RESPONSE
physical state (solid, liquid, or gas) and weather conditions (wind speed, rain or snow, and air or surface temperature). Experts are also concerned about the spread of weapons from CBW programs in Libya and Syria. On 9/11, however, responders weren’t even adequately prepared for toxic dust.
CBW, dirty bombs, and 9/11
9/11 was an attack both upon the American homeland and our collective sense of security. Had Al-Qaeda used CBW or a dirty bomb, too, the ‘fear factor’ would have been even greater. How would inadequately trained and improperly equipped responders fare in such a situation? As we saw during the aſtermath of Hurricane Sandy, secondary incidents such as fires, chemical and oil spills, and the collapse of buildings and tunnels compound the original catastrophe and cause more casualties.
unimaginable, but it’s a nightmare scenario that both military and civilian responders must consider. A chemical, biological or radiological incident in the wake of 9/11 would have multiplied the severity of airborne contamination exponentially. Even the impact on healthcare facilities in outlying areas would have been severe, as patients clogged emergency rooms in hospitals that already operate at near-capacity levels.
The long view
When the 2nd WMD CST deployed to Manhattan on 9/11, my son was just 15 years old. Today, he’s a veteran of the war
Inside a mobile sampling lab.
Unified Command Suite (UCS) and Mobile Analytical
Laboratory System (MALS). A CBW or dirty bomb attack on Manhattan would have
complicated evacuation and remediation, too. The ripple effect is like that of a stone heaved into a pond. The damage at the centre is the greatest, but the impact extends to a far larger area. Given the length of time needed to recover from the actual 9/11 attack, decontamination could have taken years. Quarantining a large area in the immediate aſtermath of a CBW or dirty bomb attack would have posed its own challenges. Although the dust on our uniforms worried our spouses,
it never caused great concern among members of the 2nd WMD-CST team. For asthmatics and others with respiratory illnesses, however, such fine airborne particulates can endanger human health. Some first responders who breathed the toxic dust at Ground Zero lost their lives. Today, the World Trade Center Health Program is providing treatment and compensation to recovery workers suffering from 50 different types of cancer. A CBW or dirty bomb attack on New York City may seem
in Afghanistan, having sustained and survived an IED attack. As many civilian responders know, there is a growing potential for improvised explosive devices (IEDs) to hit America’s streets – most recently, and shockingly, the Boston Marathon bombings - and with deadly results. If combined with CBW, these IEDs would pose an even greater threat. As a new generation fights the Global
War on Terror, our intelligence services have won secret victories that have kept us safe – while fostering a new of security. Meanwhile, our enemies have grown better and even bolder. It’s not a matter of if they’ll hit us, but when they’ll hit us. Remain vigilant. Remember the lessons of 9/11. zy
Robert L. Domenici, LTC (USA Ret.), MPA, MSS is the former Commander of the 2nd Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) Civil Support Team (CST) and led his unit during its deployment to New York City in the aſtermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. He is now President of Defense and Security Networks (DEFSECNET) and founder of its vertical website, the CBRN Resource Network. LTC Domenici collaborated with Steve Melito, DEFSECNET’s Senior Editor and Director of Content Development, on this article for CBNW.
18 CBNW 2013/02
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