Explosives Threats to First Responders

Introduction

Workshop DeveloperMark Chadwick, CEM

Training Officermark.chadwick@sanantonio.gov

(210) 206-8688

This is a workshop presenting recognition of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), homemade explosives, and explosives precursors. The workshop will include information on the four components of an IED, types of stimulus, three types of explosives response incidents, evacuation decisions, shelter-in-place, and response safety issues.

Objectives1. Recognition of common IED's,

homemade explosives, and precursors.

2. Recognition of the basic components of an IED.

3. Identification of the three main types of explosives response incidents.

4. Emphasis on first responder safety concerns for explosives response.

IED Components• Power Supply• Initiator• Explosive• Switch

• Container

Power Supply

Initiators

Explosives

Switches

ContainersImagination is the

ONLY limit!

Explosives Stimuli• Friction• Impact• Shock• Heat• ED – Electrostatic Discharge

• Radio Frequencies

Common Types of IEDs

Pipe Bomb: ½ lb of Black Powder

Pipe Bomb in Slow Motion

Gas Bomb in Plastic Bottle

50 lb Explosion

ALF Incendiary Device

Homemade ExplosivesWhat makes

Homemade Explosives a weapon of choice?

They are made from ordinary household products

The products can be purchased or possessed legally

They are cheaper to make

You don’t need a lab to make them

They are simple to make

They can be just as effective as Commercial or Military explosives

Keep in mind that it was a Homemade Explosive that was

used in Oklahoma City.

Sources

The Internet, books, bookstores, libraries, and people with an interest in explosives are all sources that can be used to learn how to make Homemade

Explosives.

Explosives Precursors

Poor Man’s C-4 Potassium Chlorate + Vaseline

Types of HMEs: Ammonium Nitrate-Based

Popular fuels to mix with AN include:

Fuel oil (ANFO) Sugar (ANS) Aluminum powder (ANAL) Nitromethane (ANNM)

Ammonium nitrate-based explosives, consisting of ammonium nitrate and another precursor that serves as a fuel, are the most widely used types of binary explosives.

Ammonium Nitrate Sugar (ANS) Ammonium Nitrate / Nitromethane

Ammonium Nitrate

Aluminum Powder

Ammonium Nitrate + Aluminum (AN/AL)

Ammonium Nitrate + Fuel Oil (AN/FO)

Types of HMEs: Hydrogen Peroxide-BasedExtremely sensitive to heat, shock, and friction, hydrogen peroxide-based explosives, such as HMTD and TATP, are some of the most commonly used HME in IEDs.

Hexamethylene Triperoxide

Diamine (HMTD)

Hair Bleach for Hydrogen Peroxide

Camp Stove Fuel Tablets for Hexamine

Drain Cleaners for Sulfuric Acid

Food Additives for Citric Acid

The Millennium bomber, Ahmed Ressam, planned to use HMTD as part of an IED attack on the Los Angeles International Airport on New Years Eve 1999, while

Richard Reid in 2001 attempted to use TATP as a booster in his shoe bomb.

Triacetone Triperoxide (TATP)

Nail Polish Remover for

Acetone

TATP

TATP Explosion

Additional Dangers of HME for Law EnforcementLaw Enforcement Officers may mistake HME for drugs during initial investigation.

+ =

Portable drug test kits sold under the name NIK are designed to test for cocaine, PCP, LSD and brown heroin. If mixed with TATP or HMTD, the reaction may be violent

resulting in injury to the officer.

Urea Nitrate

Mercury Fulminate

3 Types of Response to Explosives Incidents

• Pre-DetonationResponse to a threat by phone, email, letter, note, or in-person where a detonation has not yet occurred.

• Post-DetonationResponse after a detonation has occurred.

• Continuing Explosives IncidentResponse where an incident has occurred (hostage situation, active shooter, etc…) where a detonation has occurred or explosives are believed to be present and the aggressor is still present and the situation is on-going.

Evacuation Decisions• No Evacuation• Partial

Evacuation• Full Evacuation

If you evacuate, you must search the route you will use for evacuation and the evacuation location to insure that additional devices have not been hidden.

Otherwise you may be walking people into a situation where a bomber is planning on using multiple devices to cause mass casualties and injure responders.

Shelter-In-Place• Move to an interior

portion of the building• Near a supporting wall• Completely away from

windows

Do not assume that people understand what it means to Shelter-In-Place!!!

Responder SafetyUtilize the principles of

Time, Distance, and Shielding.

• Minimize your amount of Time near a danger.

• Maximize your distance between you and the danger.

• Get behind something solid to use as Shielding.

The Dangers of Reflective Pressure

Can increase the

magnitude from 2 to 9 times the

explosive’s original

potential.

Vehicle Barriers

Never Approach a Suspicious Device

Don’t Become a Victim

Even Small Blasts are Dangerous

If You Can See the Bomb – It Can See You

Questions???

Mark Chadwick, CEMTraining Officer

mark.chadwick@sanantonio.gov(210) 206-8688