Counter-IED Awareness Products

To request OBP counter-IED products, please contact your local Protective Security Advisor (PSA) or e-mail the Office for Bombing Prevention (OBP) at OBP@hq.dhs.gov.

Awareness Cards & Posters

  • Black Powder, Black Powder Substitutes, and Smokeless Powder
  • Hazardous Chemicals
  • Peroxide Products
  • Suspicious (Purchasing) Behavior
  • Suspicious Online Purchases
  • Precursor Chemicals Poster for Online Retailers
  • Suicide Bomber Awareness/Active Shooter
  • Suspicious Behavior Poster for Hotel & Lodging Establishments (English and Spanish versions)

Bomb Threat Guidance Products

Department of Homeland Security (DHS)-Department of Justice (DOJ) Bomb Threat Stand-Off Card

Developed in partnership with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the DHS-DOJ Bomb Threat Stand-Off Card is a quick reference guide providing recommended evacuation and shelter-in-place distances for various types and sizes of IED.

DHS Bomb Threat Procedures Checklist

This quick reference tool helps public and private sector partners respond to a bomb threat by providing basic procedural guidelines and a checklist to document important information if a bomb threat is received over the phone.

DHS-DOJ Bomb Threat Guidance Brochure

Developed in partnership with the FBI, the DHS-DOJ Bomb Threat Guidance Brochure is a quick reference guide that provides site decision-makers with pre-threat preparation, threat assessment considerations, staff response guidelines, and evacuation and shelter-in-place considerations.

Protective Measures Guidance

OBP provides protective measures guidance to assist public and private sector security partners in:

  • Establishing secure environments with IED threat preparation.
  • Planning to bolster security posture and IED incident mitigation.  

Information includes pre-event and incident response planning, measures for reducing vulnerabilities, suspicious behavior awareness, and reporting protocols to address various IED threat scenarios.

Vehicle-Borne IED Threat Products

DHS Vehicle Inspection Guide & Video

The Vehicle Inspection Guide (VIG) is for law enforcement, bomb squads, HAZMAT teams, other emergency and public service organizations, and professional security personnel who are involved in the inspection of vehicles that may pose a terrorist bomb threat. The Vehicle Inspection Video complements the VIG by providing demonstrations of vehicle search techniques. An electronic copy of the VIG and Video are available to registered users on TRIPwire. 

Vehicle-Borne IED Identification Guide: Parked Vehicles

This guidance card assists law enforcement and security professionals to identify indicators of a suspected vehicle-borne IED.

FiRST Application

The DHS Science & Technology Directorate and OBP worked in collaboration with the private sector to develop the First Responder Support Tools (FiRST) application for first responders’ smart phones and laptop computers. This application allows first responders to:

  • Quickly define safe stand-off distances around the location of a potential explosives threat.
  • Calculate rough damage and injury contours.
  • Suggest appropriate roadblocks.
  • Identify other nearby facilities of concern (e.g., schools, hospitals, and care centers).

DHS bomb stand-off data is considered sensitive and is only available to those who register the application using a .gov, .mil, or .us e-mail address.  For additional information on downloading the application, please visit FiRST Responder Support Tools.

Incident Management Preparedness and Coordination Toolkit (IMPACT)

IMPACT, developed as a collaborative effort between DHS and Oak Ridge National Laboratory, provides a robust laptop planning tool that allows users to evaluate an area impacted by a potential explosives threat. Capabilities include an interactive evacuation program and report generation tool. For additional information and to request the software, please visit the IMPACT support site.

Federal Partners

Contact Information

Please contact your local Protective Security Advisor (PSA) or send an e-mail to the Office for Bombing Prevention (OBP) at OBP@hq.dhs.gov for additional information.

To report suspicious activity, call 9-1-1 or contact local law enforcement.

Last Published Date: May 11, 2016

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