IAFC NEWS ALERT
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: IAFC Government Relations
Department
International Association of Fire
Chiefs
703/273-0911
Al Qaida Audiotape Reinforces Need
for Fire Departments to Prepare for Mass Casualty
Incidents
Fairfax, VA, January 24,
2006...On
January 19, the media reported that al-Qaida claimed to be planning another
attack on the United States. The
Arab news network Al-Jazeera had aired an audiotape that allegedly featured
warnings from Osama bin Laden.
"This report serves as a reminder
that America's fire service must remain vigilant and prepared to respond to a
terrorist incident," said IAFC President Chief Bill Killen. "Whether or not we have the luxury of a
warning, we must be ready."
The IAFC recommends that all fire
chiefs take the following actions:
§
Review your
protocols for mass prophylaxis, mass decontamination, and responding to mass
casualties
§
Meet with your
command officers to discuss these protocols, and require them to meet with their
companies as well
§
Review
available resources on improvised explosive devices (IEDs), secondary explosive
devices (SEDs), and suicide bombings.
Some suggestions include:
o
A video
produced in 2005 by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Office for
Domestic Preparedness (ODP) and the IAFC entitled, "Suicide Bombings: The New Chaos,"
which is available on the IAFC Web site at http://www.iafc.org/displaycommon.cfm?an=1&subarticlenbr=365. (Due to our agreement with ODP, only
members of the IAFC may access this video on the IAFC web site. Non-members should contact ODP at the
address listed below.)
o
A series of
videos produced by ODP on managing terrorism incidents, responding to a weapons
of mass destruction (WMD) crime scene, and surviving WMDs and SEDs. These videos are described in detail at
http://www.ojp.usdojgov/odp/docs/video.htm. (To order these videos, please contact
ODP at the address listed below.
They are free of charge to state and local
agencies.)
o
A fact sheet
for first responders on SEDs from the Occupational Safety and Health
Administration, which may be found at http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/emergencypreparedness/guides/secondary.html.
o
A Department
of Homeland Security training guide on explosive devices, available at http://cdp.dhs.gov/pdfs/agert/Explosive_Devices.pdf.
To order videos from ODP, please
e-mail your request to askcsid@dhs.gov. Be sure to include the full title of the
DVD(s) you are requesting as well as your mailing address. You may also send a request via regular
mail on your agency's letterhead to:
Director, VIDEO REQUEST, Office for Domestic Preparedness Support, 810
Seventh Street, N.W., Washington, DC 20531.
-end-