Bomb at City Hall: First Responder Protocol

Bomb at City Hall:

First Responder Protocol

Situation:

Current facts as of today are is that a bomb of some type has exploded at City Hall, that an anonymous individual has called in to claim responsibility, and that he or she has indicated that a toxic substance (of unknown type) has been released during the event.

First Responder Role:

As one of the lead officers in the "first responder" team in the city, it is my job to use Terrorism Response principles as part of an overall damage control/containment strategy. This strategy will include four components, including the preliminary evaluation, scene safety, lifesaving efforts and scene protection, and security and control. Of course, of particular concern will be possible exposure to biological or chemical toxins.

The Scene:

Preliminary Evaluation

Of course, when a first responder comes upon any scene, including the one we are faced with today, the first essential step is what is known as the "size up" assessment (Staten, 1997). In simple terms, this means exactly what one might think. It involves "taking in" just what one can observe from the scene -- including casualties, obvious damage or mode of damage, as well as the potential for continuing damage or "secondary attacks." Additionally, this step also includes the initial steps of scene control as well as the establishment of appropriate perimeters-with the goals of preventing any new injuries/casualties, preventing the loss or contamination of evidence, as well as possibly preventing the spread of contagions or other toxic substances (including chemicals) out of the immediate incident area (Staten).

Scene Safety:

Although it is true that there are four main components to most first responder activities, it is important to note that several of the activities occur either at the same time or closely following one another. Of course, scene safety measures are an excellent example of this fact.

The simple truth is there are often immediate casualties or injuries (as is the case here) that require immediate and intensive care. However, as much as possible, given the nature of the threat (and the likelihood of chemical or biological attack), it is also essential to conduct a fast Pre-entry examination that determines the necessity of the use of appropriate clothing and equipment. In this case, it was clear from before arriving that toxic agents were likely to be present. Although as of yet this has not been conclusively determined, we moved using clothing, breathing, and contact precautions appropriate to such a possibility.

Lifesaving Efforts and Scene Protection:

Of course, of paramount importance to the first responder is lifesaving efforts. However, as previously noted, this is done whether the utmost caution and the use of special equipment, clothing, and precautions. This is not merely for the safety of the responders, however -- but it is also important due to the possible risk of continued contamination beyond the perimeter through unwitting transmission of aid and/or law enforcement responders. Thus, they must be able to establish the crucial "line in the sand,(Sanderford, 1999)" over which further contamination cannot spread -- especially as a result of their own efforts.

Once this requirement is fulfilled, and the injured have been helped as much as possible by the responding officers and arriving EMS, it is essential to contain the scene by securing the area. In this case, we included the requisite "secondary threat" sweep to determine if we could identify any additional explosive devices that could injure us or others as responders. We also set up a perimeter -- both to secure the scene, and to prevent any further possible contamination, and we also set up a "base" at the front of this area through which all further activities (including EMS and agent testing operations) could be centrally launched (OFM, 2003).

Security and Control:

Some Considerations

Although it may be the last thing that most lay people have on their minds when they think of the steps necessary in responding to a terrorist attach situation, today's bombing underscores the immense importance that security and control measures have on the outcome of any incident.