Genovese, James A.

CB Counter Terrorism Team, U.S. Army SBCCOM
Attn: SCBRD-RTB
Aberdeen Proving Grounds
Edgewood, MD 21010
USA

Effective response to chemical/biological incidents will require proactive integration of both response sectors of our government - military and civilian.  This integrated framework should optimize response mission effectiveness and minimize the casualties to all emergency responders at any level of government.

A variety of toxic materials could be utilized by the non-conventional terrorist including both chemical and biological agents.  Toxic industrial chemicals, as well as military-unique CB hazards may pose unique challenges to our current systems of individual protection.  Because our incident responders could be confronted with such a broad spectrum of hazards: chemical or biological; very toxic to mildly toxic; interior vs. exterior events, etc., it is paramount that we approach these response issues from a systems perspective.

With regard to protective posture, operations and technology need to be thoroughly ingrained in this process.  Three interrelated factors should become the focus for future developments.  These are: 1) External environment (The WORLD), which includes the range of hazards the responders may experience 2) Protective ensemble (The BARRIER) which involves the continuing assessment of protective system capabilities including protection factors, logistics, and others 3) Internal environment (YOU) that assesses the physiological effects of the responder in specific ensembles in specific operational scenarios.