PREPARING FOR DISASTER
How to Respond to a Dirty Bomb
06/14/07
 |
| An
FBI SWAT team member is checked for possible
radiological contamination. The event
was part of a staged drill at the Orange
Bowl in Miami to show the basics of how
we'd respond to a threat involving a weapon
of mass destruction. See more images below. |
If
terrorists ever do try to attack our country
with a nuke or dirty bomb, the FBI and its
partners must be ready.
And
we are. On Wednesday, we staged a mock drill
at the Orange Bowl in Miami to show the basics
of how we'd respond to a threat involving
a weapon of mass destruction.
In
the scenario, a terrorist cell was in the
process of constructing a dirty bomb in a
mock warehouse set up on the field at the
Orange Bowl. Two Special Weapons and Tactics
(SWAT) teams—one from the FBI and one
from the Miami Police—descended on the
scene, cleared the warehouse, and discovered
an improvised explosive device in one room
and radiological material in another room.
A Department of Energy Radiological Assistance
Program Team used sensors to help determine
the presence of radiation, and, with the help
of the Miami Fire Department, a robot later
destroyed the device. Then, an FBI Hazmat
team in full protective gear collected radiological
evidence at the scene.
The
drill came on day three of the FBI's week-long
event, the "Global Initiative to Combat
Nuclear Terrorism Law Enforcement Conference."
Delegates from 28 countries observed the demonstration
from the press boxes and later saw equipment
and displays showing the WMD capabilities
of 15 local, state, and federal agencies.
Below
are more images from Wednesday's mock drill.
 |
| An
FBI SWAT team prepares to assault the
warehouse. |
 |
| FBI
and Miami Police SWAT teams use paintball
weapons to clear the warehouse and capture
the terrorist suspects. In the process,
they find a mock "dirty bomb"
or radiological dispersal device. |
 |
| A
member of the FBI Hazardous Materials
Response Team uses a long pole to safely
collect evidence related to the dirty
bomb. |
 |
| A
Miami police robot like this one destroyed
an improvised explosive device with streams
of water during the exercise. |
Resources:
-- Day
One of the Conference
-- Day
Two of the Conference
