INCIDENT INDICATORS

AND
DISSEMINATION DEVICES
At the end of this lesson, you will be
able to:

Describe the indicators of possible

criminal or terrorist activity involving
CBRN agents.
Characterize unusual trends, which
may indicate a CBRN incident.
Recognize a potential CBRN agent
dissemination device, and describe
how they may be used by terrorists.
 CBRN Attack Incident
Indicators

What You May Observe

1. Chemical rapid onset of symptoms
(minutes to hours)
2. Biological Much slower signs of
symptoms (days to weeks)
3. Radiological Not easily recognized and
symptoms appear only in extreme
circumstances
 Once the First responder realizes that
the scene is not as it seems (the
unknown incident), they must react
and assume that it is a CBRN
incident.

What happen in Tokyo 1995?

Understand the animal and you can

tame the animal
 CHEMICAL INCIDENT
INDICATORS

3 main indicators

Mass casualties
Similar symptoms
Casualties in specific areas
INTELLIGENCE INDICATORS OF CHEMICAL
AGENTS : PRECURSOR CHEMICALS
 BIOLOGICAL INCIDENT
INDICATORS

Casualties days later

Hospitals may be first to notice unusual
trends
Wide variety of symptoms
Public show up at hospitals days later
showing flu-like systems and
overwhelming the hospital community.
Not your typical suicidal terrorist using
bio. for mass casualties.
 INTELLIGENCE INDICATORS OF
BIOLOGICAL AGENT: RESOURCE
MATERIALS
Kurt Saxon: Poor Mans James Bond
 When a group has been found to be
in possession of related literature it
is a good indicator of activity with
biological agents.

This type of literature is not found in

your everyday person working at
home. Possible CBRN indicators.
 INTELLIGENCE INDICATORS OF
BIOLOGICAL AGENT: PRECURSOR
CHEMICALS OR BIOLOGICAL
CULTURES
INTELLIGENCE INDICATORS OF
BIOLOGICAL AGENT: IPE

Again when groups acquire

protective equipment such as
gloves, masks etc this is
another indicator.
 RADIOLOGICAL INCIDENT
INDICATORS

Increasing numbers of sick or dying

(extreme circumstances)

In most cases, no symptoms

Casualties may not be near the original

incident but are contaminated
Radiological indicators are unique and
present differently. They might include:

Groups stealing or purchasing equipment

as per above list.
Groups trying to recruit or acquire people
with scientific or medical training.
Groups actively discussing radiological
weapons.
 INTELLIGENCE INDICATORS OF
RADIOLOGICAL MATERIALS:
RADIATION DETECTION EQUIPMENT

Instrumentation is a clear sign that a group either has or had

radioactive materials in their possession or are in the process or
readying themselves to acquire radioactive materials
 Radioactive materials are heavily
regulated in most countries.
There are many international agreements
in place to currently repossess orphan
radioactive materials and especially
nuclear materials.

The IAEA and US are aggressively trying to

acquire nuclear weapons grade materials
from rogue operatives who are trying to
sell such materials to Al-Qaeda.
Arrests have also been made against
individuals who are currently trying to
traffic such materials.
 WHERE CAN RADIOACTIVE
MATERIAL BE FOUND?

Nuclear Facilities
Hospitals
Research, educational laboratories
Industrial manufacturing
facilities/testing
 CONCLUSION
1. Pre-Incident - unusual trends,
recruiting of CBRN expertise.
2. Incident in Progress devices,
device location
3. Post Incident what would a scene
look like immediately after a CBRN
incident.
DISSEMINATION DEVICES
 Devices Design and Function

In trying to assess what might be the present

indicators we need to know about 2 critical
considerations:

1. What is the device ? How is it designed?

We will look at 4 categories of design during
this portion of the lesson.

2. The second key consideration is: the

location of the device.
There will be a number of critical design
factors that will determine the type and
category of device:

How is it designed? What intelligence do

we have that could indicate the category;
is the device a combination of categories;
what are the physical dimensions of the
device.

A second consideration could be the

location of the device.
 DISSEMINATION DEVICES

There are 4 categories:

Explosive
Pneumatic

Chemical Reaction; and,

Mechanical Action
 Explosive: (explosive charges used to break or fracture containers
filled with solid, liquid or gaseous product)
Device may contain explosives such as detonation cord,
detonators, batteries, timers and also can be revealed through the
use of x-ray diagnostics.

Pneumatic: (pressurized gas used to empty or disrupt containers

filled with solid, liquid or other gaseous product)
Can produce noises, vibrations etc., can contain liquid agent,
electric valves, timers, batteries and an RF controlle circuit. X-ray
diagnostics could reveal the presence of these items and their
sinister nature.

Chemical Reaction: (the effects of mixing two or more materials to

produce a hazardous substance)
Potassium cyanide mixes with acid to form hydrogen cyanide
a toxic gas.

Mechanical Action: (frangible or soft containers of solid, liquid or

gaseous product that may be propelled by hand or other means)
Sealed bag is pierced the Aum Shinriko, Tokyo 1995 nylon
bags containing sarin gas wrapped in newspapers were placed in
briefcases. The nylon bags were pierced with an umbrella tip.
Explosive Disseminator
 The Dynamics of an Optimized Dissemination

Picture one; 3-5 milli/sec

liquid disseminated travel
5m cloud
Picture two; 6-9 milli/sec
liquid droplets travel 10m
cloud
Picture three;10-14 milli/sec
vaporised product cloud size
25m

Downwind hazard 200-300 meters. Perfect dissemination

EXAMPLE OF SIMPLE HOMEMADE
EXPLOSIVE
Pneumatic Disseminator
Pneumatic Disseminator Package Ready for Delivery
Utilizing Garage Door Opener to Target
and Electric Solenoid
Chemical Reaction
The Acid Container Being The Chemical Reaction Device
Mated With The Cyanide Ready For Deployment to Target
The Petronas Towers
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Mechanical Action

The Multi-Tiered
Shopping Mall Located In
The Towers.

An Ideal Target for a

Mechanical (Frangible)
Dissemination Device
 Dirty Bombs
Fully Assembled Dirty Bomb
With High Activity Cesium
137 (Chloride) Source
The Package Ready for Delivery
The Optimal
Dissemination Device

250 ml Agent Container

Closure Cap With Burster

Tube

6.5 Gram Explosive Charge

Electric Initiator/Detonator
QUESTION???