Terrorism exists out there unfortunately... things no longer just go boom... key point here for your departments SOG's. I cannot take credit for this policy or concept. They were developed by the Los Angeles City and Los Angeles County Fire Departments as not a Policy but a Standard Operating Guideline. The policy, and not the exact wording (but you get the idea here I'm sure...):

Radiation detection equipment shall be employed prior, during and arrival at the scene of any incendiary device, large explosion, semi-truck on fire or large commercial structure fire.

IED's or Improvised Explosive Devices have the potential for radioactive isotope(s) to be in a common bomb or explosive device. Remember, it's not about blowing something up necessarily, but the impact the incident can have on the minds of people, hence, the word terrorism. Couple that explosion with a radioactive source and you have what is called a "Dirty Bomb". All the dust and material vaporized in the explosion have the potential for also being considered radioactive. The length of time the material is "radioactive" depends on what type of material was used.

Typically, response to a radiological emergency includes the mantra, Time, Distance and Shielding. All work together to minimize the potential for exposure to emergency responders.

Now the bad news... there is something that has just been revealed as a new concern when dealing with explosives. Something that may go boom now has explosives on steroids. Please always think in terms of secondary devices and false alarms to a location to facilitate bad guys preplanning response capabilities. Be vigilant when looking at the types of responses you have and where they are located... and if they were real or a false alarm. It's the little details that can make all the difference in the world. We all need to pay attention here. Our live(s) may depend on it.

I cannot say for certain that this is real but I welcome input from those in the know that can help me determine if this is a real threat or not. Thank you in advance.

TCSS, (and by the way, this video scared the hell out of me...)

CBz

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