Chapter XIII: Section VII: Homeland Security Response

5-28. Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and High-Yield Explosive Response

Although, homeland security is not a specific military mission, commanders must plan for and be prepared to support a lead federal agency (such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation or Federal Emergency Management Agency) in response to CBRNE event. When the CBRNE event occurs on a military installation, the Weapons of Mass Destruction--Incident Support Team (WMD-IST) is the lead federal agency in charge of responding and establishes an incident command center (ICC). The installation medical authority (IMA) provides the HSS initial response to the event site. Request for assistance from deployable HSS organizations and staffs are initiated by the IMA through military channels. The incident commander will submit a request for HSS assistance to a CBRNE event off the military installation through the appropriate federal channels. The President will direct any DOD response in support of a lead federal agency to a CBRNE event. The Presidential direction to assist will be passed down through military channels to the appropriate HSS organization for response. The HSS response may be in the form of special medical augmentation teams (SMART) support from US Army Medical Command resources or HSS (table of organization and equipment [TOE]) units may be directed to respond. Normally, responding TOE units will provide HSS to nonmedical military responders. However, the HSS mission may be to provide support to the lead federal agency or civilian public health organizations, emergency medical services (ambulance crews), or hospitals. The HSS response will include, but not be limited to--

· Providing medical care to casualties at the incident
casualty decontamination site and supervising the casualty
decontamination process to ensure that no further injury is
caused to the casualty.

· Providing en route care for casualties from the incident site
to an MTF or designated location for further care. Normally,
TOE MEDEVAC assets are not used, but HSS personnel provide the
en route care on locally provided transport vehicles.

· Providing guidance to local responders in the management of
CBRNE casualties. The guidance may be on the correct use of
antidotes, chemoprophylaxis, prevention of contamination spread
in the MTF, patient decontamination at the MTF, and other
related medical management procedures.

· Identifying suspect chemical, biological, or radiological
materials used in the event.

· Providing guidance on application of standard precautions
for CBRNE, especially preventive measures to prevent spread of
contagious agents.

· Managing, triaging, and treating mass casualties.

5-29. Capabilities of Response Elements

For detailed Information on capabilities of SMARTs see FM 4-02 and FM 8-42. For detailed information on capabilities and functions of TOE HSS units see FM 4-02- and 8-series publications.