FDNY Hosts Symposium on Chemical, Biological, Radioactive, and Nuclear Terrorism

Battalion Chief Robert Ingram addresses the crowd at the symposium.
Behind him (L to R) Dr. Brooke Buddemeir, Lawrence Livermore National Labs; Jeanine Prud’honmme, N.Y.C. Department of Health and Mental Hygiene; and Steve Mussulino, Brookhaven National Laboratories.

The FDNY Center for Terrorism and Disaster Preparedness (CTDP), in conjunction with the United States Military Academy’s Combating Terrorism Center, held a symposium on “Chemical, Biological, Radioactive, and Nuclear (CBRN) Terrorism: Improvised Nuclear Device Briefing” at the Fire Academy on Randalls Island on March 31.

The symposium provided an overview of CBRN Terrorism with a briefing designed specifically to show the impact of a detonation of an improvised nuclear device (IND) on New York City.

“We are entrusting the safety of our members from the information we get from them (the experts),” said Chief of Department Salvatore J. Cassano. “Our main job is not only to keep the public safe, but to keep our firefighters safe, and you are helping us do that by being here. We’re going to win this war…and working together we will get through this.”

A group of experts including Dr. Stephen Flynn from the Council on Foreign Relations, Dr. Brooke Buddemeier from the Lawrence Livermore National Labs, Stephen Musolino from Brookhaven National Laboratories, Jeanine Prud’homme from the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and FDNY Battalion Chief Robert Ingram, discussed the impact that an improvised nuclear device would have on New York City.

More than 200 people attended the event, including members from the FDNY, NYPD, FBI, Port Authority, as well as professors and cadets from West Point Military Academy.

The experts presented a detailed analysis on the impact of an IND incident, including the effects on buildings, infrastructure and first responders citywide.

FDNY members discussed the great strides made by the FDNY and its members to educate and train themselves to deal with the dangers of CBRN since the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

“CBRN terrorism would tax not only New York City, but would tax the entire response efforts of our country,” said Deputy Assistant Chief Joseph W. Pfeifer, Chief of Counterterrorism and Emergency Preparedness for the FDNY. “It’s important that we operate as teams. If there was a real CBRN event in New York, you are the people that will be responding. You are the people that will make critical decisions.”