Level of Course: Entry
Weapons of Mass Destruction Training has been clearly identified as being a mandatory requirement in the 2008 edition of the NFPA 472 Standard for Competence of Responders to Hazardous Materials/Weapons of Mass Destruction Incidents. The Weapons of Mass Destruction Awareness course meets the intent of terrorism awareness training by fulfilling the following five student training objectives: 1. Presenting examples of the 5 main categories of Weapons of Mass Destruction (Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and Explosive materials commonly referred to as CBRNE) and how they can be disseminated; 2. Discussing the major physical and health hazards of Weapons of Mass Destruction; 3. Discussing the major signs and symptoms of chemical and biological exposures to the human body (often referred to by the acronym SLUDGE where S stands for Salivation, L stands for Lanclination, U stands for Urination, D stands for Defecation and E stands for Emesis); 4. Recommending personal protective equipment for responders to Weapons of Mass Destruction, using the EPA's Level A-C chemical protective clothing designation system; and, 5. Providing three "Do's" and three "Don'ts" regarding the size-up for and response to Weapons of Mass Destruction.