Bomb Shelter (blast, biological & chemical)

Nuclear, Biological, & Chemical (NBC) Information

The Threat of WMD Terrorism

Ten years ago, the principal threat to U.S. national security was the nuclear arsenal of the Soviet Union. The energies and talents of thousands of American men and women were dedicated to checkmating the Soviet nuclear threat. That world no longer exists. The Cold War is over, and the world is the victor. The men and women who waged that conflict are now challenged to wage peace in the 21st century.

Today, the most serious threats to national security involve the proliferation of nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons -- collectively known as weapons of mass destruction (WMD). Proliferation increases the risk of deliberate use of weapons of mass destruction in regional conflicts or by terrorists. Proliferation also increases the risk of accidents involving weapons of mass destruction and the loss or theft of weapons or weapon materials.

There are numerous routes to the acquisition of weapons of mass destruction -- many different starting materials, material sources, and production processes. There are also many possible proliferators -- threshold countries, rogue states, state-sponsored terrorist groups, domestic terrorists, and even internationally organized criminals and narcotics traffickers. Motives for acquiring and using weapons of mass destruction are similarly wide-ranging to change the regional military balance, deny access to a strategic area, alter international policy, commit extortion, or give vent to revenge or hate.

Open societies (like the United States), with their commitment to individual civil liberties, are inherently vulnerable to terrorism and terrorist use of weapons of mass destruction would be devastating. A chemical attack on an urban area could kill thousands of people and injure many thousands more. A nuclear or biological attack could be even more deadly, causing hundreds of thousands of deaths equivalent to all the U.S. casualties in World War II.

American Red Cross - Be Prepared

Disaster can strike quickly and without warning. It can force you to evacuate your neighborhood or confine you to your home. What would you do if basic services--water, gas, electricity or telephones--were cut off? Local officials and relief workers will be on the scene after a disaster, but they cannot reach everyone right away. Therefore, the best way to make your family and your home safer is to be prepared before disaster strikes.
http://www.redcross.org/services/disaster/beprepared/

American Red Cross - Disaster Safety

Different types of disasters may require different precautions before and during an emergency. You should know what disasters strike where you live and what to do to protect your family.
http://www.redcross.org/services/disaster/keepsafe/

American Red Cross - After a Disaster

After a disaster strikes your community, you may be left feeling disoriented. Not only will you need to be aware of possible post-disaster dangers, but you may need to access damages and repair your home.
http://www.redcross.org/services/disaster/afterdis/

EPA Capabilities: Responding to Nuclear-Biological-Chemical (NBC) Terrorism http://www.epa.gov/swercepp/pubs/cntr-ter.html

NBC Equipment
http://www.army-technology.com/contractors/nbc/

CBC News Bio Chem Backgrounder
http://www.cbc.ca/news/indepth/background/biochem_threat.html

Jane's Chem-Bio Web
http://chembio.janes.com/

Emergency Response to Chemical/Biological Terrorist Incidents
http://www.emergency.com/cbwlesn1.htm

The Preparedness Center - Environmental Protection Equipment
http://www.preparedness.com/enproteq.html

Technology to Counter Emerging Threats
http://www.hilldemo.lanl.gov/techlist.html

U.S. NAVY Chemical - Biological Defense
http://www.cbd.navy.mil/index.htm

Emergency Preparedness FAQs for Domestic Terrorism
Basics of Preparedness/Survival
URL list
Bio-Chem Quick Ref

The Emergency Preparedness FAQ for domestic terrorism has been updated
10/03/2001.

This FAQ covers the *b*a*s*i*c*s*. It includes instructions,
information, and multiple URLs for online suppliers of emergency
equipment and supplies. It was compiled from several emergency
preparedness sites and from the input of "lifers" on the newsgroup
misc.survivalism. Here is the URL:

http://www.pipeline.com/~jeriwho/emer_faq.htm

A new FAQ of URLs has been created. The "Master List of URLs from the
Emergency Preparedness FAQ" now exists for the convenience of the
readers. This document contains a comprehensive list of labeled URLs
from the FAQ cited above so that readers can surf the net more easily
on their quest for information. Here is the URL for the Master list
of URLs:

http://www.pipeline.com/~jeriwho/emer_fa5.htm

The Quick Reference on bio-chem entities, their characteristics, their
acute effects, and their survivability (also medicines used to combat
them) is also online. This FAQ was compiled from several
pharmaceutical and bio-chem research sites. Here is the URL:

http://www.pipeline.com/~jeriwho/emer_fa3.htm

Bear in mind in a time of fear and rumor that modern biological
warfare has *n*e*v*e*r* succeeded on a grand scale, because delivery
is so difficult. No matter how deadly a biological entity is at the
time it is launched, it tends to die during dispersal or delivery.
Genetic engineering could change that, but probably not today or this
week.

The most likely locales for bio-chem attacks are crowded, public
places, not residential areas. So people who stash a gas mask and NBC
bio-chem suit in the closet at home have bought a security blanket
that makes them feel better, but unless their home is in a crowded
urban area, they are at lowest risk at home anyway---with or without
protective equipment---and they increase their risk as they leave home
and travel to more crowded areas.

Chemical weapons are another matter. It is possible for unprepared
citizens to suffer exposures to chemical weapons without even knowing
they've been exposed. With mustard gas, it would take two days for
symptoms to appear. In our naive population, terrorists could simply
open up cans that disperse mustard gas and leave the scene, and
Americans would walk right through the dispersing vapors, not knowing
and not caring. Symptoms would not appear for 48 hours. I would urge
people to understand these weapons in order to identify them and
remove themselves from danger.

Knowledge is a better defense than gas masks. We are dealing with an
implacable and cruel enemy, and our ignorance gives him power.
Therefore as we get educated on what is a real risk and what is not,
we take power away from our enemies.

Best wishes,
jeriwho

The Bio-Chem Quick Reference
http://www.pipeline.com/~jeriwho/emer_fa3.htm

Surviving Domestic Terrorism FAQ
http://www.pipeline.com/~jeriwho/emer_faq.htm

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