Chapter 46: EMS Response to Terrorism Involving Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) –
CBRNE Emergency Response Study Guide
Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) - correct answer ✔✔WMD's are intended to cause
widespread and indiscriminate death and destruction.
Types of WMD's - correct answer ✔✔Chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosive
B-NICE - correct answer ✔✔Biological
Nuclear/radiological
Incendiary
Chemical
Explosive
Prehospital Response To Terrorism Involving WMD - correct answer ✔✔Response to a terrorist
attack involving WMD requires specific planning and preparedness. Consider that incidents may
require special protective equipment in large quantitates to support not only the triage and
treatment aspects of the incident but also the extrication, decontamination, and cleanup phase.
Communications my be destroyed or disrupted as a result of the attack, and hospitals and other
medical facility may be destroyed or severely damaged, creating second secondary treatment
and transportation problems.
Supplies and Equipment - correct answer ✔✔Each type of WMD incident requires different
types of specially trained personal, equipment, and supplies. For example, nerve agents may
require massive amounts of certain drugs along with a large number of ventilators. Chemical
incidents may require special personal protective equipment such as self-contained breathing
apparatus or hazardous material suits. Large explosions with structural collapse may require
heavy rescue. equipment,specially trained search and rescue teams, electronic detection
devices, and trained search dogs.
, Medical Direction - correct answer ✔✔A plan should address how medical directions will be
provided to EMS personal at the scene as well how to confirm the credentials of EMS personal
from outside the area. The communication system should not be relied on to provide on-line
medical direction, sense it will likely become become overloaded. One possibility is to make all
protocols standing orders in a case involving WMD. This would clear communication channels to
allow for scene updates, incoming patient reports, and on-line orders for special medical
treatment request. Triage protocols should ensure that minor injuries and walking wounded
patients should not proceed to the nearest hospitals should be reserved for the more seriously
injured.
Provider Preparation - correct answer ✔✔As an EMS provider, you must be aware of the
personal risk and dangerous associated with the responding to a WMD incident. personal safety,
is the first priority for all EMS personnel. In regards to patient care, you must be aware of the
various agents that can be used as WMD and the sings and symptoms of the conditions that
result from exposure. You should have specific guidelines on triage and management of these
patients. As alway, your personal safety is your first priority and requires that you be informed
of the potential dangers to your health when you enter the scene, both during and after the
incident.
Responding to the Scene - correct answer ✔✔One of the most important aspects of WMD
incidents is recognition. The earlier the incident is and the weapon are recognized, the earlier
you can protect yourself and contact the the necessary resources to respond. These incidents
employ the same incident command system as does any multiple-casualty incident. If a
chemical agent is involved, it is also similar to a hazardous material incident. You may be
required to establish an EMS command center if you are one of the first-arriving EMS crews on
scene, and you will be required to function within the the incident command system.
Issues of Scene Safety - correct answer ✔✔There is a significant difference between the effects
of controversial, chemical, and most biological weapons as compared to the death, injury, and
mass destruction of nuclear weapons. Access to the scene is severely limited by the mass
physical destruction. The nuclear weapon destroys emergency services, health care services,
and facilities with in the rings of the impact. Shelters, medical supplies, food, and clean water
are also destroyed. About one hour after detonation, radioactive fallout will begin to occur and
will last for days to weeks. If numerous patients present with similar signs ad symptoms with an
unexplainable or undefinable cause, a chemical weapon should be suspected. If an WMD
CBRNE Emergency Response Study Guide
Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) - correct answer ✔✔WMD's are intended to cause
widespread and indiscriminate death and destruction.
Types of WMD's - correct answer ✔✔Chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosive
B-NICE - correct answer ✔✔Biological
Nuclear/radiological
Incendiary
Chemical
Explosive
Prehospital Response To Terrorism Involving WMD - correct answer ✔✔Response to a terrorist
attack involving WMD requires specific planning and preparedness. Consider that incidents may
require special protective equipment in large quantitates to support not only the triage and
treatment aspects of the incident but also the extrication, decontamination, and cleanup phase.
Communications my be destroyed or disrupted as a result of the attack, and hospitals and other
medical facility may be destroyed or severely damaged, creating second secondary treatment
and transportation problems.
Supplies and Equipment - correct answer ✔✔Each type of WMD incident requires different
types of specially trained personal, equipment, and supplies. For example, nerve agents may
require massive amounts of certain drugs along with a large number of ventilators. Chemical
incidents may require special personal protective equipment such as self-contained breathing
apparatus or hazardous material suits. Large explosions with structural collapse may require
heavy rescue. equipment,specially trained search and rescue teams, electronic detection
devices, and trained search dogs.
, Medical Direction - correct answer ✔✔A plan should address how medical directions will be
provided to EMS personal at the scene as well how to confirm the credentials of EMS personal
from outside the area. The communication system should not be relied on to provide on-line
medical direction, sense it will likely become become overloaded. One possibility is to make all
protocols standing orders in a case involving WMD. This would clear communication channels to
allow for scene updates, incoming patient reports, and on-line orders for special medical
treatment request. Triage protocols should ensure that minor injuries and walking wounded
patients should not proceed to the nearest hospitals should be reserved for the more seriously
injured.
Provider Preparation - correct answer ✔✔As an EMS provider, you must be aware of the
personal risk and dangerous associated with the responding to a WMD incident. personal safety,
is the first priority for all EMS personnel. In regards to patient care, you must be aware of the
various agents that can be used as WMD and the sings and symptoms of the conditions that
result from exposure. You should have specific guidelines on triage and management of these
patients. As alway, your personal safety is your first priority and requires that you be informed
of the potential dangers to your health when you enter the scene, both during and after the
incident.
Responding to the Scene - correct answer ✔✔One of the most important aspects of WMD
incidents is recognition. The earlier the incident is and the weapon are recognized, the earlier
you can protect yourself and contact the the necessary resources to respond. These incidents
employ the same incident command system as does any multiple-casualty incident. If a
chemical agent is involved, it is also similar to a hazardous material incident. You may be
required to establish an EMS command center if you are one of the first-arriving EMS crews on
scene, and you will be required to function within the the incident command system.
Issues of Scene Safety - correct answer ✔✔There is a significant difference between the effects
of controversial, chemical, and most biological weapons as compared to the death, injury, and
mass destruction of nuclear weapons. Access to the scene is severely limited by the mass
physical destruction. The nuclear weapon destroys emergency services, health care services,
and facilities with in the rings of the impact. Shelters, medical supplies, food, and clean water
are also destroyed. About one hour after detonation, radioactive fallout will begin to occur and
will last for days to weeks. If numerous patients present with similar signs ad symptoms with an
unexplainable or undefinable cause, a chemical weapon should be suspected. If an WMD
