Rescue Points to Ponder: TERRORISM
BY RAY DOWNEY
Prisoners of war? No, just members of the Fire Department of New York and the United States Marine Corps Chemical and Biological Incident Response Force being deconned during a training exercise at the Fire Department Training Academy in New York City. Preparing for responses to weapons of mass destruction (WMD) incidents is a major effort being undertaken by most fire departments around the country.
What level of preparedness is required for your department?
Has your city, town, village, or district ever done a threat and vulnerability assessment?
Does your Emergency Response Plan address responses to WMD incidents?
What types of training have your members had regarding WMD?
Do you have any type of partnership with law enforcement regarding intelligence about WMD?
Do you have mutual-aid agreements for WMD incidents?
What kind of help can you expect from the government and the military? n
n RAY DOWNEY is a battalion chief, chief of rescue operations, and a 37-year veteran of the Fire Department of New York. The former captain of Rescue Company 2, he is the USAR task force leaders representative to FEMA for all 26 teams and is a member of FEMA`s Advisory Committee. Downey is also the author of the book The Rescue Company, the video Rescue Operational Planning: Factors for Success, and the video series Collapse Rescue for the Fire Service, published by Fire Engineering.
