| This book provides guidance on measures that should be considered to protect human lives from terrorist activities involving nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons. It provides a historical summary of the development and use of these weapons, and continues with a detailed discussion of the types of radiation and warfare agents that are available, including methods for dispersing them. The text also analyzes human exposure to radiation or chemical and biological agents, along with treatment methods that are available to treat exposed individuals. The authors provide an exploratory look at emergency preparedness measures that can be enacted to mitigate future emergencies, including training techniques and strategies.
The authors of this excellent book provide a concise but comprehensive review of various types of weapons of mass destruction, along with sound advice and simple actions that can be taken by emergency responders and the general public to reduce risks and avoid panic in the event of a terrorist attack. By simply reading through this book, emergency responders and the public will learn what they can do to minimize danger to health and life after an attack. The most important actions are summarized at the end of the book. This summary becomes a convenient checklist.
While everyone can gain valuable information from this book on how to protect themselves from terrorist activities involving nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons, its target audiences are emergency response personnel, safety professionals, law enforcement officials, and Federal Bureau of Investigation agents (all referred to as emergency responders) because they are likely to receive first-hand exposure to one or more terrorist events involving these types of weapons. The primary objectives of this book are to provide emergency responders with guidance on:
- Weapons of mass destruction that could be used in a terrorist attack
- Mechanisms by which terrorists could disperse various types of nuclear, chemical, and biological agents
- Conventional explosives that terrorists could use to disperse these agents
- Routes by which individuals are exposed to these agents
- Health hazards that may result from exposure to these agents
- Techniques by which safety professionals can minimize exposure to these agents
- Potential medical treatment options for those exposed to these agents
- Methods to increase chances of surviving a nuclear explosion
- Emergency preparedness measures for a variety of settings
- Techniques for prioritizing injuries
- Personnel decontamination methods to be administered prior to medical treatment
- Radiation exposure guidelines
- Training guidelines
It is the authors’ intent that the information in this book will help reduce exposure of emergency responders to these types of agents, and as a result, help save lives. |
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