← back to chapter

Referencing the content of hazardous materials awareness and operations at the awareness level

Hazmat Awareness · Chapter 13

Terrorist Attacks, Criminal Activities, and Disasters

S5 — Special Topics

Why this chapter matters

Intentional releases and illicit labs demand law enforcement primacy, defensive distances, and NIOSH fentanyl precautions without unnecessary entry.

Learning objectives (6)

  1. Recognize intentional indicators — Multiple victims, dispersal devices, or coordinated symptoms without industrial source.
  2. Apply secondary device precautions — Maintain standoff, avoid clustering equipment, follow bomb-arson protocol coordination.
  3. Follow NIOSH fentanyl guidance — Avoid unnecessary exposure; use PPE per agency policy for suspected opioids.
  4. Preserve crime scene — Minimize evidence disturbance; coordinate with law enforcement.
  5. Defensive size-up for suspicious packages — Isolate, deny entry, request bomb tech and hazmat assets.
  6. Disaster combo awareness — Floods and wind can damage tanks and move containers.

Chapter outline

  1. Indicators of intentional release
  2. Secondary device awareness
  3. Crime scene preservation
  4. Illicit lab and fentanyl cues
  5. Natural disaster plus hazmat combo
  6. EMS staging distances
  7. Federal CBRN assets and caches (vocabulary)
  8. Suspicious letter/package screening at awareness depth

Vocabulary (38)

intentional release
Deliberate dispersal of hazardous agent.
secondary device
Additional hazard targeting responders.
crime scene
Area requiring evidence preservation.
illicit lab
Clandestine drug or chemical manufacturing site.
fentanyl exposure
Risk to responders from inhalation or skin contact with opioids.
naloxone scope
EMS treats opioid toxicity; does not replace scene PPE.
standoff distance
Minimum separation for bomb or unknown device.
suspicious package
Unattended item with indicators of threat.
combined disaster
Natural event plus chemical release.
law enforcement primacy
LE leads criminal and security aspects.
CBRN
Chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear incident family.
agent-specific cache
Federal or state stockpiles for WMD (awareness vocabulary).
EMS staging
Remain uphill/upwind beyond defensive perimeter.
clandestine chemistry
Unlabeled precursors and improvised equipment.
incident termination
Controlled end of emergency response phase.
debrief
Structured review immediately after operations.
after-action review
Formal lessons-learned process days to weeks later.
exposure record
Documentation of potential contact for medical follow-up.
medical surveillance
Ongoing health monitoring after exposures.
demobilization
Orderly release of resources.
post-incident analysis
Detailed evaluation of decisions and outcomes.
compliance reporting
Statutory notifications after releases.
NRC notification
National Response Center spill report when required.
recovery phase
Long-term cleanup and restoration.
investigation phase
Determining cause and enforcement.
lessons learned
Improvements to policy, training, and equipment.
critique
Facilitated discussion of incident performance.
hazard communication follow-up
Update SDS/Tier II if facility changes.
awareness level actions
Analyze, identify, survey, protective actions, notify; all defensive.
deny entry
Block access to the hot zone and downwind approaches.
isolate
Establish perimeter using ERG or command-directed distances.
evacuation
Move people away from the hazard when safer than sheltering.
shelter-in-place
Keep public indoors with windows closed when evacuation is riskier.
protective actions
Steps to protect the public including isolate, evacuate, or shelter.
survey
Information gathering from safe distances and witnesses.
notification
Formal report to dispatch, command, and technical resources.
CAN report
Conditions, Actions, Needs size-up radio format.
CIYN
Chemical identification you need relay to specialists.

Sequence practice (4 puzzles on Quiz Me)

Terrorist Attacks, Criminal Activities, and Disasters

Put these awareness-level steps in a logical order.

  1. Crime scene preservation
  2. Indicators of intentional release
  3. Illicit lab and fentanyl cues
  4. Secondary device awareness
Terrorist Attacks, Criminal Activities, and Disasters (drill)

Put these awareness-level steps in a logical order.

  1. Natural disaster plus hazmat combo
  2. EMS staging distances
  3. Federal CBRN assets and caches (vocabulary)
  4. Suspicious letter/package screening at awareness depth
Learning objectives

Order these chapter objectives from first recognition steps toward notification and handoff.

  1. Recognize intentional indicators
  2. Preserve crime scene
  3. Disaster combo awareness
  4. Follow NIOSH fentanyl guidance
  5. Defensive size-up for suspicious packages
  6. Apply secondary device precautions
Learning objectives

Order these chapter objectives from first recognition steps toward notification and handoff.

  1. Preserve crime scene
  2. Disaster combo awareness
  3. Follow NIOSH fentanyl guidance
  4. Apply secondary device precautions
  5. Recognize intentional indicators
  6. Defensive size-up for suspicious packages

Quick fire sample (15 of 82 on Quiz Me)

NIOSH fentanyl guidance emphasizes:
  1. Avoid unnecessary exposure; follow agency PPE policy
  2. Bare-hand sorting of powders
  3. Immediate hot-zone entry without PPE
  4. Ignoring law enforcement
Secondary devices target:
  1. Responders and crowds
  2. Only hospital billing
  3. Stretcher wheels only
  4. ICS finance
Crime scene preservation requires:
  1. Coordination with law enforcement
  2. Uncontrolled evidence collection
  3. Public entry to hot zone
  4. Skipping notifications
Intentional release indicators include:
  1. Multiple victims without industrial source
  2. Routine single MVC only
  3. No patients
  4. Guaranteed safe odors
EMS staging for CBRN should be:
  1. Uphill/upwind in cold zone
  2. Inside vapor cloud
  3. At leaking valve
  4. Unrestricted downwind
Illicit labs may contain:
  1. Unlabeled precursors and improvised glassware
  2. Only packaged FDA pharmaceuticals in retail boxes
  3. Guaranteed no hazards
  4. Only food products
Which statement best applies to this objective: Recognize intentional indicators?
  1. Isolate, deny entry, request bomb tech and hazmat assets.
  2. Maintain standoff, avoid clustering equipment, follow bomb-arson protocol coordination.
  3. Multiple victims, dispersal devices, or coordinated symptoms without industrial source.
  4. Avoid unnecessary exposure; use PPE per agency policy for suspected opioids.
Which statement best applies to this objective: Apply secondary device precautions?
  1. Maintain standoff, avoid clustering equipment, follow bomb-arson protocol coordination.
  2. Isolate, deny entry, request bomb tech and hazmat assets.
  3. Multiple victims, dispersal devices, or coordinated symptoms without industrial source.
  4. Minimize evidence disturbance; coordinate with law enforcement.
Which statement best applies to this objective: Follow NIOSH fentanyl guidance?
  1. Isolate, deny entry, request bomb tech and hazmat assets.
  2. Minimize evidence disturbance; coordinate with law enforcement.
  3. Multiple victims, dispersal devices, or coordinated symptoms without industrial source.
  4. Avoid unnecessary exposure; use PPE per agency policy for suspected opioids.
Which statement best applies to this objective: Preserve crime scene?
  1. Avoid unnecessary exposure; use PPE per agency policy for suspected opioids.
  2. Floods and wind can damage tanks and move containers.
  3. Minimize evidence disturbance; coordinate with law enforcement.
  4. Multiple victims, dispersal devices, or coordinated symptoms without industrial source.
Which statement best applies to this objective: Defensive size-up for suspicious packages?
  1. Multiple victims, dispersal devices, or coordinated symptoms without industrial source.
  2. Avoid unnecessary exposure; use PPE per agency policy for suspected opioids.
  3. Floods and wind can damage tanks and move containers.
  4. Isolate, deny entry, request bomb tech and hazmat assets.
Which statement best applies to this objective: Disaster combo awareness?
  1. Maintain standoff, avoid clustering equipment, follow bomb-arson protocol coordination.
  2. Isolate, deny entry, request bomb tech and hazmat assets.
  3. Floods and wind can damage tanks and move containers.
  4. Minimize evidence disturbance; coordinate with law enforcement.
What is the best definition of "intentional release"?
  1. Area requiring evidence preservation.
  2. Deliberate dispersal of hazardous agent.
  3. EMS treats opioid toxicity; does not replace scene PPE.
  4. Unlabeled precursors and improvised equipment.
What is the best definition of "secondary device"?
  1. Federal or state stockpiles for WMD (awareness vocabulary).
  2. Additional hazard targeting responders.
  3. Risk to responders from inhalation or skin contact with opioids.
  4. Unlabeled precursors and improvised equipment.
What is the best definition of "crime scene"?
  1. Minimum separation for bomb or unknown device.
  2. Deliberate dispersal of hazardous agent.
  3. Area requiring evidence preservation.
  4. LE leads criminal and security aspects.

Some topics in this course differ across field references. See when sources disagree on Quiz Me before you teach from this sheet alone.

Full scored drills are on Quiz Me at /courses/hazmat-awareness-ao4/chapters/13/print/. Answers are not marked on this sheet.