FBI Conducts Radiological Attack Drill

Image courtesy of New York National Guard under Attribution-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic License, resized to 700 x 391 pixels.

As farfetched as it may seem, a radiological attack could completely take down a utility’s systems!  And therefore, understanding how to prepare for this type of event certainly can’t hurt.

Of course, utilities are not likely to be conducting any tabletop exercises for this scenario, given that severe weather events are far more common.  But luckily, I got you covered, because if you’re a regular reader, you probably know that I occasionally like to take a behind-the-scenes peek at other, non-utility emergency exercises and drills, and that’s exactly what I have for you today.

Snapshot of the FBI’s Radiological Attack Drill

The 2-day exercise (dubbed “Titan Shield”), which was conducted at the FBI headquarters this past summer, involved a multitude of governmental agencies and stakeholders.

All told, 23 agencies participated, spanning areas of expertise such as intelligence, technical, public health, terrorism, and more.  The multi-agency representation was necessary because an attack of this nature, which would generally involve a weapon of mass destruction, would require coordination across many areas of government.

The exercise takes a full year to prepare for, and this is the fourth time it’s been run.   This year’s drill scenario focused on a terrorist cell that stole radiological material and smuggled it into the U.S. with the intent to launch drone-based attacks on sports stadiums.

Among many things, participants were required to:

• Develop an understanding of the radioactive material and its effects on people.
• Identify the groups best trained and equipped to appropriately respond.
• Initiate a process to enable agency-to-agency communications and updates.
• Determine evacuation needs.
• Develop public messaging and determine the best way to disseminate the information.
• Debrief on what worked best and how the drill could be enhanced in the future.

All told, I’m happy the FBI conducts drills like this, because in the most extreme case, our survival is what’s at stake.  Whether the scenario is a chemical, biological, nuclear, or radiological attack, conducting these types of exercises is extremely important for the safety of humanity.