IAEA Training in Emergency Preparedness and Response Specific Aspects of Exercises for Response to Emergencies Arising from Malicious Acts - General Lecture L-057

L-057: Specific Aspects of Exercises for Response to Emergencies Arising from Malicious Acts - General 2 Introduction Preparedness for Response to malicious acts involving radioactive materials is now an integral part of emergency planning Laws of probabilities do not apply Terrorist acts can happen anywhere Security and law-enforcement are major elements of planning and response Exercises must reflect the specific nature of such acts

L-057: Specific Aspects of Exercises for Response to Emergencies Arising from Malicious Acts - General 3 Contents Definitions General nature of malicious acts Exercises for response to emergencies arising from malicious acts (for nuclear and radiological exercises): Purpose Types Process Safety Specifications Injects and data Simulation Public affairs aspects

L-057: Specific Aspects of Exercises for Response to Emergencies Arising from Malicious Acts - General 4 Malicious Act Involving Ionizing Radiation Any illicit action or activity with the intention to cause harm to persons, damage to property or an adverse impact upon the environment by exposure to ionizing radiation

L-057: Specific Aspects of Exercises for Response to Emergencies Arising from Malicious Acts - General 5 Sabotage Any deliberate act to destroy, damage or otherwise compromise the integrity of facilities or other resources that contain nuclear or radioactive materials, with the intention to cause harm to persons, damage to property or an adverse impact upon the environment by exposure to ionizing radiation

L-057: Specific Aspects of Exercises for Response to Emergencies Arising from Malicious Acts - General 6 Threat A threat of a malicious act may be deemed to exist when information has been received that terrorists, criminals or other persons intend to commit a malicious act. Terrorism threat  emergency threat (as defined in EPR-METHOD 2003 Emergency risk vs. intentional threat Emergency vs. Intention

L-057: Specific Aspects of Exercises for Response to Emergencies Arising from Malicious Acts - General 7 General Nature of Malicious Acts Terror is a weapon Influence minds Invoke sense of shock, fear, outrage Affect confidence in authorities Political or ideological aim

L-057: Specific Aspects of Exercises for Response to Emergencies Arising from Malicious Acts - General 8 General Nature of Malicious Acts Seek high profile and maximum publicity Normal for perpetrators to claim responsibility But not necessarily immediately

L-057: Specific Aspects of Exercises for Response to Emergencies Arising from Malicious Acts - General 9 General Nature of Malicious Acts Laws of probabilities do not apply Spectrum of possibilities limited only by imagination of perpetrators Wide range of: Potential scenarios Potential consequences Required response

L-057: Specific Aspects of Exercises for Response to Emergencies Arising from Malicious Acts - General 10 Response to Malicious Acts (General) Consequences do not necessarily depend on the cause Accidental consequences often the same whether intentional or not In many cases, the response is almost the same In many other cases, the response infrastructure is not designed to deal with the unusual consequences of malicious acts

L-057: Specific Aspects of Exercises for Response to Emergencies Arising from Malicious Acts - General 11 Terrorist Acts - Main Differences Security Media impact amplified by fear factor Potentially extensive medical consequences e.g. Goiânia (not terrorism) Directed impact to maximize harm Secondary threats Unknown and large choice of locations Many… many jurisdictions effected and involved

L-057: Specific Aspects of Exercises for Response to Emergencies Arising from Malicious Acts - General 12 Response - Main Differences Security procedures and protection At the scene Media centre Medical triage, transport and facilities Crime-of-scene procedures

L-057: Specific Aspects of Exercises for Response to Emergencies Arising from Malicious Acts - General 13 Response - Main Differences (1) Coordination of medical resources on national level Coordination of large number of organizations Many are not normally involved in nuclear or radiological emergencies Command and control under law- enforcement agency

L-057: Specific Aspects of Exercises for Response to Emergencies Arising from Malicious Acts - General 14 Exercises for Response to Emergencies Arising From Malicious Acts Must… Focus on the differences Be integrated with other exercise programs Not duplicate other drills and exercises Complement the existing exercise schedule

L-057: Specific Aspects of Exercises for Response to Emergencies Arising from Malicious Acts - General 15 Purpose of Exercises Test the coordination: Between security and law enforcement agencies with first responders, specialized radiological emergency response units and facility teams Of media management organizations on a national level in a situation of increased public fear and media scrutiny Of national medical organization to respond to an event with mass casualties and a full spectrum of potential medical impacts within the context of increased security threat With organizations that are not normally involved in the response to radiation emergencies

L-057: Specific Aspects of Exercises for Response to Emergencies Arising from Malicious Acts - General 16 Purpose of Exercises (Cont’d) Test the ability: Of specialized response services to respond anywhere in the country Of all response organizations to operate in a response structure where the lead may be a security or law-enforcement agency and where there may be residual security threats against response personnel

L-057: Specific Aspects of Exercises for Response to Emergencies Arising from Malicious Acts - General 17 Types of Exercises Drills Table-tops Partial and full-scale exercises Field exercises Main difference Nature and number of organizations Organizations that do not normally participate

L-057: Specific Aspects of Exercises for Response to Emergencies Arising from Malicious Acts - General 18 Drills - Examples Intrusion Crime-of-scene procedures Triage of mass casualties Conventional injuries Contaminated casualties Overexposure Media management Large number of organizations Mobilization and dispatch Source search in urban areas Source recovery under security procedures

L-057: Specific Aspects of Exercises for Response to Emergencies Arising from Malicious Acts - General 19 Process Same process applies Three major differences Coordination Confidentiality Safety Major impact on preparation time

L-057: Specific Aspects of Exercises for Response to Emergencies Arising from Malicious Acts - General 20 Coordination Many more organizations Different from normal “traditional” nuclear/radiological exercises Law-enforcement agencies Intelligence services Security units Explosive ordinance teams All must participate

L-057: Specific Aspects of Exercises for Response to Emergencies Arising from Malicious Acts - General 21 Confidentiality Surprise is a key element of malicious acts Surprise must be part of the exercise scenario Confidentiality is even more important

L-057: Specific Aspects of Exercises for Response to Emergencies Arising from Malicious Acts - General 22 Confidentiality - Challenges Many more organizations involved More difficult to keep a secret Surprise may make people panic Surprise and media do not go well together Surprised violent act (even simulated) may generate surprise violent response Safety issue

L-057: Specific Aspects of Exercises for Response to Emergencies Arising from Malicious Acts - General 23 Safety Always paramount Problem: exercises for response to emergencies arising from malicious acts may involve aggression: Attack Hostage taking Threat

L-057: Specific Aspects of Exercises for Response to Emergencies Arising from Malicious Acts - General 24 Safety Some examples of weapons used against players when law-enforcement not aware that this is an exercise Some examples of players and controllers jailed during exercises e.g. Halifax 2003

L-057: Specific Aspects of Exercises for Response to Emergencies Arising from Malicious Acts - General 25 Safety Blank rounds can be dangerous Use of live ammunition is VERY dangerous Stupid emergencies happen Safety vs. confidentiality Better safe than sorry

L-057: Specific Aspects of Exercises for Response to Emergencies Arising from Malicious Acts - General 26 Example: Quebec NPP exercise for response to emergencies arising from malicious acts 2003 Hostage taking All police forces involved Old building used to simulate situation Actual use of explosives to end hostage crisis Success… and safe

L-057: Specific Aspects of Exercises for Response to Emergencies Arising from Malicious Acts - General 27 Safety Better not to use live ammunition Need for tight control of weapons before and during exercise Exercise safety officer How do you deal with weapons of forces playing in exercises? Better to compromise confidentiality than jeopardize safety

L-057: Specific Aspects of Exercises for Response to Emergencies Arising from Malicious Acts - General 28 Specifications: Scope Depends of type of exercise Must involve key agencies Many of which are not normally involved in emergency exercises to test preparedness to response to radiation emergencies

L-057: Specific Aspects of Exercises for Response to Emergencies Arising from Malicious Acts - General 29 Specifications: Objectives for Threat Assess the threat in terms of credibility and potential impacts US example

L-057: Specific Aspects of Exercises for Response to Emergencies Arising from Malicious Acts - General 30 Specifications: Objectives for Threat Effectively communicate the threat level to emergency response organizations and, when appropriate, the public

L-057: Specific Aspects of Exercises for Response to Emergencies Arising from Malicious Acts - General 31 Specifications: Objectives for Threat Inform potentially exposed segments of the population, in a period of heightened threat, about: Nature and likelihood of the threat Threat recognition Basic protective actions in case the threat materializes Methods by which authorities would inform them on what to do in case on an actual emergency

L-057: Specific Aspects of Exercises for Response to Emergencies Arising from Malicious Acts - General 32 Specifications: Objectives for Threat Develop an appropriate plan for precautionary protective actions in case of a credible threat Implement appropriate precautionary protective actions to protect people and workers from the potential impacts of a terrorist act in a threat situation In periods of heightened threat, activate a network of medical services and facilities capable of responding to a terrorist event and keep the network informed about the situation during the threat period

L-057: Specific Aspects of Exercises for Response to Emergencies Arising from Malicious Acts - General 33 Specifications: Objectives for Response Establish an effective command and control system at all levels in a multi-agency and multi-jurisdictional response environment Implement appropriate automatic actions to protect people and workers from the potential impacts of a terrorist act in a response situation (e.g. evacuation of appropriate radius when a "dirty bomb" is discovered)

L-057: Specific Aspects of Exercises for Response to Emergencies Arising from Malicious Acts - General 34 Specifications: Objectives For Response Rapid dispatch of medical teams to the scene of a terrorist act to triage and manage a large number of casualties Arrange for triage points/facilities staffed with medical, radiological, counselling and security personnel Arrange for security of medical staff at the scene, during transport of casualties and at the hospital Coordinate with media teams to inform the public on where to report if contamination or exposure is suspected

L-057: Specific Aspects of Exercises for Response to Emergencies Arising from Malicious Acts - General 35 Specifications: Objectives for Response Dispatch victims to the appropriate medical facilities Establish a joint media centre near each scene of a terrorist act, with one designated media liaison officer at each location Provide security to protect each media centre Promptly brief all emergency responders on the media relations protocol to follow in case they are approached by the media

L-057: Specific Aspects of Exercises for Response to Emergencies Arising from Malicious Acts - General 36 Specifications: Constraints Public areas Are where malicious acts are likely to happen Exercise disrupts normal activities Need to choose time and day to minimize disruption

L-057: Specific Aspects of Exercises for Response to Emergencies Arising from Malicious Acts - General 37 Specifications: Constraints Short vs. long exercises Short: good for on-scene response Long: good for Medical management Exercises involving large number of potentially exposed people, dispersed in general population Exercises involving ill-defined threat Stolen source or sources at unknown locations

L-057: Specific Aspects of Exercises for Response to Emergencies Arising from Malicious Acts - General 38 Specifications: Constraints Long time frame can be divided into exercise parts Day 1: acute phase Day 2: long term phase

L-057: Specific Aspects of Exercises for Response to Emergencies Arising from Malicious Acts - General 39 Injects and Data Same procedure as “traditional” nuclear/radiological emergency exercises Additional challenges Large number of controllers Especially if mass casualties Need for consistent data at the scene Intelligence input Need to minimize simulation

L-057: Specific Aspects of Exercises for Response to Emergencies Arising from Malicious Acts - General 40 Simulation Must be kept to minimum Stage setup must be realistic Safety vs. realism

L-057: Specific Aspects of Exercises for Response to Emergencies Arising from Malicious Acts - General 41 Public Affairs Aspects of Exercises Contradictory needs Confidentiality before the exercise Ensure that the exercise itself does not set off an adverse reaction on the part of the public Ensure that the disruption caused by the exercise, if any, will remain manageable Meet exercise objectives without undue interference from the real media Avoid attracting attention on vulnerabilities and system weaknesses, which could be used in favour of potential terrorists

L-057: Specific Aspects of Exercises for Response to Emergencies Arising from Malicious Acts - General 42 Public Affairs Aspects of Exercises (Cont’d) In practice Proactive strategy is usually preferred Balance the needs for confidentiality and media management

L-057: Specific Aspects of Exercises for Response to Emergencies Arising from Malicious Acts - General 43 Summary Exercises for response to emergencies arising from malicious acts are an important part of exercise programs There are important differences in the preparation and conduct of exercises for response to emergencies arising from malicious acts More complex Bigger scope Safety