Featured Article -- April 2006

Working together for effective response

Submitted by the Overland Park, Kan., Fire Department

Overland Park bomb squad personnel conduct trainingwith fire department Haz-Mat technicians

Terrorism response requires expertise from multiple disciplines to solve complex issues. Consider, for example, the variety of personnel and equipment needed to respond to this hypothetical situation:  

A suspicious package arrives at a large, well known firm, drawing attention from the mail room staff. The package is addressed to the CEO and has excessive postage with no return address on it. The alert mail clerk calls the local fire department and notifies law enforcement. The fire department’s Haz-Mat team responds, along with police bomb squad personnel, to assess the situation. After receiving a briefing from the mail clerk, it is determined that a joint Bomb/Haz-Mat entry should be made to assess the package. Dressed in chemical protective clothing and bomb suits, police and fire personnel approach the package and begin their assessment. Haz-Mat personnel use instrumentation to assess radiation and chemical hazards, while bomb personnel use digital x-ray equipment to determine if the package contains an explosive device.

This scenario is becoming more common than one might think. The “bad guys” are more creative about incorporating hazardous chemicals into explosive devices, and the complexity of this type of event requires both police and fire resources. Even before September 11th, fire and police personnel in Overland Park were working and training together for a variety of emergency situations. The training has given personnel confidence in handling potentially dangerous situations, and builds trust among police and fire personnel. The city is proud of its police department and the efforts they have made to help train Haz-Mat personnel to recognize and respond safely to potentially explosive situations.

 

The threat level in the airline sector is HIGH or Orange. See www.dhs.gov for details.

An online Suspicious Activity Report Form (SAR) will be available soon.