, and those committed, total 30,000

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New Class Locations Considered for Homeland Security Certificate The Certificate Program for Quality Management in Homeland Security, co-sponsored by the National Graduate School and the ANSER Institute for Homeland Security, may soon be coming to a location near you—if you express interest. The students in the initial program have completed their first month of instruction. The full program will include three more months of weekend instruction and practical application and will conclude with student projects conducted in cooperation with federal, state, and local agencies or private businesses. Because of the enthusiastic reception to this pilot program, ANSER and the National Graduate School are considering offering additional certificate programs in the fall. Locations under consideration include Austin, TX; Colorado Springs, CO; Boston, MA; St. Louis, MO; Norfolk, VA; and New London, CT. A second course in Washington, DC, is also under discussion. Additional locations are possible if interest warrants. Course start and location will be determined by demand and could begin as soon as September. If you would like this program to be taught in your area, please call (800) 838-2580 or visit the National Graduate School website to express an interest and reserve a spot on our waiting list. [View announcement]

Federal Government Lacks Bioterror Experts On Tuesday, the Partnership for Public Service released a new report on the federal government’s lack of bioterror experts. Homeland Insecurity: Building the Expertise to Defend America From Bioterrorism is the culmination of a year-long research effort assessing five federal biodefense agencies to identify biodefense staffing shortages and their implications. “Of all the steps we as a nation must take to protect ourselves from bioterror, a primary antidote is an outstanding and expert federal workforce,” said Max Stier, president and CEO of the Partnership for Public Service at a press conference discussing the report’s findings. Among those acknowledged in the report for their contributions is the Institute for Homeland Security’s Senior Fellow for Biodefense and Public Health Programs, Elin Gursky. [View press release] [View report]

Who Owns the Rights to Federally Sponsored Biomedical Inventions? The General Accounting Office this week released a report that examines the rights of government agencies to biomedical inventions created by federally funded research. The report examines “(1) who is eligible to use and benefit from the government’s license to federally funded biomedical inventions, (2) the extent to which the federal government has licenses to those biomedical inventions it procures or uses most commonly, and (3) the extent to which federal agencies and authorized federal funding recipients have actually used or benefited from these licenses.” [View report]

Inadequate Response to Bioterrorism Threat (Washington Times) On Wednesday, the Washington Times forwent its regular columnists and ran the following four commentaries, along with its lead editorial, analyzing the government’s job at addressing bioterrorism. The paper’s editorial board sees bioterrorism as lacking needed attention from the President and Congress. [View editorial]

Biological Terrors and Potentials “The most deadly and menacing attack using a weapon of mass destruction will not begin with a mushroom cloud overhead, horrific, yet instantly identifiable, as a nuclear strike,” writes Martin Schram, author of Avoiding Armageddon. “Nor will it begin with a panic in a subway below city streets, with people choking on a chemical that is unseen, yet unmistakably poisonous peril. The most deadly and menacing attack will begin with nothing visible or detectable to indicate there has even been an attack.” [View commentary]

Smallpox and Bioterrorism “The Iraq war is over, no WMD have yet been found and the administration’s smallpox plan appears to be running out of steam,” according to William Bicknell, former commissioner of Public Health in Massachusetts and a professor of International Health at Boston University’s School of Public Health, and Kenneth Bloem, former CEO of Stanford University Hospital and Georgetown University Medical Center. “Instead of being well on the way to vaccinating up to 10 million civilian health, emergency and public safety workers as called for by President Bush, we are stalled at 37,608. Our message to the nation’s health authorities: This is not the time to go wobbly on biodefense.” [View commentary]

The Power of Biomedical Research “The anthrax attacks in the fall of 2001, which occurred soon after the catastrophic terrorist assaults on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on September 11, have starkly exposed the vulnerability of the United States—and, indeed, the rest of the world—to bioterrorism,” writes Anthony S. Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the National Institutes of Health. [View commentary]

Battling Infectious Diseases “An enlightened approach to the problem of bioterrorism could, within a generation, eliminate bioweapons as agents of mass lethality,” write Tara O’Toole and Thomas Inglesby, director and deputy director, respectively, of the Johns Hopkins University Center for Civilian Biodefense Strategies. “Thus far, the government has taken a number of useful incremental steps intended to improve the country’s ability to withstand a bioterrorist attack, but the Bush administration and Congress are treating bioterrorism as though it is a public health problem with national security implications—not as a strategic threat to the nation. This is a mistake.” [View commentary]

National Press

Dissertation Could Be Security Threat (Washington Post) “Sean Gorman’s professor called his dissertation ‘tedious and unimportant.’ Gorman didn’t talk about it when he went on dates because ‘it was so boring they’d start staring up at the ceiling.’ But since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, Gorman’s work has become so compelling that companies want to seize it, government officials want to suppress it, and al Qaeda operatives—if they could get their hands on it—would find a terrorist treasure map,” reports the Washington Post. “… this George Mason University graduate student has mapped every business and industrial sector in the American economy, layering on top the fiber-optic network that connects them.” [View article]

On Iran, U.S. Opts for Peer Pressure (Christian Science Monitor) “Despite fresh evidence that Iran is accelerating and diversifying its suspected development of nuclear weapons, the Bush administration appears willing to wait and see—at least for now—if international pressure short of force can persuade the Tehran regime to give up its nuclear program,” according to the Christian Science Monitor. “The explanation can be found in the increasingly unified voice with which the international community is telling the Iranian government, in effect: ‘Forget the nukes, or face isolation.’” [View article]

CDC’s New Sense of Purpose (Federal Computer Week) “National concerns about bioterrorism have vaulted the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, once a behind-the-scenes agency, to the front lines of homeland security,” reports Federal Computer Week. “In the past two years, CDC has been given a new job description, shifting it from an agency known for researching and reporting diseases to one charged with protecting the nation from bioterrorism.” [View article]

Files Show a Stubborn North Korea (Christian Science Monitor) “New material emerging from secret archives opened in Moscow and Eastern bloc capitals is shedding light, mostly unfavorable, on the question of whether handing out aid to North Korea can buy any meaningful compliance,” reports the Christian Science Monitor. “A multinational group of scholars trawling through the Czech, Hungarian, Soviet, and East German archives is now producing the first clear picture of North Korea’s relationship with its key allies.” [View article]

Sept. 11 Probers Complain of Delays (San Francisco Chronicle) “Leaders of a federal commission investigating the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks complained Tuesday that the Bush administration had been too slow to provide access to key documents and was intimidating witnesses by insisting that CIA and FBI ‘minders’ attend sensitive interviews,” reports the Los Angeles Times. [View article]

Flu as a Terrorist Weapon? (Fox News) “Influenza—the flu—can keep victims in bed for a week with a runny nose, achy head and sore throat, but what are the chances the pesky virus will be used as a weapon of mass destruction? A group of scientists from the University of Texas says it could indeed be weaponized if dangerous strains get into the hands of terrorists,” Fox News reports. [View article]

Uneasiness About Security as Government Buys Software (New York Times) “Sitting at his laptop computer in a hotel near Toronto one day last October, Gregory Gabrenya was alarmed by what he discovered in the sales-support database of his new employer, Platform Software: the names of more than 30 employees of the United States National Security Agency,” reports the New York Times. “… The discovery crystallized his growing concern that the company was perhaps too lax about the national security needs of its United States government customers, in the military, intelligence and research.” [View article]

Public Health Corps Shakeup Planned (San Francisco Chronicle) “The Bush administration’s top health officials have announced a major reorganization to revitalize the 114-year-old Commissioned Corps of the U.S. Public Health Service, the uniformed force of health professionals,” reports the Washington Post. “Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson and Surgeon General Richard Carmona, commander of the corps, said [last] Thursday that increasing the size of the 5,500-strong force and improving its flexibility is necessary to ensure that it can continue to cope with emergencies and help medically underserved communities.” [View article]

New Pox Drugs (USA Today) “U.S. Army researchers confirmed Monday that early laboratory tests of several innovative drugs appear to kill several poxviruses, including monkeypox and cowpox, without harming normal cells,” reports USA Today. “ViroPharma’s research is still in its infancy, with human tests two years away. But the results so far look promising, said Marc Collett, vice president of ViroPharma, the Exeter, Pa., firm that winnowed the potential drugs from its bank of 450,000 chemical compounds.” [View article]

Don’t Wait for the Government to Secure Cyberspace (Network World Fusion) “If you’re waiting for the government to secure cyberspace, it’s going to be a while,” reports IDG News Service. “During a recent [chief security officer] roundtable in Boston, Richard Clarke, former special adviser to the president for cyberspace security, said that chief security officers looking for the federal government to take the lead on cybersecurity should look elsewhere. Though he praised the president’s National Strategy to Secure Cyberspace—a plan he helped draft—Clarke said that the massive new Department of Homeland Security, in theory the government’s lead agency for cybersecurity and threat information analysis, exists only on paper.” [View article]

International Press

France Ill-Equipped for Bioterror Attacks (Reuters) “France is one of the countries least prepared against bioterrorist attacks and should draw up a national plan to combat diseases that could be unleashed against its people, an official report said on Wednesday,” reports Reuters. “The report for the health and research ministries described possible terror attacks with biological weapons as a real danger that the French government has not taken seriously enough.” [View article]

Powell Adamant: Mugabe Must Step Down (SABC News) “Colin Powell, the American secretary of state, says the United States is still calling on President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe to step down,” according to the South African Broadcasting Corporation. “This comes after President Thabo Mbeki [President of South Africa and of the African National Congress] and US President George W. Bush met in Pretoria [Wednesday]. They discussed the Zimbabwe situation, saying they both agreed that change was needed.” [View article]

Diluted Vaccine Could Counter Smallpox Threat (Health Newswire) “Adults who were vaccinated against smallpox in their youth can be successfully re-vaccinated with a diluted form of the vaccine—allowing precious stockpiles to stretch further, US research suggests,” according to Health Newswire. “The team from Saint Louis University also report that fewer side effects appear with the diluted form of the vaccine Dryvax.” [View article]

Made-in-America Middle East (Toronto Globe and Mail) “Whatever one thinks about the motives for the war in Iraq, the United States’ military victory and its occupation of that country has transformed the politics of the entire region,” reports the Globe and Mail. “The U.S. is now a Middle East power and its presence holds the key to the recent Israeli-Palestinian ceasefire. The Israeli and Palestinian prime ministers, Arab leaders in the region, and even extremist groups such as Hamas, have all been affected by the U.S. agenda. And, shaky though it may be, this ceasefire has a greater chance of success than earlier failed efforts.” [View article]

Iran: Nuclear Bandit or Simple Tough Guy? (Radio Netherlands) “UN nuclear watchdog chief Mohamed el-Baradei” was scheduled to begin work “Wednesday in Tehran, attempting to persuade the Iranian government to agree to an enhanced nuclear inspection regime,” reports Radio Netherlands. “If successful, the new agreement will allow International Atomic Energy Agency … teams to carry out inspections at any site in Iran without prior warning.” In an interview with Radio Netherlands’ “Claire Cavanagh, Iran expert Shahram Chubin, of the Geneva Centre for Security Policy, points out that most Iranians see no connection between missiles and nuclear weapons.” [View article]

Experts Say That Terrorism Funding Is Hard to Control (Islam Online) “As Malaysia urged the Asia-Europe Meeting … to adopt a practical approach in combating terror financing and money laundering on Sunday, July 6, experts see it harder due to innovative ways contrived by terrorist groups to evade finance control,” Islam Online reports. [View article]

Bush’s Plans for Biolabs Run Into Trouble (Hindustan Times) “A $2.5 billion plan to build laboratories across the US to study biological weapons has evoked fears of diseases and terror attacks and many fear it will turn neighbourhoods into security zones,” reports the Indo-Asian News Service. “In a two-month investigation, UPI found roughly 20 existing high-level bio-defence labs and proposals or plans to double that number through new construction and upgrades.” [View article]

Terrorism Camp Discusses Australia (Melbourne Age) “A self-confessed bagman behind the Bali bombing said Australia had been discussed as a target at a terrorist training camp in the Philippines,” reports the Australian Associated Press. “The Algerian-born Parisian, who gave his name as Mostafa, said he collected money for the Bali bomb attacks on October 12 last year from the terrorist camp on the island of Jolo.” [View article]

Putin Says Russia Won’t Give in to Terrorism (London Guardian) “In the wake of twin suicide attacks at a Moscow rock festival, President Vladimir Putin vowed Monday that Russia would not give in to terrorism and asserted that Chechen rebels are supported by international groups,” the Associated Press reports. “The separatist rebels that have been fighting Russian forces for nearly four years in Chechnya are seen by officials as being behind the Saturday blasts that killed 15 people, including the two female bombers, and injured scores.” [View article]

Indian Congress Accuses Leading Party of Compromise on National Security (The Hindu) India’s Congress on Monday accused the National Democratic Alliance Government at the Centre, led by the Bharatiya Janata Party, of having “‘compromised on national security’ by striving for soft options on the Jammu and Kashmir issue with Pakistan, and being weak-kneed in combating terrorism,” reports The Hindu. “… Congress president Sonia Gandhi also said ‘the party stands fully prepared, ready at any time, this year or next to face midterm polls’ while referring to the talk of the Vajpayee government’s move to advance the elections.” [View article]

Nepal and India to Cooperate in Combating Terrorism (Sify News) “The third meeting of the India-Nepal Interpol officers concluded [in Kathmandu] with a commitment to devise joint mechanisms to combat terrorism, narcotic smuggling, human trafficking and other crimes,” Sify News reports. “‘Nepalese and Indian officials agreed to devise an effective mechanism to strengthen the existing mutual cooperation by sharing intelligence and rendering pro-active assistance,’ an Indian embassy press statement said on Sunday.” [View article]

State and Local News

Baltimore Police Hope New Boats Lead to Smooth Sailing (Baltimore Sun) “In an upgrade that Baltimore police liken to exchanging a broken-down 1968 Volkswagen for a fully loaded new Lexus that corners and accelerates like a sports car, city officers are now patrolling Baltimore’s waterways in a sophisticated boat that they say will play a crucial role in homeland security,” reports the Sun. [View article]

Kentucky Allows Smallpox Shots Despite Warning (Louisville Courier-Journal) “Kentucky’s bioterrorism preparedness plans for the next year include vaccinating emergency workers against smallpox, though a panel of medical experts last month advised against giving the vaccine to this group,” reports the Courier-Journal. [View article]

New York: Tough Job to Sniff Out Terror (New York Daily News) “Touting a new high-tech anti-terror program, city and federal officials boasted last month they had placed sensors on several Manhattan buildings to track nuclear, biological and chemical agents,” reports the Daily News. “But don’t count on the system—eventually expected to cost a staggering $40 million a year—to offer any protection against an attack. Not for years.” [View article]

Seattle: Getting a Piece of the $30 Billion Security Pie Is Not Easy for Local Businesses (Seattle Times) “Bob Shuman of Seattle-based Vigilos traveled 3,000 miles and spent $10,000, and virtually all he had to show for it was a lesson: It’s difficult to sell to the government,” according to the Seattle Times. “Until last week. On Thursday, the security software company finally nailed its first homeland-security contract—with the Port of Seattle.” [View article]

University of Texas Engineering Gets $1 Million to Study Decontaminants (News 8 Austin) “The Department of Defense has contracted with engineers at The University of Texas to study bioterror decontamination. Engineering Professor Richard Corsi received a $1 million contract. His team will look at the physical and chemical interactions among three airborne decontaminants used in buildings,” reports News 8 Austin. [View article]

Private-Sector News

Chat Rooms During an Emergency? (Washington Technology) Bruce Barney, the director of technical operations for the Capital Wireless Integrated Network project, “envisions a day when police and emergency personnel responding to a major disaster in the Washington region will immediately share information electronically as they arrive at the incident,” reports Washington Technology. “The first officer on the scene, he said, will create a file on his [or] her mobile laptop for the emergency. As other responders arrive, they will communicate through instant messaging, using icons identifying them as police, fire, emergency personnel or highway safety.” [View article]

DOR BioPharma Gets Worldwide Rights to Ricin Vaccine (Business Wire) DOR BioPharma “has executed an exclusive worldwide license agreement with the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas … to license issued U.S. patent and pending patent applications pertaining to all injectable uses of novel recombinant ricin A chain mutants as vaccines to protect against poisoning by ricin,” reports Business Wire. “In January, the Company announced an exclusive option agreement, which covers the development of nasal, pulmonary and oral ricin vaccines.” [View article]

Where’s Big Brother? (Entrepreneur) “Whose job should it be to see that terrorists don’t unleash a computer virus that cripples the air traffic control system?” asks Entrepreneur. “Who will prevent enemy nations from stealing nuclear weapons secrets from U.S. government computers over the Internet? Who should keep rival entrepreneurs from downloading trade secrets from your company’s computers or those of another firm? Who should regulate the Internet?” There are “few really viable” candidates. [View article]

Bioterror Bill Offers Shot in the Arm for Life Sciences (Mass High Tech) “Most biotech executives have reached prominence because of their knowledge of the hard sciences,” according to Mass High Tech. “But they would be wise to take a crash course in Government 101 if they want access to new sources of funding. The reason? The federal government is poised to invest billions of dollars in life sciences companies as part of its drive for national biosecurity.” [View article]

Small Robot Tackles Bombs (Ottawa Business Journal) “Ottawa’s EOD Performance is ready to break into the huge American homeland security market with a small orange robot built to take on big responsibilities,” reports the Ottawa Business Journal. “The company, which began its fifth year last month, is the developer of the Vanguard, a tracked robot less than a metre long that fits easily into the trunk of a car. The Vanguard is targeted at the explosive ordnance disposal market, from which the company takes its name.” [View article]

Syncline Introduces MapCiti Viewer for Local Government (Business Wire) Syncline on Tuesday “announced its MapCiti(TM) Homeland Security Viewer, which was developed in response to customer requests for assistance with the implementation of homeland security measures at the local government level,” reports Business Wire. “The Viewer is ideal for informing and preparing the public. For example, in the event of a small pox outbreak, it can help citizens find the location of nearby vaccination centers.” [View article]

ClearOne Audio Products Chosen for Federal Command Center (PRNewswire) “Audio products from ClearOne Communications … have been installed in a new federal government command center in Washington, D.C.,” reports PRNewswire. “The command center is part of the Homeland Security effort to upgrade security systems that protect vital government assets.” [View article]

Spescom Launches eB MAPS Software to Help Antiterror Planning (Business Wire) Spescom Software, formerly Altris Software, on Tuesday launched eB MAPS software, enabled by a geographic information system, to “help officials prepare mitigation and response plans to terrorist attacks and natural disasters,” reports Business Wire. The software “was developed in response to the Department of Homeland Security’s National Strategy for the Physical Protection of Critical Infrastructures and Key Assets issued in February.” [View article]

Commentary

Criteria for Homeland Security Grants Must Change (Portsmouth [NH] Herald) “What we all feared would happen may actually come to pass,” says the Portsmouth Herald. “It looks as if providing security for places like the Port of New Hampshire here in Portsmouth will become another unfunded mandate imposed on us by the federal government.… it looks as if the port’s application for a $7.8 million grant from the Transportation Security Agency will be turned down because the facility just doesn’t do enough business to warrant the expenditure.” [View commentary]

Security Against Homeland Pork (New York Times) “The big boom in lobbying in Washington in the past 18 months has been in the lucrative world of homeland security, where the roll of new registrants intent on selling the government antiterror products and services has grown fivefold, to 799 and counting,” says the New York Times. “That is a whole new level of competitive importuning, contact wooing and just plain salivating after this year’s $30 billion budget at the new Department of Homeland Security.” [View commentary]

When Immigration Reform Helps Homeland Security (Washington Post) “Tucked away in Tom Ridge’s bulging portfolio as the Cabinet secretary charged with securing U.S. territory from future terrorist attacks is the ambitious yet unstated goal of legitimizing illegal immigrants currently in this country,” writes Marcela Sanchez in the Washington Post. “Neither Ridge nor anyone in the White House will say this publicly, yet logic makes it apparent. Terrorists, after all, are people, and it is among people, particularly those 8 million to 9 million living here with no legal status, that those terrorists can easily hide.” [View commentary]

Let the Sun Shine In (Charlotte Observer) “Since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the Bush administration and Congress have expanded the kinds of information that are withheld from the public in order to protect national security,” writes Danielle Brian, executive director of the Project On Government Oversight, in the Charlotte Observer. “The Homeland Security Act may put too much information about chemical, nuclear and other privately owned facilities out of public reach. A more careful approach to handling sensitive information was surely needed after Sept. 11. However, overreaching secrecy has created a new set of problems.” [View commentary]

We Can’t Afford to Be Complacent (Pembroke [Ontario] Daily Observer) “The government of Canada doesn’t seem to realize that our country is threatened every day, every hour, by a terrorist attack,” says the Daily Observer. “Prime Minister Jean Chretien is so busy trying to polish his own political legacy, attacking U.S. President George Bush and appointing his cronies to high political offices, to pay much attention to the possibility of terrorist acts.” [View commentary]

Upcoming Events

Featured Events

Safeguarding Australia: Frontline Issues (31 July–1 August; Canberra) The Australian Defence Studies Centre is presenting a conference about how Australia should address its vulnerabilities from the federal to local levels. Decision making and beneficial technological advances regarding homeland security will also be discussed. Speakers will include top-level representatives of government departments and agencies and nongovernment institutions dealing with homeland security. Additionally, professionals from first-responder communities will speak. The conference is aimed at a broad range of people, including scientists, business execs, intelligence analysts, health care professionals, and military officials. [View conference website]

Critical Incident Recovery (15–16 September; London) SMi’s inaugural conference on critical incident recovery is the sister conference to SMi’s hugely successful conference on homeland security. The new conference will cover the post-incident activity from a terrorist or strategic attack. It will address current thought on the planning for and responses to terrorist attacks, lessons learned from previous attacks, and how these lessons have been implemented in planning for any future incidents. The conference includes speakers from government organizations, health authorities, law enforcement agencies, and financial and commercial institutions. Attendees will have the opportunity to learn not only how to plan for a terrorist attack but also how to respond effectively and efficiently to such an event. For more information contact Teri Arri at +44 (0) 207-827-6162. [View conference website]

The Biometric Consortium Conference (22–24 September; Arlington, VA) This conference will include over two and a half days of presentations, seminars, and panel discussions on the latest trends in biometrics research and applications plus the role of biometric identification’s relation to security and privacy issues. Presenters and panelists will include internationally recognized experts in biometric technologies, system and application developers, IT business strategists, and government and commercial officers. Featured at the conference will be a special session devoted to the latest scholarly research applicable to new and future biometric verification and identification technologies. [View conference website]

Homeland Security/Combating Terrorism Conference (27–31 October; Albuquerque, NM) Sandia National Laboratories, the Isleta Police Department, the University of New Mexico, the U.S. Department of Justice, and New Mexico Tech University have teamed up with national, state, county, and local police, fire, and emergency medical agencies to organize “Tribute to America’s Heroes Week.” Activities will include a Homeland Security/Combating Terrorism Training Conference for public safety personnel nationwide. [View website]

Economic Security Public-Private Partnership Strategies Preparedness & Response (28–30 October; Lexington, VA) Sponsored by the Virginia Military Institute and the Commonwealth of Virginia, this will be the first Governor’s Homeland Security Conference for Virginia. Hosts will be Virginia Governor Mark Warner, U.S. Senator John Warner, and U.S. Representative Bob Goodlatte. [View conference website]

Additional Events of Interest

International Cargo Security Summit (15–17 July; Chicago) This conference will address the practicalities of managing security risks throughout the supply chain and how effective counterterrorism measures can be employed by all cargo transporters and by related third parties. [View conference website]

Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response (21 July; Los Angeles) Harvard Medical School, Harvard Medical International, Harvard School of Public Health, and Key3Media Group, Inc., will host the last in a series of educational workshops preceding the BioSecurity 2003 conference. Representatives from government, defense, medicine, and academia, as well as public policy makers and public health officials, will participate in targeted workshops hosted by leading experts in the areas of preparation and response, information technology and evaluation of new technology for first responders to terrorism events, and bioterrorism outbreak intervention strategies. [View conference website]

MIT Summer Session Course on Combatting Bioterrorism: Organizational Response (21–23 July; Cambridge, MA) The threat of bioterrorism requires a coordinated response that challenges the ability of public and private organizations to cooperate under stress. This course examines the various institutional and professional obstacles to cooperation and strategies to overcome them. The course, taught by Massachusetts Institute of Technology Security Studies Program affiliates and public health experts, reviews the historical experience and outlines the policy alternatives. [View course website]

Local Response to Terrorism: 9-11 Lessons Learned (28–30 July; Arlington, VA) This conference will bring together teams of high-level policymakers from local jurisdictions to learn from Arlington County’s experiences in responding to the terrorist attack on the Pentagon and to work as a team to analyze the response capacity within their own jurisdictions. [View conference website]

Understanding Terrorism: Philosophical Issues (11–13 September, Los Angeles) This conference brings together scholars to explore philosophical issues generated by critical reflection on terrorism and other questions in an environment of open inquiry and dialogue. [View conference website]

ASIS International 2003 Seminar & Exhibits (15–18 September; New Orleans) At this conference sponsored by the American Society for Industrial Security International, security professionals will find everything pertinent to their security beat. Participants will find 135 educational sessions, organized into ten areas of interest, with a special emphasis on homeland security and tracks on crisis and emergency management, physical security, information security, legal issues, management, investigations, crime and loss prevention, human resources, and certified protection professionals. [View conference website]

Mass Spectrometry in Homeland Security: Past, Present and Future (16–18 September; Knoxville, TN) The goal of this workshop is to raise the awareness among mass spectrometrists, the wider scientific community, policy makers, and funding sponsors of mass spectrometry’s prominent past and current roles in national security, as well as to highlight recent and yet-to-come advances that will make it an even more important national security technology. The workshop will foster interaction among those involved to help chart a course forward for the use of mass spectrometry in homeland security. [View conference website]

Homeland Security—Weapons of Mass Destruction (Nuclear and Chem/Bio Terrorism) (25–26 September; Washington, DC) An intensive conference and exhibition with plenaries and workshops led by global experts from government and industry. [View conference website]

Maritime Security Expo Europe (1–2 October; Hamburg, Germany) This event will include a high-level pan-European conference with more than 2,000 buyers expected from throughout Europe, the United States, and Asia and over 100 exhibitors from around the globe. [View conference website]

Fall 2003 Biometrics Summit (15–17 October; Las Vegas, NV) This conference is run by the Advanced Learning Institute. Visit www.aliconferences.com or call (312) 362-9100 to register; mention special processing code CAL.

Maritime Security Expo USA 2003 (29–30 October; New York) This event will feature a 2-day international conference and exhibit hall showcasing state-of-the-art technologies, products, and services. An expected 2,500 attendees from 30 countries and over 200 exhibitors from around the world will participate. [View conference website]

International Assn. of Emergency Managers (15–19 November; Orlando, FL) This year’s conference will stress the importance of private-sector and public-sector disaster preparedness and homeland security collaboration. Planned sessions include “Public Health and Emergency Management,” “Profiles of Successful Corporate Emergency Management Programs,” “Military Resources for Disaster Preparedness,” and “The Latest in Emergency Management Research.” [View conference website]

Calls for Papers

Workshop on Applied Imagery Pattern Recognition: Imagery and Data Fusion (15–17 October; Washington, DC) Papers are invited on the use of fusing data with images in homeland security, among other topics. Last date for abstract submission is 15 July. Contact Jim Aanstoos (General Chair) at [email protected] or Elmer Williams (Program Chair) at [email protected]. [View conference website]

37th Midyear Topical Meeting of the Health Physics Society (8–11 February 2004; Augusta, GA) Papers are invited on “Air Monitoring for Homeland Security,” among other topics. Last date for abstract submission is 1 August. Contact Sue Burk at [email protected] or Lori Strong at [email protected]. [View conference website]

This week’s Newsletter is sponsored by

www.bloomreport.com

“What every individual should know and can do to help their family understand the threat.”

Homeland Security Information Bulletin

The following information, recently received from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, is forwarded for your information. It may be further disseminated without restriction in any manner you chose.

Homeland Security Information Bulletin

Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) Materials and Effects

May 28, 2003

This Bulletin is being disseminated for information purposes only. Al-Qaeda and sympathetic terrorists groups continue to demonstrate their interest in mass-casualty attacks using chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) weapons. Although we possess no specific information indicating that Al-Qaeda or other groups are currently planning a CBRN attack in the United States, such an attack cannot be ruled out. This bulletin does not contain threat warning information. The following information summarizes a recent FBI Bulletin on typical agents and CBRN devices available to Al-Qaeda and other terrorist groups.

Chemical Agents

Terrorists have considered a wide range of toxic chemicals for attacks. Typical plots focus on poisoning foods or spreading the agent on surfaces to poison via skin contact, but some also include broader dissemination techniques.

Terrorists have considered using a number of toxic cyanide compounds. Sodium or potassium cyanides are white-to-pale yellow salts that can be easily used to poison food or drinks. Cyanide salts can be disseminated as a contact poison when mixed with chemicals that enhance skin penetration, but may be easily detected since victims will notice touching wet or greasy surfaces.

Hydrogen cyanide (HCN) and cyanogen chloride (CICN) are colorless-to-pale yellow liquids that turn into a gas near room temperature. HCN may or may not have an odor of bitter almonds, and CICN has an acrid choking odor and causes burning pain in the victim's eyes. Although these signs may provide warning to enable evacuation or ventilation of the attack site before the agent reaches a lethal concentration, no one should rely on their senses alone to determine the potential risk for exposure. Both HCN and CICN must be released at a high concentration to be effective; therefore, leaving or ventilating the area can reduce the agents' lethality.

Exposure to cyanides may produce nausea, vomiting, palpitations, confusion, hyperventilation, anxiety, and vertigo that may progress to agitation, stupor, coma, and death. At high doses, cyanides cause immediate collapse. Medical treatments must be administered immediately for severely exposed victims.

Mustard gas is a blister agent that poses a contact and vapor hazard. Its color ranges from clear to dark brown depending on purity, and it emits a characteristic garlic-like odor. Mustard is a viscous (gelatinous) liquid at room temperature; it converts to a gas as the temperature increases. Initial skin contact causes mild skin irritation, which develops into more severe yellow fluid-filled blisters.

Inhalation of mustard damages the lungs, causes breathing difficulties, and death by suffocation in severe cases due to water in the lungs. Symptoms appear within 2 to 24 hours. Medical treatments are available for victims of mustard-agent poisoning.

Sarin, tabun, and VX are highly toxic agents that disrupt a victim's nervous system by blocking the transmission of nerve signals. Exposure to nerve agents causes constriction of the pupils, salivation, and convulsions that can lead to death. Medical treatments must be administered immediately for severely exposed victims.

While not as toxic as cyanide, mustard, or nerve agents, a wide range of toxic industrial chemicals can be used in much larger quantities to compensate for their lower toxicity. For example, chlorine is an industrial chemical that is transported in shipments by road and rail. Rupturing the container can easily disseminate the gas. The effects of chlorine are similar to those of mustard. Organophosphate pesticides such as parathion are in the same chemical class as nerve agents. Although these pesticides are much less toxic, their effects
and medical treatments are the same as for military-grade nerve agents.

Biological Agents

Bacillus anthracis, the bacterium that causes anthrax, is an attractive biological threat
agent because it forms spores which are resistant to harsh environmental conditions.
Symptoms usually appear within one to six days after exposure and include fever, malaise,
fatigue, and shortness of breath. Inhalation anthrax is usually fatal unless antibiotic
treatment is started prior to the onset of symptoms; however, it is not contagious.
Anthrax can be disseminated in an aerosol or used to contaminate food or water to cause
inhalational or ingestional anthrax, respectively. Cutaneous anthrax can be caused by
skin contact with B. anthracis. This form of the disease, which is easily treated with
antibiotics, is rarely fatal.

Botulinum toxin is produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum, which occurs
naturally in the soil. Crude but viable methods to produce small quantities of this
lethal toxin have been found in terrorist training manuals. Symptoms usually occur 24 to
36 hours after exposure, but onset of illness may take several days if the toxin is
present in low doses. Symptoms include vomiting, abdominal pain, muscular weakness, and
visual disturbance. Botulinum toxin would be effective in small-scale poisonings or
aerosol attacks in enclosed spaces. The toxin molecule is likely too large to penetrate
intact skin.

Ricin is a plant toxin that is 30 times more potent than the nerve agent VX by weight and
is readily obtainable by extraction from common castor beans. There is no treatment for
ricin poisoning after it has entered the bloodstream. Victims start to show symptoms
within hours to days after exposure, depending on the dosage and route of administration.
Terrorist have looked at delivering ricin in foods and as a contact poison, although
there is no scientific data indicating that ricin can penetrate intact skin. Ricin will
remain stable in foods as long as they are not heated, and it will have few indicators
because it does not have a strong taste and is off-white in color.

Radiological and Nuclear Devices

A radiological dispersal device (RDD) is designed to disperse radioactive material to
cause contamination from the radioactive material. An RDD can be almost any size, defined
only by the amount of radioactive material and explosives.

-- A passive RDD is a system in which unshielded radioactive material is dispersed or
placed manually at the target.

-- An explosive RDD--often called a "dirty bomb"--is any device that uses the explosive
force of detonation to disperse radioactive material.

-- An atmospheric RDD is any system in which radioactive material is dispersed into a
form that is easily transported by air currents.

Use of an RDD by terrorists could result in health, environmental, and economic effects
as well as political and social effects. While unlikely to cause mass casualties or
extensive destruction, it will cause fear, injury, and possibly lead to levels of
contamination requiring costly and time-consuming cleanup efforts.

A variety of radioactive materials are commonly available and could be used in a RDD,
including Cesium-137, Strontium-90, and Cobalt-60. Hospitals, universities, factories,
construction companies, and laboratories are possible sources for these radioactive
materials.

An improvised nuclear device (IND) is intended to cause a yield-producing nuclear
explosion. An IND could consist of diverted nuclear weapon components, a modified nuclear
weapon, or indigenous-designed device.

INDs can be categorized into two types: implosion and gun assembled. Unlike RDDs that can
be made with almost any radioactive material, INDs require fissile material--highly
enriched uranium or plutonium--to produce nuclear yield.

More detailed information on the medical aspects of chemical, biological, and nuclear
weapons threats can be found at the following Internet site: CIA, CBR Incident Handbook
www.cia.gov/CIA/Publications/cbr-handbook/cbrbook.html.

Information related to suspicious activities potentially related to terrorist
use of CBRN should be forwarded immediately to the nearest Joint Terrorism Task
Force.

DHS encourages individuals to report information regarding suspicious or criminal
activity to law enforcement or a Homeland Security watch office. Individuals may report
incidents online at http://www.nipc.gov/incident/cirr.htm. Federal agencies/departments
may report incidents online at http://www.fedcirc.gov/reportform.html. Contact numbers
for the IAIP watch centers are: for private citizens and companies, (202) 323-3205,
1-888-585-9078 or [email protected]; for the telecom industry, (703) 607-4950 or
[email protected]; and for Federal agencies/departments, (888) 282-0870 [email protected].