Terrorist events can cause thousands of deaths and injuries and billions of dollars in property losses. They also inflict a huge emotional toll within the impacted communities as well as throughout the world.
The FBI defines terrorism as “the unlawful use of force or violence against persons or property to intimidate or coerce a government, the civilian population, or any segment thereof, in furtherance of political or social objectives.”
In the event of an attack, government officials will instruct residents on what actions they are taking and what actions the public should take. It’s important that you remain calm, cooperate fully with local officials and do not try to be a hero. Failure to follow instructions from local officials could cost you and others their lives.
In the event of a widespread chemical or biological attack, instructions will be provided by local public health, environmental health and safety officials. Information may cover personal protection, decontamination and health warnings via the Emergency Alert System (EAS) broadcast over radio and television as well as print media. Local radio stations in Riverside County that broadcast EAS messages include KFRG 95.1 FM, KDES 104.7 FM, KSSE 97.5 FM (Spanish).
Before an attack - Being prepared...
Download the Emergency Preparedness Checklist 
Prepare for the possibility of a terrorist incident in your area:
- Learn about the nature of terrorism.
- Terrorists look for visible targets where they can avoid detection before or after an attack such as international airports, large cities, major international events, resorts and high-profile landmarks.
- Report any suspicious activities to your local law enforcement agency.
Adapt, as appropriate, the same techniques used to prepare for earthquakes, fires and other emergencies.
- Be prepared and observe your environment. Terrorists most often strike with little or no warning.
- Use caution when you travel. Observe and report unusual activity. Keep your packages with you at all times. Do not accept packages from strangers.
- Locate stairways and emergency exits and develop plans for evacuating buildings, subways and crowded public areas.
If you live or work in multi-level buildings:
- Identify the location of fire exits and review emergency evacuation procedures.
- Locate and maintain fire extinguishers in working order. Train responsible personnel how to use them.
- Obtain training in first aid and CPR.
- Assemble and maintain an emergency supply kit for your workspace and compile essential emergency preparedness items in back packs for your emergency response team members.
Emergency Supply Kit
Maintaining an emergency supply kit is a good idea for any emergency. Individuals and organizations should be prepared to be without assistance for a minimum of 72 hours.
- Battery-powered radio, flashlights, batteries
- Whistle
- First aid kit and manual
- Hard hats
- Duct tape
- Fluorescent tape to rope off dangerous areas
- Water
- Food (canned, no-cook, packaged snacks)
- Manual can opener
- Cash and credit cards
- Change of clothing, rain gear, and sturdy shoes
- Blankets or sleeping bags
- Fire extinguisher (A-B-C) type
- Infant and feminine hygiene supplies
- Essential medicines and eyeglasses
- Names, addresses, and telephone numbers of doctors and pharmacist
- Food and water for pets
- Large plastic bags for trash, waste, water protection
- Toilet paper and paper towels
- Charcoal grill or camp stove for OUTDOOR cooking
During an attack
If there’s an explosion:
- Remain calm. Take cover under a desk or sturdy table if ceiling tiles, bookshelves, their contents, etc. begin to fall.
- Exit the building as quickly as possible.
If there’s a fire:
- Stay low to the floor at all times and exit the building as quickly as possible. Heavy smoke and poisonous gases collect near the ceiling first.
- Use a wet cloth to cover your nose and mouth.
- Use the back of your hand to feel closed doors. If the door is not hot, brace yourself against the door and open it slowly. Do not open the door if it is hot. Seek another escape route.
- Use appropriate fire exits, not elevators.
After an attack
If you are trapped in debris:
- If possible, use a flashlight or whistle to signal rescuers regarding your location.
- Stay in your area so that you don’t kick up dust. Cover your mouth with a handkerchief or clothing.
- Tap on a pipe or wall so that rescuers can hear where you are.
- Use a whistle if one is available. Shout only as a last resort—shouting can cause a person to inhale dangerous amounts of dust.
Protective actions
These are actions we take to safeguard our family members and ourselves from harm. The most common emergency protective actions are evacuation and shelter-in-place.
- Evacuation means to leave the area of actual or potential hazard.
- Shelter-in-place means to stay indoors. This includes additional precautions such as turning off air-conditioning, ventilation systems and closing all windows and doors.
What should you do?
- Remain calm.
- Be aware of your surroundings.
- Have a Family Preparedness Plan.
- Stay informed.
- If an evacuation is ordered, follow the instructions of local officials regarding evacuation routes and the location of shelters.
- If shelter-in-place is recommended, local officials will provide instructions on necessary actions.
- Do not leave your sheltered location or return to the evacuated area until it is deemed safe to do so by local officials.
What is a "Dirty Bomb"?
Because of recent terrorist events, people have expressed concern about the possibility of a terrorist attack involving radioactive materials, possibly through the use of a “dirty bomb”, and the harmful effects of radiation from such an event.
A dirty bomb, or radiological dispersion device, is a bomb that combines conventional explosives, such as dynamite, with radioactive materials in the form of powder or pellets. The idea behind a dirty bomb is to blast radioactive material into the area around the explosion. This could possibly cause buildings and people to be exposed to radioactive material. The main purpose of a dirty bomb is to frighten people and make buildings or land unusable for a long period of time.
Dirty bomb versus atomic bombs at Hiroshima and Nagasaki
The atomic explosions that occurred at Hiroshima and Nagasaki were conventional nuclear weapons involving a fission reaction. A dirty bomb is designed to spread radioactive material and contaminate a small area. It does not include the fission products necessary to create a large blast like those seen at both Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
Sources of the radioactive material
There has been a lot of speculation about where terrorists could get radioactive material to place in a dirty bomb. The most harmful radioactive materials are found in nuclear power plants and nuclear weapons sites. However, increased security at these facilities makes obtaining materials from them more difficult.
Because of the dangerous and difficult aspects of obtaining high-level radioactive materials from a nuclear facility, there is a greater chance that the radioactive materials used in a dirty bomb would come from low-level radioactive sources. Low-level radioactive sources are found in hospitals, on construction sites, and at food irradiation plants. The sources in these areas are used to diagnose and treat illnesses, sterilize equipment, inspect welding seams, and irradiate food to kill harmful microbes.
Dangers of a dirty bomb
If low-level radioactive sources were to be used, the primary danger from a dirty bomb would be the blast itself. Gauging how much radiation might be present is difficult when the source of the radiation is unknown. However, at the levels created by most probable sources, not enough radiation would be present in a dirty bomb to cause severe illness from exposure to radiation.
Past use of dirty bombs
According to a United Nations report, Iraq tested a dirty bomb device in 1987 but found that the radiation levels were too low to cause significant damage. Therefore, it is reported that Iraq abandoned any further use of the device.
What to do following an explosion
Radiation cannot be seen, smelled, felt, or tasted by humans. Therefore, if people are present at the scene of an explosion, they will not know whether radioactive materials were involved at the time of the explosion. If people are not too severely injured by the initial blast, they should:
- Leave the immediate area on foot. Do not panic. Do not take public or private transportation such as buses, subways, or cars because if radioactive materials were involved, they may contaminate cars or the public transportation system.
- Go inside the nearest building. Staying inside will reduce exposure to any radioactive material that may be at the scene.
- Remove clothing as soon as possible, place in a plastic bag, and seal it. Removing clothing will remove most of the contamination caused by external exposure to radioactive materials. Saving the contaminated clothing would allow testing for exposure without invasive sampling.
- Take a shower or wash themselves as best they can. Washing will reduce the amount of radioactive contamination on the body and will effectively reduce total exposure.
- Be on the lookout for information. Once emergency personnel can assess the scene and the damage, they will be able to tell people whether radiation was involved.
Taking potassium iodide (KI)
Potassium iodide, also called KI, only protects a person's thyroid gland from exposure to radioactive iodine. KI will not protect a person from other radioactive materials or protect other parts of the body from exposure to radiation. It must be taken prior to exposure (for example, if people hear that a radioactive cloud is coming their way) or immediately after exposure to be effective. Since there is no way to know at the time of an incident whether radioactive iodine was used in the explosive device, taking KI would probably not be beneficial. Also, KI can be dangerous to some people. Taking KI is not recommended unless there is a risk of exposure to radioactive iodine.
Risk of cancer from a dirty bomb
Some cancers can be caused by exposure to radiation. Being at the site where a dirty bomb exploded does not guarantee that people were exposed to the radioactive material. Until doctors are able to check people's skin with sensitive radiation detection devices, it will not be clear whether they were exposed. Just because people are near a radioactive source for a short time or get a small amount of radioactive material on them does not mean that they will get cancer. Doctors will be able to assess risks after the exposure level has been determined.
Source: Health & Safety Office, Riverside County Fire Department (909) 486-2818
For further information
The following are sources for emergency preparedness information.
Federal Emergency Management Agency 
Governor's Office of Emergency Services
Riverside County Fire Department
Riverside County Fire Department
Office of Emergency Services
(951) 955-4700
(760) 863-8318
For general information on health guidelines for agents capable of being used as biological threats please contact:
Riverside County Department of Environmental Health
951-358-5055
Riverside County Department of Public Health
951-358-5107
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