Item 26 - Adoption of the City of Santa Ana Emergency Operations Plan

Home Browse Search

City of Santa Ana Emergency Operations Plan Part I Basic Plan during rush hour, killing 12 people, injuring 50 and causing temporary vision impairment to nearly 5,000 others. Chemical weapons attacks in the Syrian Civil War are also believed to have used Sarin gas. Riot -control agents cause respiratory distress and tearing and are designed to incapacitate rather than kill. Riot -control agents cause intense pain, especially when in contact with mucus membrane in areas such as the eyes, nose, and mouth. Common riot -control agents include "tear" gas and capsaicin (also called pepper spray). Though usually not fatal, they may cause a dangerous panic if used in a crowded environment. Biological agents are intended to kill, seriously injure, or incapacitate people by causing illness through the introduction of a disease organism. Biological agents usually work at a much slower pace than exposure to chemical agents. People may not initially know they have been exposed and those who become infected may not feel sick for some time. They may initially mistake their symptoms for common illnesses like the flu. The incubation period may range from several hours to a few weeks, depending on the exposure and pathogen. Some biological agents may be contagious and some victims may serve as carriers of the disease with the capability of infecting others. Unlike acute incidents involving explosives or chemicals, the initial detection and response to a biological attack on civilians is likely to be made by direct patient care providers (doctor's offices, hospital emergency rooms, pharmacies) and public health departments. There have been only two confirmed cases of biological agents being intentionally released against the public in history, both occurring in the United States. In the first example, members of the Rajneeshee religious cult in Wasco County, Oregon attempted to manipulate the November, 1984 local elections after being denied building permits and experiencing other land use conflicts with local officials while they were attempting to greatly expand the size of their commune. Cult members nominated several of their own members in races for various local offices. The cult then obtained Salmonella bacteria from a medical supply company and in the weeks before the election, spread bacteria -tainted liquid on produce in grocery stores, on doorknobs throughout government office buildings, and distributed the material onto salad bars at 10 restaurants throughout The Dalles, Oregon where most of the voters in the district lived. The intent was to sicken or kill a large number of voters in the district before Election Day, so that the cult could elect their own members into office. 751 people were sickened in the attempt, although all survived. The second example occurred immediately after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, when multiple news media outlets and several Democratic US Senators received letters in the US Mail laced with anthrax spores. Anthrax is a naturally occurring bacterium which can be refined into a highly toxic substance. Inhaled anthrax causes cold and flu -like respiratory symptoms, which if not correctly diagnosed and treated rapidly, lead to pneumonia and fatal respiratory collapse. These anthrax exposures ultimately killed 5 people and sickened 17 others, although none of the actual victims were the intended targets, instead they were mail handlers or completely unrelated persons whose mail was contaminated by contact with the tainted letters. Radiological weapons are intended to kill, seriously injure or incapacitate people through the dispersal of radioactive material, and are also called radiation dispersal devices (RDDs) or dirty bombs. Radiological materials are readily available in hospitals and other medical facilities, in university science laboratories, and in many products with commercial uses. Examples are x-ray machines and particle accelerators used in scientific research. Radiation cannot be seen or otherwise detected by human senses, but high doses or prolonged exposure can cause radiation sickness and death. Terrorists who would attack using an RDD would need relatively small amounts of radioactive material to make an effective device. RDDs may be improvised explosive devices in which radioactive material is packaged into a conventional explosive and upon detonation, the radioactive material is scattered throughout the community. It is not necessary to use a bomb to disperse radioactive materials; these materials come in solids, liquids, and powdered forms which can be spread covertly. RDDs are considered a much higher threat than nuclear weapons because radiological materials are much easier to obtain than enriched nuclear materials, and the technology required to detonate an RDD is similar to that involved in detonating conventional explosives. In a conventional explosion involving radioactive materials, the fact that radioactive material was involved may not be obvious. Unless responders have proper detection 54