First responders face a great risk when responding to a terrorist related attack. When the terrorist attack involves hazardous materials (HazMat), those risks become greater, and can have a lifelong effect on the victims, first responders, property, and the environment. First responders need to be properly trained to deal with hazardous materials (e.g. safe handling, proper identification, etc.). Without knowing how to handle a HazMat incident, the first responder could make the situation more dangerous for everyone around them. An oxidizer is a substance that can increase the burning of fuels by increasing the available oxygen, which can spontaneously start a fire and depending on the type cannot be put out with water (Environmental Health & Safety, 2017). Managing the Emergency Consequences of Terrorist Incidents (2002) states that a weapon of mass destruction (WMD) can come in different forms such as, chemical, biological, conventional explosives and secondary devices. The San Bernardino shooters, Tashfeen Malik and Syed Rizwan Farook, after killing Malik’s co-workers they left a remote-controlled car with explosives (CNN, 2015). Fortunately, for the first responders in this incident the secondary device didn’t detonate, and it’s unknown as to why it wasn’t detonated cause the detonator was found in the suspects’ vehicle after a shootout with law enforcement (CNN, 2015).
The Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) is a great tool that should be used by first responders to gain a general knowledge of hazardous materials. The MSDS will cover the characteristics, physical hazards, health hazards, safe handling, permissible exposure limit, etc. (Identifying Hazardous Materials, n.d.). This should be required training if there are hazardous materials being produced within the first responders’ area of operations. In addition to understanding an MSDS, first responders should know and understand other HazMat identification systems, such as the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA’s) 704 System. This system uses a diamond-shaped placard that shows the health, fire, explosive or reactive, and special hazards (Hazardous Material Identification Systems, n.d.).
