A Law Enforcement and Security Officers' Guide to Responding to Bomb Threats: Providing Working Knowledge of Bombs, Preparing for Such Incidents, and Performing Basic Analysis of Potential Threats

With the current environment, it is incumbent upon all law enforcement and security officers to have a working knowledge of bombs, explosives, suspicious devices, chemical-biological-radiologicaI incidents and other threats for their own protection. The lack of knowledge can be a contributing factor to injury, death or the inability to mitigate these incidents. The text points out, in a clear and concise format, the critical steps that should be taken by the first arriving personnel in order to allow the general law enforcement and security practitioner to respond to such incidents. It discusses the basic techniques for risk assessment, target and hazard identification. The common methods of bomb delivery, bomb construction and methods of triggering are also covered. Letter bombs, vehicle bombs and high-risk facilities such as aircraft, airports, medical facilities and schools are examined, and countermeasures and defensive efforts are addressed in sufficient detail to allow the public safety, law enforcement and security professional to make recommendations and to assess any actions taken. One feature of the book is that it shows the practitioner how to perform basic threat analysis of potential threats by groups or persons. Also included is a section with protocols for emergency medical service personnel in treating those injured from blast, overpressure, shrapnel or chemical agents, as well as the resources that need to be identified along with a model bomb threat plan. The initial actions to be taken following an explosion and how to protect evidence are also discussed. The reader will be able to use the information as a general guide and develop local protocols to meet these incidents. Information is also included on the threat of clandestine drug laboratories and the techniques to recognize the requisite signatures of such facilities. It will be useful to all those in security and law enforcement in identifying suspect items and taking appropriate action until the bomb squad arrives.