Survivor's Notebook #6
CBRN, coming to a city near you?
In case you didn't know CBRN stands for Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear.
If you live in a big city or even a small town that has a target of military value, then you live in an area that is a potential
target for a CBRN attack. You should become informed on the effects and countermeasures for these threats. Even if
you live far away in the open countryside, you will probably have to deal with the after effects from these attacks.
I simply can't present all the information on these threats in this one article; it would take an entire book. So let this
article serve as a jumping off point for your own research.
I will cover some of the basics, but you will need to know more. First and foremost let me say, you CAN survive if you are
prepared, but most of us I fear, are not prepared. Understanding the methods of a CBRN attack and countermeasures
you can take are the key to successfully surviving an attack. Ignorance may be bliss, but the bliss is very short lived.
Some of you may be old enough to remember the "duck and cover" drills of the Cold War era. Although they are thought
of as quaint today, they made a lot of sense back then. You may also remember the emphasis that was placed on Civil
Defense and preparedness in those days. The government at all levels was actually well prepared for a nuclear attack
with detailed plans, public bomb shelters, stocks of food, water, medicine, and equipment. That was then. Today
government preparedness is geared to terror events and natural disasters; not full scale war and probably not even
multiple terror events. So you need to provide your own civil defense and preparedness to fill in the gaps.
There are ways to prepare for such events that could make a difference of life or death.
If you happen to be near ground zero in the event of a nuclear attack you undoubtedly will not survive, but in all other
cases you have a good chance. It all depends on being prepared and informed. First learn about CBRN and then get
the things you will need.
You can have antibiotics on hand to treat bacteriological attacks such as anthrax and bubonic plague; this will require a
prescription from a sympathetic doctor. If you are a medical professional you should consider having a supply of auto-
injectors to counteract the effects of nerve gas and other chemical agents. These are given to combat troops and
consist of atropine, pralidoxime chloride, and diazepam. Also check with your local emergency responders to determine
if they have these available in an emergency; they should have them. You can’t provide small pox vaccinations to your
family, but the government can if the need arises. You can at least be aware of how to treat infected victims without
becoming a victim yourself. Small pox is not always fatal if the victim is generally in good health and well cared for.
You can also have gas masks that will protect you against airborne CBRN attacks. Please don't rely on the cheap masks
which offer limited protection; invest in quality masks that will protect against all CRBN agents. You can have the ability
to seal your house against CBRN agents with some duct tape, plastic sheeting, and preparation. You can have
potassium iodide tablets on hand to protect your thyroid against radiation poisoning. You can have radiation measuring
devices to tell you when you are exposed to radiation and to what extent. Testing kits are also available for chemical and
biological agents although these items are sometimes expensive.
You may have heard the advice, "get out of the cities", and that's very good advice because the cities will obviously be
the main targets for CBRN attacks. But if you find yourself there anyway, there are just a few things in your favor. In the
city, depending on the severity of the damage, there will be at least some emergency response from the government
and hopefully access to medical help. Also, if you are lucky enough to be in a secure building when the attack occurs
then you will be somewhat protected as if in a bunker. The presence of any uncontaminated food and water may enable
you to shelter in place for an extended period until it is safe to leave. Still it is better to be as far away as possible from a
CBRN attack, so evacuate if at all possible. Even from a safe distance there will be things to contend with, such as
radioactive fallout and spreading epidemics from refugees, also looting, anarchy, hysteria and panic.
We as a nation are simply not taking present dangers seriously enough anymore; 9-11 seems like a long time ago. We
seem to be determined to undo the all the methods that have been used to successfully thwart terror attacks. We want
to believe that Iran will not really build nuclear weapons and it won't use them if it does build them; despite so much of
their rhetoric to the contrary. We want to believe that North Korea is really interested in dismantling its nuclear program
and achieving peace. We can't seem to get our Southern border secured despite a whole lot of promises from
politicians. We seem blissfully unaware of the rekindling of hostilities with the Russians and what that could portend. We
remain unconcerned about the huge military build up of China, financed by our purchase of their cheap goods. Believe
what you want, but for me it's hard to believe that big trouble is not right around the corner and I plan to be prepared.
How about you?
© 2008 Tim Thomas All Rights Reserved
CBRN, coming to a city near you?
In case you didn't know CBRN stands for Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear.
If you live in a big city or even a small town that has a target of military value, then you live in an area that is a potential
target for a CBRN attack. You should become informed on the effects and countermeasures for these threats. Even if
you live far away in the open countryside, you will probably have to deal with the after effects from these attacks.
I simply can't present all the information on these threats in this one article; it would take an entire book. So let this
article serve as a jumping off point for your own research.
I will cover some of the basics, but you will need to know more. First and foremost let me say, you CAN survive if you are
prepared, but most of us I fear, are not prepared. Understanding the methods of a CBRN attack and countermeasures
you can take are the key to successfully surviving an attack. Ignorance may be bliss, but the bliss is very short lived.
Some of you may be old enough to remember the "duck and cover" drills of the Cold War era. Although they are thought
of as quaint today, they made a lot of sense back then. You may also remember the emphasis that was placed on Civil
Defense and preparedness in those days. The government at all levels was actually well prepared for a nuclear attack
with detailed plans, public bomb shelters, stocks of food, water, medicine, and equipment. That was then. Today
government preparedness is geared to terror events and natural disasters; not full scale war and probably not even
multiple terror events. So you need to provide your own civil defense and preparedness to fill in the gaps.
There are ways to prepare for such events that could make a difference of life or death.
If you happen to be near ground zero in the event of a nuclear attack you undoubtedly will not survive, but in all other
cases you have a good chance. It all depends on being prepared and informed. First learn about CBRN and then get
the things you will need.
You can have antibiotics on hand to treat bacteriological attacks such as anthrax and bubonic plague; this will require a
prescription from a sympathetic doctor. If you are a medical professional you should consider having a supply of auto-
injectors to counteract the effects of nerve gas and other chemical agents. These are given to combat troops and
consist of atropine, pralidoxime chloride, and diazepam. Also check with your local emergency responders to determine
if they have these available in an emergency; they should have them. You can’t provide small pox vaccinations to your
family, but the government can if the need arises. You can at least be aware of how to treat infected victims without
becoming a victim yourself. Small pox is not always fatal if the victim is generally in good health and well cared for.
You can also have gas masks that will protect you against airborne CBRN attacks. Please don't rely on the cheap masks
which offer limited protection; invest in quality masks that will protect against all CRBN agents. You can have the ability
to seal your house against CBRN agents with some duct tape, plastic sheeting, and preparation. You can have
potassium iodide tablets on hand to protect your thyroid against radiation poisoning. You can have radiation measuring
devices to tell you when you are exposed to radiation and to what extent. Testing kits are also available for chemical and
biological agents although these items are sometimes expensive.
You may have heard the advice, "get out of the cities", and that's very good advice because the cities will obviously be
the main targets for CBRN attacks. But if you find yourself there anyway, there are just a few things in your favor. In the
city, depending on the severity of the damage, there will be at least some emergency response from the government
and hopefully access to medical help. Also, if you are lucky enough to be in a secure building when the attack occurs
then you will be somewhat protected as if in a bunker. The presence of any uncontaminated food and water may enable
you to shelter in place for an extended period until it is safe to leave. Still it is better to be as far away as possible from a
CBRN attack, so evacuate if at all possible. Even from a safe distance there will be things to contend with, such as
radioactive fallout and spreading epidemics from refugees, also looting, anarchy, hysteria and panic.
We as a nation are simply not taking present dangers seriously enough anymore; 9-11 seems like a long time ago. We
seem to be determined to undo the all the methods that have been used to successfully thwart terror attacks. We want
to believe that Iran will not really build nuclear weapons and it won't use them if it does build them; despite so much of
their rhetoric to the contrary. We want to believe that North Korea is really interested in dismantling its nuclear program
and achieving peace. We can't seem to get our Southern border secured despite a whole lot of promises from
politicians. We seem blissfully unaware of the rekindling of hostilities with the Russians and what that could portend. We
remain unconcerned about the huge military build up of China, financed by our purchase of their cheap goods. Believe
what you want, but for me it's hard to believe that big trouble is not right around the corner and I plan to be prepared.
How about you?
© 2008 Tim Thomas All Rights Reserved
