CBRNe December 2022 Vweb PDF

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Mother’s little helper Under the bridge She talks to angels

Taking PBAs into the CWC and BTWC Preparing for the next pandemic CBRN UAS reaching new heights
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CBRNe December 2022 vPress:CBRNe December 2022 vPress 03/01/2023 11:51 Page 1
Leader
I t’s that time again - for the annual CBRNe World Year in
Review. The irony of some of the previous versions of this
over the past 17 years is now starting to feel debilitating.
How often have I written ‘there has never been a year like
this for CBRN’ and it now seems trite. December 2020 -
It would also be folly to think Covid has gone away.
There have been many thousands of variants, probably more
than will ever be known, but right now the science
experiment in China is creating a cityload more. China’s
zero tolerance approach to infections resulted in draconian
Covid 19 and Navalny. December 2018 - the Skripal and lockdowns that were unknown in the rest of the world. This
Sturgess/Rowley/Bailey poisoning. December 2017 - North saw widespread disruption among the population resulting
Korea goes thermonuclear and Syria launches more in riots and disobedience that threatened the Xi regime…
chemical attacks. December 2014 - Ebola and more Syria. so he opened the floodgates and gave people the freedom
The old days of needing to look into the cracks to find they envied in others. Unfortunately for many thousands of
CBRN stories are very long gone. These days they regularly Chinese, the vaccines provided for them are not as effective
fill the front pages of newspapers, they’re a leading topic of as the ones from Pfizer/Bionetch/Moderna et al. We are now
conversation in pubs, bars, and should I ever be invited, seeing reports that 800 million will be infected this winter6,
polite dinner parties. and even if Sinovax provides 99% immunity, when numbers
2022 was dominated by Ukraine. One of the Russian are that big the death toll will be frightening. As we know
trumpeted, but US driven, narratives for the invasion of from tuberculosis there is nothing a pathogen likes more
Ukraine was the so-called biolabs. Jacob Creech1, a Virginian than learning about the human body and ineffective
ex-restaurant manager, managed to take an old Russian vaccination, so there’s a good chance that China is pressure
narrative (that DTRA CTR funds were being used to fund cooking the next variant to blight 2023.
mysterious biolabs in places like Georgia) and spin it into a In addition to all this, the usual challenges await us in
justification for the deaths of thousands of innocent people. 2023. The digital magazine Undark ran a piece on the
This was the latest escalation of a mis/disinformation trend challenges of ‘made to order’ DNA7 that showed what the
that started after Ghouta, but really made its presence felt modern biotech industry is up against. Some of this is
during Covid. These campaigns don’t just impact the local similar to the concern that CRISPR CAS-9 generated a few
population but also the world stage2, when politicians such years back, that DNA hobby shops would bring about the
as Majorie Taylor Greene3 start talking about bringing in end of humanity… but if you create more opportunities for
bills to stop this kind of investment. The next time you run this kind of threat you can’t be surprised when it happens.
a CBRNE exercise make sure there’s a runaway narrative Finally we need to appreciate that the clock is ticking for
like this in the script, both to test the public affairs officer, a new pandemic [What, already? Ed]. The Center for
and the responders who will have to deal with concerned, Infectious Disease Research and Policy warned in 2007 about
but potentially violent, advocates. the likelihood of a pandemic8, and was roundly ignored. The
This year, we’ve also seen the first significant current estimate is that pandemics, thanks to climate
thermonuclear threat to the world since the 1962 Cuban change and other factors, are becoming more of a statistical
Missile Crisis (or 1983 when Stansilav Petrov4 and Lt Gen norm than an outlier. The Global Alliance for Vaccines and
Peroot’s5 decisions both narrowly avoided disaster). Putin Immunisation quoted researchers stating that the chance of
has clearly decided that the point of having a sabre is to an extreme epidemic was increasing threefold in the coming
rattle it, and this has not always been to his advantage. decades9. While we might not be up to the 100m deaths that
Despite prompting a certain amount of disquiet among have been attributed to the 1918-1919 influenza, the current
European allies, it has caused horror among Putin’s few estimate is that Covid has cost around 30m10 and as
allies, particularly China, so they’ve distanced themselves suggested above we are not out of the woods yet.
from his comments despite being friends without limits. So, in short, we’ve had yet another bumper year in
Putin’s maximalist goals in Ukraine can only be met if 2022, and any prediction that 2023 will be livelier is a safe
the west withdraws support for Zelensky, so it’s fair to bet in the current climate. I wish you all well for the next
expect yet more posturing even if the danger has 12 months and keep checking out www.cbrneworld.net for
withdrawn slightly. the latest news.
1
https://www.adl.org/resources/blog/unmasking-clandestine-figure-behind-viral-ukrainian-biolab-conspiracy-theory
2
https://www.politifact.com/article/2022/apr/01/facts-behind-russian-right-wing-narratives-claimin/
3
https://www.trendsmap.com/twitter/tweet/1503772661863829512
4
https://www.vox.com/2018/9/26/17905796/nuclear-war-1983-stanislav-petrov-soviet-union
5
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-1983-military-drill-that-nearly-sparked-nuclear-war-with-the-soviets-180979980/
6
https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2022/12/15/1143002538/china-appears-to-be-facing-what-could-be-the-world-s-largest-
coronavirus-outbrea
7
https://undark.org/2022/12/21/experts-debate-the-risks-of-made-to-order-dna/
8
https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/business-preparedness/severe-pandemic-not-overdue-its-not-when-if
9
https://www.gavi.org/vaccineswork/new-study-suggests-risk-extreme-pandemics-covid-19-could-increase-threefold-
coming?gclid=Cj0KCQiAwJWdBhCYARIsAJc4idAul1g8R6Z3MJBkso6XyPXA7uIJ-7OOFYhQW-wahBVxSN32Ho-GhKUaAs_IEALw_wcB
10
https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/coronavirus-excess-deaths-estimates
HICC, Military Academy of Technology, Warsaw, Poland 28 - 30 June 2023 www.cbrneworld.com/events/poland
www.cbrneworld.com December 2022 CBRNe WORLD 1

Contents 1-7
Leader,
28-30We all need to just fly:
Contents, Petr Sladek on the
News IAEA’s drone trials
In opium town: Splashing the cash:

Malcolm Dando and Zoe Rutherford on trends in
Michael Crowley on PBAs biodefence spending
8-14 31-34
Your cruel device: Fear gets a bad rap:
Markus Binder on the The ongoing
updated POICN database Ebola outbreak
15-18 35-40
Your flexible friend:
Interception! Dr Mike Logan on the
The Nashville JHAT and NFL difficulty of ANFO response
20-23 41-44
Eye in the sky:
Chula Vista’s UAS Industry Interview:
programme Bertin Technologies
24-27
Published by Falcon Communications Limited
45-47
Contact Details: CBRNe World
Editor Business Marcoms For Sales: Suite 31, Basepoint,
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Development Sub Editor
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Jenny Walton
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Executive For Editorial: Web: www.cbrneworld.com
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Tony Denton Brian O’Shea gwyn.winfield@cbrneworld.com LinkedIn: cbrneworld
2 CBRNe WORLD December 2022 www.cbrneworld.com

CBRNe December 2022 vChanges:CBRNe December 2022 vChanges 03/01/2023 18:01 Page 3
48-50
Advertiser Index
Alexeter 33
Celulex: Lt. Carvalho on
the Portuguese army’s Argon Electronics 21
chem lab
Biofire Defense OBC
Bioflyte 39
CBRNe Convergence 2023 37
Capability Reviews CBRNE Indonesia 9
51-53 Cristanini
First Line Technology

43
13
HIC 17
CBax on
crime scene mapping Intelligence Sec IBC
54-56 Metrohm
Paul Boye
25
Important dates for your diary: Proengin 11

CBRNE Indonesia,
Hotel Margo, Depok, Jakarta, 14 - 15 March, 2023 Teledyne FLIR IFC
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CBRNe World (ISSN No: 2040-2724, USPS No: 007052)

High Intensity CBRN,
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Any correspondence should be addressed to The Editor, CBRNe World. We acknowledge the assistance and hard work of
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Front cover ©Clint Langley, https://www.marvel.com/comics/creators/5033/clint_langley

CBRNews
GLOBAL CBRN THREATS AND ACTIVITY
Our threat overview is complemented by our online E Newsletter. Every two months we will do an extended
online version of this map, and a major Threat E Newsletter twice a year. Sign up for your copy via
www.cbrneworld.com or follow us on Twitter via @cbrneworld
THREAT WATCH methane gas during drilling of a Preparedness and Initial COVID-19
Factory fire kills 36 drainage well. Around 100 workers Response “covers the period from
A fire at a chemicals and industrial were evacuated from the mine, and December 2019 to March 2020 and
goods company killed 36 people on work at the site was halted. A involved the interviews of dozens of
November 21. The blaze happened commission has been set up to current and former senior officials
in Anyang city, in China’s central investigate the incident, and Kazakh responsible for coordination of the
Henan Province, with Chinese media President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev U.S. COVID-19 reactions.
reporting that two people were offered his condolences to the
treated in hospital while two others families of those affected by the UK Strep A Outbreak
remained missing hours after the incident and wished a speedy Cases of Strep A are not unusual in
incident. Authorities said that recovery to the injured. the UK, but at present there is an
“criminal suspects” were taken into out of season increase in cases
custody shortly after the incident Senate report criticizes response being reported across the country,
but they did not provide any further A report was released at the including cases of Scarlet Fever. So
details. Xinhua news agency beginning of December following a far this season (from 12 September
reported that the blaze may have two-year investigation by U.S. Sen. to 4 December) there have been
started after welding sparks ignited Gary Peters (D-MI), chairman of the 6,601 notifications of scarlet fever.
fabrics in the factory and that the Senate Homeland Security and This compares to a total of 2,538
investigation is ongoing. Governmental Affairs Committee, at the same point in the year
detailing significant failures in the during the last comparably high
Mine explosion kills five federal government’s initial season in 2017 to 2018. There
A methane explosion at a coal mine response to the COVID-19 pandemic have so far been 60 deaths across
in Kazakhstan in November killed and overall preparedness. The all age groups in England,
five workers and injured four. report “Historically Unprepared: including 13 children under 18.
According to reports the explosion Examination of the Federal This resulted in a temporary
occurred after a sudden release of Government’s Pandemic scarcity of antibiotics.

Measles is a global threat Whilst uranium enriched to 60 US Radiation Countermeasures

In a joint report issued in November percent still isn't technically weapons-
In October it was reported that the
by the WHO and CDC, there is now grade, having a significant stockpile Biden administration had purchased
an "imminent threat" of measles of this could reduce the time Iran $290 million worth of anti-radiation
spreading in every region of the would need to make a bomb if so drugs as the president warned of
world. The primary reason behind inclined. Iran denies any ambition to “the prospect of Armageddon” being
this rationale is due to a fall in develop a nuclear weapon. sparked by Russia leader Vladimir
vaccines, and less surveillance during Putin. The Department of Health and
the pandemic. It is believed that a Definitely not zero Human Services that the major
record high of nearly 40 million On November 24, China recorded its supply of Nplate, for the treatment of
children missed a dose last year highest number of daily Covid cases acute radiation syndrome, was part
because of hurdles created by the since the pandemic began, despite of “ongoing efforts to be better
pandemic alone. In February, health stringent measures to maintain what prepared to save lives following
officials in England warned that has been dubbed ‘Covid Zero’. A total radiological and nuclear
vaccine rates had dropped to their of 31,527 cases were recorded emergencies.” The funding comes
lowest level in a decade. compared with an April peak of from Project BioShield.
28,000. Those numbers are still very
Viral headlines small for a country of 1.4 billion
At the end of November stories people, but all the strict lockdown Product Watch
began to appear, predominantly in measures and civil unrest caused by ARAI-2PAM procurement
tabloids, that scientists had revived the attempt at zero cases, these Aktiv Pharma Group announced a
what they were calling a ‘zombie recent numbers will have dealt a blow procurement contract award from
virus’. Scientists from the French to those in power. Since this time the the Biomedical BARDA. Under this
National Centre for Scientific civil unrest has grown exponentially contract, awarded under the 2004
Research had recovered and revived leading the country’s leaders to start Project BioShield Act, Aktiv will
13 viruses from the Siberian relaxing some of the covid policies. supply emergency autoinjectors
permafrost, one of which is almost containing pralidoxime chloride (2-
50,000 years old. Scientists began Grave Concern PAM) to the CHEMPACK program,
reviving these viruses following In mid-November the IAEA’s board of targeting proposed indications
mounting concerns that global governors passed a resolution related to organophosphate
warming is thawing the ice and expressing "grave concern" that poisoning including nerve agents.
releasing potentially infectious Russia had not heeded calls to cease The total value of the contract,
agents into the world. These viruses actions against nuclear facilities in including options to continue
are only zombies in terms that that Ukraine. The 35-nation board of supplying the product until 2029, is
have been reanimated from a governors issued a plea urging up to $220 million. Aktiv’s
dormant state. At present it is not Moscow "to abandon its baseless treatment pipleline currently
known if any of them can infect claims of ownership of the includes atropine, pralidoxime
humans, but the point of unearthing Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant", chloride (2-PAM), atropine/2-PAM
them is so that this can be and to "immediately withdraw its dual-injection, scopolamine, and
ascertained in preparation for military and other personnel from the tranexamic acid (TXA).
potential future threats. plant, and to cease all actions
against, and at, the plant and any New Biodefense Strategy
By any other name other nuclear facility in Ukraine". The Biden administration released
Most of us may have heard the news Russia has declared they have no the national biodefense strategy
by now, but Monkeypox has a new intention of leaving Zaporizhzhia. and implementation plan in
name. Given the renaming is due to October. The Strategy sets out to
concern about the stigma associated Navalny sanctions detect pandemics and other
with the disease’s name, you may Also in mid-November the EU biological threats, transform early
warning of infectious disease
have thought the new moniker would imposed sanctions on eight more
threats by accelerating the
be quite distant from the original, Russians accused of being linked to
development and deployment of
think swine flu to H1N1. What has the poisoning of Alexei Navalny. In an new technologies that can rapidly
been determined is it shall now be official statement the EU said “As detect novel pathogens, improve
called mpox, hardly far enough concerns the Navalny case, the new real-time information for decision-
removed from the original to prevent listings include operatives and high- making by planning for an enduring
people from still calling it monkeypox! ranking officials of the Russian all-hazards hospital data collection
Federal Security Service (FSB) and system, expanding platforms to
60 percent Russian chemical weapons experts.” integrate and share data for
At the tail end of November, Iran's The measures comprise of travel response, and improving data
ISNA news agency reported that "Iran bans and asset freezes. The sharing internationally. These
has started producing uranium sanctions include the director of the efforts build on the recently
enriched to 60 percent at the Fordo FSB Criminalistics Institute, and the launched Center for Forecasting
plant for the first time," referring to alleged head of the Signal Institute, and Outbreak Analytics, which
the underground facility that which is reportedly involved in the creates the equivalent of a
reopened three years ago amid the R&D and weaponization of the “national weather service” for
breakdown of nuclear agreements. Soviet-era infectious disease outbreaks,

enabling rapid, effective decision- chemical, biological, radiological New UK Biolab

making to improve outbreak and nuclear defense (CBRND) Smiths Detection opened a biolab at
response using data, modeling, Collective Training Simulation its centre of excellence in Hemel
and analytics. System (CTSS). This collaborative Hempstead, UK. The new lab will
effort enables Argon’s LCD3.3 complement the research capabilities
Environics X-System simulator, and potentially all other of its Baltimore, Maryland site, in
Environics launched its new X- Argon Personal Area Network (PAN)- developing next generation biological
System solution for CBRN threat based simulators, to be integrated threat detection capabilities primarily
monitoring. This introduces two with Cubic’s training and for its BioFlash Biological Identifier.
brand new detectors to the market: instrumentation systems. The BioFlash can detect biothreats
ChemProX-DS and RanidX. such as anthrax, ricin, botulinum
ChemProX-DS is a chemical detector Kromek Contracts toxin, black plague, tularemia,
for mobile and stationary Kromek Group plc announced a few smallpox, and SARS-CoV-2. The
installations, which allows for both contracts in the past couple of BioFlash received a CE marking in
independent usage and system months. First it secured a contract October opening the way for the
integration. It combines the with a UK Government department to product to be sold in the EU.
performance of a "traditional" develop and supply biological threat
detector with CBRN system detection systems. Under the terms Agilent at LHR
monitoring capabilities by featuring of the contract, Kromek will Agilent Technologies Inc. announced
a local interface display with full commence work in December for a the deployment of the next
CBRN system status. RanidX, is the three-year programme worth £4.9m. generation of alarm resolution
other new COTS product, a system The contract also includes an option technology for checkpoints
compatible gamma radiation for extended maintenance services throughout London Heathrow airport,
detector, which provides real-time after the initial term. delivering advanced security and
gamma and X-ray radiation They have also secured two efficiency. The Insight200M from
monitoring down to low levels. contracts, totalling £1.5m, for the Agilent ensures increased safety on
supply of its D3M and D3S-based planes while improving passenger
Teledyne FLIR launch MUVE R430 nuclear security products. Delivery experience at airports. The
Teledyne FLIR Defense, launched at will commence immediately and the Insight200M liquid explosive
CBRNE Convergence the new MUVE revenue will be received in Kromek’s detection system (LEDS) is ECAC
R430 drone sensor payload used to current financial year. Both contracts standard 3 Type A & B certified and
remotely detect and identify have been secured with Kromek works alongside CT systems. It
radiation sources and radiological distribution and procurement enables increased passenger
hazards across a wide range of use partners, and are to supply European throughput, as the Insight200M has
scenarios. The MUVE R430 is an government end-users. a low false alarm rate.
advanced radiation detector purpose-
designed for unmanned aerial CWMD Conference 2023 Avon sells its armour
systems (UAS) to detect, locate, Registration and abstract submission Avon Protection announced it has
measure, map, and identify is now open for the Chemical reached an agreement to sell the
radioactive sources from above. Weapons Demilitarisation Conference assets of its Lexington, KY facility to
Using the same field-proven 2023. The conference will take place CoorsTek, Inc, a global manufacturer
technology and algorithms as in London in May 2023, full details of advanced ceramics materials, for a
Teledyne FLIR’s identiFINDER series can be found on the website modest cash consideration. This
of radionuclide identification https://registration. facility is part of the armour business
devices, the R430 enables users to livegroup.co.uk/cwd2023/ Despite that was acquired through Avon’s
quickly pinpoint and accurately the enormous progress made in acquisition of 3M’s ballistic protection
identify sources of radioactivity from disposing of state stockpiles, there is business in 2020. It is focused on
a distance. a continued need for chemical manufacturing ceramic plates, an
weapons destruction policies, plans essential component of body armour
Argon and Smiths and capabilities. CWD is the primary and aircraft armour. As announced
Argon Electronics (UK) Ltd. and international forum for discussing earlier this year, the armour business
Smiths Detection renewed their this need, sharing information and is in the process of being wound down
Exploitation Agreement permitting making valuable professional by the end of FY23.
Argon to manufacture and market a contacts in this field.
range of simulators based upon Moore Promotion
Smiths market leading Chemical CEPI extends VBI Vaccines partnership CBRNe World was very pleased to see
Warfare detectors. Originally signed A partnership between VBI Vaccines the promotion of Dr Eric Moore in
in 2012, the worldwide exclusive Inc. and the Coalition for Epidemic October. The U.S. Army Combat
Exploitation Agreement permits Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) has Capabilities Development Command
Argon to utilise and implement the been expanded with a new promoted Eric Moore, Ph.D., who
appropriate aspects of Smiths development agreement seeking the most recently served as the director
Intellectual Property and detector development of multivalent of the DEVCOM Chemical Biological
components to create high fidelity coronavirus shots for use against Center, became DEVCOM’s deputy to
Chemical Warfare detector training multiple coronavirus threats. Based the commanding general. CBC, which
simulators that have been delivered on VBI’s enveloped virus-like particle is one of eight technology centers
to numerous Government worldwide. (eVLP) technology platform, the and laboratories within the DEVCOM
Argon also announced that they development will pursue vaccines enterprise, is the nation’s principal
have successfully integrated their capable of protection against research and development resource
LCD3.3 simulator with Cubic’s multiple variants of coronavirus. for non-medical chem-bio defense.

CBRNeWORLD Professor Malcolm Dando and Dr Michael Crowley, talk to Gwyn Winfield
about the evolution of mothers little helper – pharmaceutical based agents
Running for
the shelter…
I
realise that many of you will be Misuse of the Chemical and Life down for a good read. Now, admittedly
reading this after Christmas with a Sciences by Malcolm Dando and there are no car chases, and the love
certain amount of money, and even Michael Crowley1. Preparing to interest seems tacked on… but what
time, on your hands, so can I suggest a interview them, I got a copy, and what I you do get is 290 pages on toxins and
quick purchase of Toxin and thought would be a quick flip through bioregulators, or pharmaceutical based
Bioregulator Weapons, Preventing the turned into a quite prolonged settle agents. The book comprises some
introductory and concluding chapters
plus about 150 pages on six case studies:
China, India, Iran, Russia, Syria and the
US. Unsurprisingly those countries that
are relatively open about their research
and endeavours, like the US, get a lot
more poundage than those that are
highly secretive.
The case studies are fascinating, but
for me the rabbit hole I climbed down
was the one looking at the agents
themselves. Pharmaceutical based
agents (PBAs2) will be the fifth
generation of chemical weapons and the
next generation of biological ones.
Historically chemical weapon agents and
biological weapon agents were the
purview of government labs, and
enormous manpower and facilities were
required to find agents that would kill or
incapacitate, and remain stable and toxic
for periods of time after release.
Pharmaceutical research, and efforts to
better understand the human body and
its interaction with substances, is going
to supersede all that. Not only are
attempts to find agents that act on the
body using traditional pathways (such as
cholinesterase inhibitors) easier, thanks
to machine learning and artificial
intelligence3 but the whole palette of
ways to negatively affect the human
body is now open to science and misuse.
These don’t just include ways to kill
The combination of research into novel agents and distribution systems in and cause significant illness to anyone
conjunction with law enforcement is a dangerous mix ©EARDCC unlucky enough to come into contact

Jakarta Ad v4:Jakarta Ad v4 30/12/2022 15:50 Page 1
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Depok is the home of the Indonesian National Police CBRN units, and the hotel is a short hop from the base.
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CBRNeWORLD
Running for the shelter…
with them, but also ‘Gucci’ weapons that Considering that some other PBAs, name itself is problematic. Michael
can kill selected people with agents tied such as botulinum toxin (BoNT), are far suggested that malodorants, which are
specifically to their DNA. Agents that are more lethal than fentanyl derivatives, designed to provide temporary area
designed to have an impact on your Michael and Malcolm quote a report denial by making a space smell bad,
feelings or brain chemistry, such as showing that research into BoNT is now (that I found a bit of a distraction in the
serotonin inhibitors. Or even the next taking place in seven clinical uses9. book) were a perfect example of this
generation of riot control agents, that These uses differ widely, from urological kind of creative confusion.
might have a significant, but short lived, pathologic conditions to depression. It “There were previous concerns when
effect on the body. For bad actors, turns out that BoNT is so specific that it the US was investigating malodorants.
whether state, terrorist, criminal or can be used safely in modern medicine These might not be as much of a direct
curious the cost to engage in this and Dando and Crowley quote: “How concern as central nervous system
research has been reduced exponentially versatile BoNTs are to generate novel (CNS) acting chemicals, but
thanks to allied scientific studies. For toxins with new and improved malodorants are part of the continuum.
example, the military has been exploring pharmacological features. In this We felt that they were being ignored
so called ‘brave pills’ for decades4. In the direction, future structural and and there are dangers of misuse that
event of these being able to produce a biochemical data on both the newly should be recognised. When the OPCW’s
positive reaction in individuals, that discovered serotype BoNT/X as well as Scientific Advisory Board12 (SAB) looked
mechanism is open to abuse and can be on botulinum-like toxins, such as at everything they considered to be riot
pushed in the opposite direction5. BoNT/Wo and BoNT/En, may open control agents, they didn't include
PBAs offer the chance to have exciting avenues for original and malodorants and I'm not sure if that
something crude, such as carfentanyl, currently unexpected therapeutic was a conscious decision or an
that can lay waste to many thousands of applications for human diseases.”10 oversight. The US, for example, has a
people, produce far more subtle effects. Does the CBRN community need to strange and a changing view on how it
As a slightly risqué example, any address this problem to stop PBAs being defines malodorants and how it
mechanism that causes seen as shorthand for fentanyl? And just considers them to be covered by the
tumescence/erections in men can because it is ubiquitous in the US, it Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC).
equally be altered to have the opposite does not mean that fentanyl should When there’s that lack of clarity and the
effect. Perhaps not immediately useful dominate the debate. Professor Dando US military shows an interest, that's a
on the battlefield, but for a dictator keen felt that we aren’t even scratching the potential concern. We're not screaming
to reduce a troublesome population’s surface of the threat. “We're interested about it, but this area should be
birth rate and celebrate the virulence of in the possibility that fentanyl's only a recognised as something for the OPCW
their own tribe, it has some attraction. doorway into much more capable, to look at on the continuum of mid-
Professor Malcolm Dando, from the dangerous agents like remifentanil and spectrum agents.”
school of social sciences and Dr Michael that the other problems with fentanyl, Professor Dando agreed. He
Crowley6, honorary visiting senior such as its use in painkillers and suggested that definitions were
research fellow, both at the University of overdoses, is blinding people to the important as they decided whether an
Bradford, have a long history of drawing more dangerous kinds of fentanyls.” agent would be covered by the CWC, the
attention to these substances thanks to Perhaps another reason for the focus Biological and Toxic Weapons
their work on non-lethal weapons (that on fentanyl is that it makes a suitable Convention (BTWC), or whether they
also overlaps with PBAs). There will battlefield agent (as do toxins like BoNT felt into an unregulated no man’s land
always be a certain amount of bias in and staphylococcal enterotoxin B (SEB)) between the two. “I've been reading up
PBAs, since the topic is so vast, but it and that draws in military research and on the history of the Soviet programme
does seem that what the one everyone focus as well. Even though some agents and towards the end people were
can agree on is the synthetic opioid, might have a subtle effect, and require a thinking about adding bioregulators to
fentanyl. While it is killing recreational more prolonged exposure to take effect pathogens. Some stated that: ‘If you put
drug users by the tens of thousand in that does not mean that they have certain kinds of bioregulators in
the US every year7, its only widespread applications off the battlefield. This pathogens, you could alter the body's
application was at the 2002 Moscow becomes problematic for the behaviour.’ That was what the great
theatre siege, where bungled use meant Organisation for the Prohibition of mouse pox experiment13 was about:
170 people died, though it has also been Chemical Weapons (OPCW), which has adding the gene for a bioregulator into a
used as a targeted assassination weapon8. very clear rules for battlefield agents, but pathogen and disrupting the mouse's
When it comes to PBAs, fentanyl is the is far more woolly over what states can entire immune system.
alpha and omega, and for many people it research for military purposes and “What Popov did14 was more
is hard to see past it to things like especially what they can do in interesting, which was to make the
opiates, GABA modulators, anaesthetics, civilian/law enforcement applications. immune system the target by adding the
α2-adrenoreceptor agonists, Moves are being made to close some of gene for something close to myelin and
benzodiazepines and phenobarbital. these loopholes11, but even the PBA/toxin producing an autoimmune response:

CBRNeWORLD
creating a very fast example of multiple should not be researched for use against done, for example the SAB listed what it
sclerosis. This was in the mid 1980s, so your population - has been subject to considered to be riot control agents,
what would they be capable of if they debate for decades19. So the sooner there including oleoresin capsicum and
started that journey now? Or, indeed can be an adopted nomenclature for pelargonic acid vanillylamide [A
suppose Russia continued that journey? PBAs, toxins, bioregulators, venoms, synthetic capsaicinoid. Ed], so it
There were repeated concerns that not injuriants ,etc, the sooner controls can included what you could argue as
all of this bioregulator research was be put in place. toxins in that. But with regards to
closed down and we don't know what Dr Crowley agreed: “I think that's toxins and bioregulators more broadly
has happened, which was a question put really important. For example, if you there's insufficient guidance. The
to Congress in 201315.” look at the CNS acting chemicals and standard verification and monitoring
Dr Crowley also quoted Soviet-era the surrounding debate, they were system includes only two toxins in the
whistleblowers who suggested that then initially described as incapacitating schedules, ricin and saxitoxin, but
prevailing view on bioregulators was chemical agent weapons or there are no bioregulators in the
that because they are natural human incapacitants, were then reframed as schedules at all. What messages are
substances they are not considered to be CNS acting weapons and last year there you giving to states?
covered by the BTWC as potential was the “understanding” that “There might be specific areas where
weaponised materials. That might seem aerosolised use for law enforcement was the schedules need updating and toxins
fair enough, until you consider a effectively prohibited under the CWC. and bio-regulators might be an area that
bioregulator like Substance P. “But what about incapacitating should be explored. But then what do
Substance P has many different chemical agent weapons that don't you do with alleged toxin use? There is a
functions on the human body, it can directly act on the CNS? They aren't SAB temporary working group which is
cause acute breathing problems and is covered by that understanding, and due to report in 2023. As well as looking
being studied for positive effect in the there could be incapacitating chemical at the mechanisms for verification of
treatment of asthma. agents that act on parts of the core alleged use, they also considered the
Definitions of potential agents are human physiology that aren’t the CNS. range of toxins and bioregulators they
important, as they help governments to Previously those would be included should be concerned about. Perhaps
get them under control. Once things are under the broader incapacitant there is space through that forum to
on the CWC schedule it becomes much description, but because that was inform and strengthen consistent
harder to do research with them and reframed and shrunk just to CNS acting application of the GPC, at least with
there is a lot more oversight. There is a weapons, then they're not. So even in regards to toxins and bioregulators.”
desire within the OPCW to suggest that the narrow area of incapacitants and If there is a professional cynics
many of the worst PBA offenders are CNS acting agents, there is no agreed, association I will happily pay my dues,
now either covered by the central effective nomenclature.” as I cannot see in geopolitics a
nervous system (CNS) acting Professor Dando agreed: “The other willingness to return to the type of
understanding11, or via the general point is riot control agents and how negotiation that sparked both
purpose criterion “[t]oxic chemicals and these are classified and allowed or not. conventions. Covid on the one hand,
their precursors, except where intended From the CWC end you've got and Syria on the other, suggest that the
for purposes not prohibited under this agreement to use them in types and senior states parties are unlikely to be
Convention, as long as the types and quantities that haven’t been defined. able to come to terms on definitions
quantities are consistent with such Does that mean they also get covered that might assist an opponent. Equally
purposes.” (GPC16). in the BWC under peaceful purposes? many of the major states, as the six
This is largely because the OPCW There's also the GPC and how does chapters in Malcolm and Michael’s book
works by consensus, so changing the that apply? suggest, are interested in finding ways
CWC would be such a nightmare that it “A discussion about this taxonomy is to peacefully control an unruly
is easier to try for clarification rather needed due to the lack of definition and population, whether it’s in Xinjiang or
than change17. The use of chemicals for the difficulties that people have in Constitution Avenue. If there’s nothing
law enforcement, whether CNS-acting or deciding what should be done.” in the detectors library, and the only
not18 is troublesome for some and a Dr Crowley highlighted the need for biomarkers are natural regulators, then
loophole to be closed for others. Broadly such clarification given the divergent who’s to say that something happened?
speaking, there is a consensus among application of the GPC by CWC States. The attraction of these agents is too
some CWC signatories that chemical “The GPC is a brilliant concept at the high, and the desire to work with others
usage against other countries is bad, heart of the CWC giving it the flexibility to change is too low… or at least that’s
using chemicals against your own people to cover the full range of substances of what this Eeyore thinks.
is sometimes OK… but the ability to concern but there isn't enough Dr Crowley suggested that while the
research new and exciting ways of doing guidance for states specifically on how future was uncertain there was room for
it is always OK. The need to bring clarity to apply it in regards to mid-spectrum optimism. “You're absolutely right that
to this last element - which chemicals agents. Although some work has been these things may look interesting to

CBRNeWORLD
certain states, way back in Soviet times, acted upon, is much better than shaking continuing to develop them. There's
that was one of their areas of interest one’s head and sitting in the gloomy been large scale promotion of diverse
for the bioregulator programme. Also corner until the inevitable happens. As means of delivery and they're being
the BTWC and CWC were not primarily for the Bradford team, they are hopeful introduced by certain states. Israel used
developed to deal with such concerns, that the book will have a positive effect, riot control agent drones a couple of
but rather to address specific threats of and are looking at related projects. years ago and now has enacted
the large scale military use of toxic “We're hoping to spend some of the measures that allow wider use.
chemicals and pathogens, and ageing money we've got left to book our places Colombia and Lebanon have acquired
stockpiles of chemical weapons that at the CWC Review Conference so we and employed multi-barrel launchers.
needed to be destroyed.” can go along and talk to people there Having been developed and widely
“So what can we do now? One about this subject. This has been a good promoted, such delivery mechanisms
mechanism to explore that would be discussion and very helpful for us,” said are now starting to appear at mass
ideally suited to our concerns is the Professor Dando. protests, so there's concern about how
international human rights machinery. “But what's next? Michael and I feel that will develop in the years ahead.
It was employed by some of the relatives that on the horizon people are Then mix in research on the mid-
of the Moscow siege victims and some beginning to understand the higher spectrum agents, and the concern
survivors, who went through the nervous systems of non-human increases. In addition the SAB has said
European Court of Human Rights and primates. The neuro circuits have been previously, that although these devices
got damages20. We need to inform and explored in mice and rodents but there's are promoted for wide area riot control
interest the broad human rights a lot of work in neuro circuits agent delivery, they could be used for
community in these issues, highlighting governing complicated behaviour other toxic chemicals, contrary to the
the potential consequences of malign analogous to our own. That opens up convention, so that's another strand of
application of these substances for the possibility of much more activity we want to keep an eye on.”
repression. Together we can explore sophisticated and serious manipulation In as much as there is a spectrum of
how the relevant international human of the kind you've hinted at. We also names, agents, mechanism of action and
rights machinery could examine and have a contract with the Royal Society toxicity there is also one of time. Don’t
address these issues. Such of Chemistry to produce a book in about be confused, PBAs/toxins and bio
investigations could clarify application two years' time covering what's going regulators are coming and fentanyls are
of international and human rights law, on in that area and how it might be just the very first wave. They are,
and also inform the work of the OPCW.” dealt with by the conventions and under however, unlikely to be designed for
Fundamentally, even if we disagree human rights law.” outdoor use, and certainly not against
on the likelihood of multinational Dr Crowley agreed, and also said people wearing PPE, so not a doomsday
organisations being able to curtail, or they were still not finished with riot weapon to frighten the children with.
provide oversight into dual use PBAs in control agents (See CBRNe World, 2015- They do, however, need to be taken into
the west (never mind the east), it’s the 06). “I want to continue looking at wide account, questions asked of
debate that’s important. Aerosolising area and remote control delivery manufacturers and researchers and to
these issues so that they can be mechanisms for riot control agents as be worked into table top exercises and
discussed and potentially something companies and certain states are other planning.
1
https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-031-10164-9
2
Toxins and regulators sit with some overlap in PBAs, and vice versa, but for the sake of this interview I am going to use the acronym PBA to
cover both rather than try and popularise a T&R acronym
3
https://www.nature.com/articles/s42256-022-00465-9.epdf
4
https://www.academia.edu/19830016/U.S._ARMY_RESEARCH_ON_PHARMACOLOGICAL_ENHANCEMENT_OF_SOLDIER_
PERFORMANCE_STIMULANTS_ANABOLIC_HORMONES_AND_BLOOD_DOPING
5
Post-holiday TV on the same can be found here - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9783600/
6
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fasE4zeDT-I
7
https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nvss/vsrr/drug-overdose-data.htm
8
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20200925-remembering-israels-botched-attempt-to-assassinate-khaled-meshaal/
9
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28356439/
10
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5983246/
11
https://www.opcw.org/media-centre/news/2021/12/decision-aerosolised-use-central-nervous-system-acting-chemicals-adopted
12
https://www.opcw.org/about/subsidiary-bodies/scientific-advisory-board
13
https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn311-killer-mousepox-virus-raises-bioterror-fears/
14
https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2001-oct-28-op-62548-story.html
15
https://irp.fas.org/congress/2013_hr/biodef.pdf
16
https://bradscholars.brad.ac.uk/bitstream/handle/10454/876/cwcrcp_3.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y
17
https://www.opcw.org/sites/default/files/documents/CSP/C-14/open-forum/The-OPCW-Verification-Regime-Need-for-a-Paradigm-Shift.pdf
18
https://www.opcw.org/sites/default/files/documents/2021/12/c25nat107%28e%29.pdf
19
https://www.sipri.org/sites/default/files/CBW_VOL1.PDF
20
https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2012/10/the-dubrovka-theater-siege-in-moscow-a-decade-later/263931/

Markus Binder, project manager at the Study of Terrorism and Responses
CBRNeWORLD
to Terrorism at the University of Maryland, tells Gwyn Winfield
about counting CBRN attacks
Pick your
POICN relevance to our community, after the researchers, responders and the curious.
W
hen it comes to open source
databases you can’t escape the POICN one, is the Chemical and Markus Binder, the senior researcher
University of Maryland’s (UMD) Biological Non-State Adversaries2 responsible for START's CBRN portfolio,
Profiles of Incidents involving CBRN database, [CABNSAD, sadly just suggested that combining these
and Non-State Actors1 [POICN, pronounced Cab n’ sad. Ed] which looks databases would provide a much richer
pronounced poison. Ed]. UMD is home at the actors’ characteristics, rather experience overall for the CBRN
to the national consortium for the than the incident itself. explorer, rather than just saving them
Study of Terrorism and Responses to These two databases were previously from having to do two searches.
Terrorism (Start), which in addition to separate and out of date, but now “Accessibility will be significantly
POICN has data sets on QAnon, terrorist thanks to additional grant funding, they improved, especially for the more general
databases (Baad) and also attacks on have been combined and updated to audience. If you're a reporter, for
nuclear facilities (NuFad). Of most provide a more useful tool for example, and urgently need to know how
The choice of agent, like ricin, might get into the new Violent Non-State
Actor Data Portal, but it depends who uses it ©Museum De Toulouse

CBRNeWORLD
Pick your POICN
Mr Binder and his team have been updating and improving the old POICN database ©CBRNe World
many chemical attacks there were in the period, then it suddenly makes approval or what type of event had occurred. Now
past 10 years, you'll be able to go straight that much easier. Being able to show those have been harmonised, which was
to the portal and find out. Previously I’d that a percentage of these have a trivial job, but bringing them together
have sent you a 40,000 data point Excel happened in or near, your location is was worthwhile.”
sheet and you’d have had to work it out even better. The need for PII is a limiting factor,
yourself or use another, less focused data Markus Binder suggested that the but it’s necessary, as Markus explained.
set to get the same information if you ability to do ‘what, where and when’ “We started building the POICN data
didn’t have time. would be available at the lower tier of sets in 2010, but funding ran out in
“This will also allow you to use the security, but the target type would be 2015 so the database sat there. We're a
data for some speedy analysis. It’s a cut among the pieces you’d have to request. now little more concerned about PII
down version of the database on the The other element that people can now than we were back in 2010 or 2015. The
portal, and doesn’t include all 887 get, that they couldn’t before was the nature of that concern and restrictions
variables, rather it’s what we thought ‘why’. “We're also giving people access can differ from country to country, but
would be most useful for a quick look. If to CABNSAD, which was never to secure funding we had to be fairly
you want more for a sophisticated accessible and known to a limited stringent. This means some of the
analysis, perhaps for a masters project, number of researchers. The new actor things you might expect in the actor
you'll be able to request the full public database [Violent Non-State Actor Data database are missing. There are no
data set, assuming you meet minimum Portal1, which will also include in the names, online user handles or places.
requirements, like not being from a near future the Radiological And All this is openly available, but when
sanctioned country.” Nuclear Non-State Actor Database you bring it together in one place, it can
What’s exciting about this type of (RANNSAD). Ed], will be much more potentially become problematic.
data is being able to bend it to your will, widely available. The two databases are “For the event database, we're
the ability to justify procurement also more harmonised than they were currently unable to say which group
budgets based on threats to assets in before, though they can’t talk to each perpetrated an attack. Given there's only
your area. If, for example, you can prove other, due to personal protected some 565 events in the data set it
there have been X number of CBR information (PII). In the past they should be possible for the user to do
attacks against sporting facilities, or treated data quite differently, such as their own research and quickly work out
major shopping malls over a 10 year the way they recorded what a target was which group is being referred to. We

HICC Poland Ad v3:HICC Poland Ad v3 03/01/2023 10:44 Page 1
High
Intensity
CBRN
28 – 30th June, 2023.
Military University of Technology
(MUT), Warsaw, Poland
Putin’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 was the end of a prelude that had begun a long time ago. Now
Nato, and allied nations, need to prepare for the potential use of CBRN weapons that belonged to a
different age. How do military, and first responder, forces prepare for the kinds of mission sets where gallons,
rather than millilitres of agent. Where population centres are targeted and military and civilian forces need
to work together to save the lives of thousands of people that are unprepared for this kind of eventuality.
With a pre-conference decon workshop, and a two day conference and exhibition, this event will provide
insight into the kinds of scenarios that forces need to prepare for a blueprint to get to a level where they
might be managed. Each nation will give two presentations, the first on where their current capability is (0-3
years) and an academic one which forecasts out to the medium term (5-10 years).
Held at the Military University of Technology in the center of Warsaw, a city and country that will be on the
front line of any escalation of threat, this will be THE thought leadership CBRN event of 2023.
www.cbrneworld/events/poland
CBRNeWORLD
Pick your POICN
can't name the groups or the

individuals, however groups are
distinguished by means of numeric
codes, but I can’t tell you what the
group is.”
If you follow the CBRNe World
Twitter feed, or even the news
published in this hard copy edition,
you’ll quickly conclude that there must
have been more than 565 incidents in a
10 year period. This means that there
must be criteria to meet for incidents
to be included, and presumably
excluding adulteration of foodstuffs.
One of the most common, and fatal of
these, is the adulteration of wedding
beer in Africa (and other places) with
toxic substances like malathion.
Sometimes these are accidents, on
other occasions they are assumed to be
intentional, but the nature of the crime
is such that people are rarely charged.
So what criterion does an incident
require for the owners of the new event
database to include it?
“That differs significantly between
the event and actor databases. Events
are easier. Basically we start with any
event that involves use of a CBRN
weapon, we scoop it up and do a quick
scrub to see if there's any evidence of
intent. If the event’s unintentional -
accidents happen all the time - that’s
not something we care about because
no one’s doing it deliberately. If it
happened before 1990, we don’t include When the motive belongs to the neurodivergent, like Betty Miller, then it becomes
it. A criminal event is the same, as the difficult to ascribe motive ©Wake Robin
event database is focused on
ideologically motivated events and matter - if they were just kicking off and but you may have absolutely no
terrorism is shorthand for that, they got busted, they’ll still be included. information on them. This means you
although it doesn't quite capture it. Something else that matters, is that it's can include it in your event database,
Mention terrorism and you could easily publicly reported. We don't seek and but there's basically nothing to add to
leave out things like insurgency or include anything that's law enforcement the actor database. That's one of the
people who are part of a very broad confidential or officially restricted. areas where the two databases start to
ideological community but don’t “That’s events, but on the actor side diverge significantly, because you may
subscribe to any particular ideology. If we will include criminal events. Should say, ‘We know about the attack and that
something looks like state action, we a wife put ricin in her husband’s tea ISIS did it…' but who in ISIS did it? If
don't care about it, unless it's state because she's had enough of him we don't know we can’t include it.”
supported but delivered by a non-state running around it's interesting because These differences mean that the two
actor, then we keep it. Much of the ISIS of the agent involved. The other critical databases don't match up completely, so
activity in Syria and Iraq in the mid feature for the actor data set is that there are currently 565 events and 495
20210s, was violent non-state actor there has to be an identified actor. This in the actor database. As Mr Binder
activity involving chemicals, but it's not can mean you’ll encounter challenges. suggested above, the detail on these
terrorism. It’s military low volume use For example, the nature of German cases can vary wildly, with some
of shells and rockets filled with public reporting and the justice system countries, or US states, publishing far
chemical agents rather than terrorism. means that they may well tell you that more data than others, meaning that
Scale, impact and maturity also don't an event happened and a person did it, there can be variations in the amount of

CBRNeWORLD
information populating the datasets. points? Ed]! Since CBRN is littered with doesn’t involve the use of radiological
Also the US court system allows people people like these, how do we categorise agents. What greatly interests us is the
to be prosecuted under a plea bargain, them and their motivation? actors who are actually using a
so they’ll serve time for using the mail “He goes in the ‘pickle’ category,” radiological agent to do or attempt to do
to send threats, rather than creating a said Mr Binder. “Years ago we invented a harm, like those guys who tried to make
CBR device for terrorist ends. Again, category named ‘personal idiosyncratic’. an anti-Muslim radiation device in a
there are many events with no identified It was to avoid being too specific while van3. We’d also include it if it's non-
perpetrators, which Mr Binder at the same time allowing for the fact ideological and criminal, like the guy
suggested might make up a missing 30- that some people make their own who stole a bunch of radiological
40% of events - if there’s no known unique category. In updating the sources and threatened to unleash the
culprit and motivation then the incident ideological types and subtypes for the devices4. Assuming additional funding
can’t be included in the actor dataset. event and actor databases they now use comes in we will continue building out
Markus Binder suggested that this the same coding. For example, criminal the criminal event database, add cases
was changing, and the inclusion of solely has extortion, grudge, profit, personal and revise the online interface. Our
terrorist events in the database might be idiosyncratic and unknown. Personal online portal is version one and we fully
dropped. “One of the ideas we are looking idiosyncratic is a bit of a catch all for expect to expand and enhance that.
to explore is a criminal event database. It people without a systematic ideology. Hopefully it will allow people to do basic
would use the template of the terrorist When you start wanting to narrowly analysis using the webpage, to generate
event database as it exists, but explicitly define that you get into difficulties. This a map for example.”
record criminally motivated, non- is why we simplified the ideological Markus Binder and the team are
ideological events. It requires changes to categories, previously we had right wing also hoping to incorporate more
some of the variables, though less than racists, right wing white supremacists events from areas outside of western
you might expect. It won’t be as and other subcategories, but no one's as Europe and north America, where
comprehensive as the event data set, neat as that. We've now cut that back, these events are easier to discover in
which dates back to 1990 as you can't though it might revert to more the media. They’re also hoping to
immediately scoop up everything from sophisticated breakdown later.” revisit some of the cases they
1990 to today. We'll probably work from As is obvious from that comment previously logged, as these may well
2010, using that as a starting point to the Violent Non-State Actor Data Portal have got to court or further
develop a criminal event data set and that is going through a series of changes, information has been disclosed by
should enable us to overlap better with with the ones Markus has mentioned as other means. Once this has been done
the actor data set. Again, as with the just the start. The next milestone will be are there other elements they’d like to
terrorist events, including a criminal adding the radiological elements from include, like interdiction and how
event won't require that the perpetrator RANNSAD. “Phase one updated it and people were caught? Such information
was identified. Though obviously there got it online. As the databases were could be really useful in combination
won't be any actor data for such a case, unfunded they were a resource of with ideology, so do more right wing
but the criminal event would be in the declining value over time so updating groups get stopped due to surveillance,
data set and map the impact. That was #1 priority. We used some of the while left wing groups tend to have a
doesn't exist anywhere else.” resources available to us to do some member that goes to the authorities?
The trouble with people who like to systematisation and better align the two This can also help provide data points
use CBRN devices, is that they can have data sets, now come the additional on why some plots manage to reach
an ideological motivation, but often updates. We'll begin this by establishing the attack stage, and some do not.
they don’t - the Everett Dutschkes or the criminal event database. The actor Perhaps religious motivation is less
Betty Millers of this world, who fit into database was based on the CABNSAD ‘successful’ than financial (ie better
the neurodivergent box [Or, in old data set, which was the criminal and resourcing and training) motivation?
money, are nuts! Ed]. That isn’t to say biological non-state actor but we want As the UMD team evolves the old
that they lack an ideological screed, to add radiological actors as well. data sets the opportunities for research
everyone loves a manifesto, it just “That will supersede the very, out of and extrapolation will increase
doesn’t always fall into one box! A great date RANNSAD database, which was exponentially, and hopefully will allow
example of this is the Unabomber, Ted made around 2008. It was great for its law enforcement and intelligence
Kaczynski, who wrote a 35,000 word time but was a first foray into the craft. officers to better understand where the
tome, that was long enough to appeal to The rad actors should be included by best points for intervention will be.
both right and left wing elements May. There's not that many, most of Check out all updates and the data sets
[What’s wrong with four to five bullet what you see is just smuggling, which at https://cbrn.umd.edu/.
1
https://www.start.umd.edu/
2
https://www.start.umd.edu/publication/profiling-cb-adversary-motivation-psychology-and-decision
3
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-crime-radiation-idUSKCN0QQ1YV20150821
4
https://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/news/scottsdale-fashion-square-mall-radiation-jared-atkins-gets-15-years-in-prison-11536096

CBRNeWORLD
Captain Mike Armistead and Chief Larry Clymer,
both of special operations, Nashville Fire Department, talk to Gwyn Winfield
about interdicting bad actors at sporting events
Interception!!
GW: How long have you've been Association Awards, music festivals etc. GW: As you get more used to the
running your Joint Hazard Assessment It’s now incorporated into the concept, are you planning to establish a
Team (JHAT) at high visibility events? programme for any large event. second JHAT or bring in other
Were there any surprises in the initial JHATs can differ. Ours comprises one agencies, such as the department of
period? FD hazmat CBRN person, an explosive or environment or health to bulk out the
MA: We started in New Year’s Eve 2021 CBRN guy from the PD, the WMD first one?
at the request of our state Civil Support coordinator from the FBI and a 45th CST MA: As these events grow we most
Team (45th CST). At first our police member. Those four people ride on a definitely will be adding additional JHAT
department (PD) didn’t want to get into Polaris and if a call comes in about a teams, also we’ll bring in the agencies
some new concept, when you have a suspicious package or an unattended that might be called upon if there were
routine it’s hard to get out. But with backpack, etc, those four subjects matter an incident, somebody that leaps off
a federal entity making that request experts will lay eyes on it with their the page for that is the Coast Guard.
and the FBI on board, then PD different levels of experience. It speeds up A river runs through here, so if the
came along and joined with us the process for adjudicating the incident. river’s in the footprint of an
all. We now do it for all our event, we would want to have
events - football games, them as a part of that. If
Music City Grand Prix, something was amiss at
the Country Music the river's edge, they
The JHAT works both the inside and outside of the stadium ©CBRNe World

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Interception!!
Pre-event briefing for the JHAT team... nothing's expected, but then trouble rarely is ©CBRNe World
could take a look and say whether or knows the strengths and weaknesses, exceptions also went well. Did you
not it is one of their operations. which is another level of relationship strengthen things because you knew
that makes a JHAT successful. they were coming or did you roll out
GW: I understand the application of a standard template to see how well
JHATs for special events, but in terms GW: Are you finding that with a multi- it worked?
of getting time with these units so agency team you're able to start MA: We put out the standard template
they know and trust each other? How sharing capabilities? That you can now every game or event, as if you do your
do you use them in day-to-day stuff start mutually filling capability gaps? job and are vigilant the red team doesn't
without boring them silly? MA: Totally. It might be that they have get through. They said in their exit
MA: We've been in this relationship a capability we lack, or they can interview that the Nissan Stadium is one
building process for about 10 years now inform us about a grant we didn’t of the toughest ones to audit and that’s
and it's hitting its stride. The process has know existed. It's made the whole not just us, but the Nissan Stadium
allowed us to open doors with the FBI picture bigger and more colourful with security team and the security vendors
and train more with them. Chief Clymer more opportunities. that support them on game days. The
and I are now members of the Joint Nissan Security team leadership has
Terrorism Task Force, which also opened GW: Yesterday the JHAT mission at started incorporating meetings at a
doors for us. You meet highway patrol, the Titans game [They were smashed lower level, for people who are on the
state homeland security, you get to know 36-22 by the Jaguars. Ed] went very field to watch the patrons, so there are
them and train with them, and whenever well. You also had a ‘red team’ sent no field incursions. They’re teaching the
there's an event or incident all the by the NFL to try and find any gaps in people who work the perimeter, what to
familiar faces come together. Everybody the defence, which with a couple of look for etc, and it's paying off in spades.

CBRNeWORLD
GW: One of the big things you have
coming up is the new stadium
build. Have they talked to you about
incorporating any new security
features, or is it still at the planning
phase and they’ll incorporate
you later?
MA: It's definitely going to change.
There won't be so much internal
response or working the fencing as it is
now. We’ll mainly be external, but still
have teams inside.
Chief Larry Clymer, Nashville Fire: The

way they'll develop this new stadium, is
that it won't look like a stadium. It’ll
look like a huge indoor mall with
exterior restaurants and shops, but
then you come inside and it's a football
arena! I've never seen stadium like that
in my life.
MA: It’s more of an experience than

just watching the game, you’ll go
shopping and there just happens to be
a football game on!
GW: We’d love to bring Convergence

back to Nashville, so if we came back
in four years, what would you have
built? What plans do you have for the
next three to five years?
MA: That requires dusting off the
crystal ball! Downtown in the
entertainment district there'll be a new
mini command area that'll run all the
time. Garth Brooks [Country singer.
Ed] is giving us some space for free
inside his new club on Broadway as
he’s a big supporter of Nashville Fire.
Also the JHAT will have grown and
become stronger. We're pretty good
about weaving in and out of each
other's training and capabilities, but
we’ll have something more solid in
three years. Definitely Special
Operations with Nashville Fire
Department will have grown more by
the time you come back as well.
LC: Also the FBI is building its new state

headquarters in Nashville. It will be
closing its offices in Memphis and
Oxford and bringing everything to
Nashville. We also may see Major League
Baseball and even a National Basketball AreaRAE and communications equipment are some of the basic tools, but the team
Association team come to Nashville. are also equipped with a wide variety of overt and covert detectors ©CBRNe World

CBRNeWORLD
Sergeant Dustin Bruzee, strategic operations and UAS supervisor at Chula
Vista Police Department, talks to Gwyn Winfield about being first to respond
Assets inbound
GW: Chula Vista [just outside San full-time drone unit that flies drones they'll fly the drone to the location and
Diego. Ed.] is reputed to be the largest seven days a week during daytime hours once it’s on scene, officers are able to
law enforcement user of drones in the to calls for service as they come in. view the video in real time so they can
US, and maybe the world. Can you give These could be calls to 911, calls on the make real time decisions.
us an overview of the drone programme, radio, anything we consider to be
numbers of drones, pilots, launching emergencies. Responding to those calls GW: Is there ever a handover between
stations and everything else needed to seven days a week, I have two full-time those two elements? A DFR is
keep the whole capability going? pilots that split the week in half. The deployed, it's been hovering over the
DB: We use drones in a couple of ways at first pilot works Monday through target providing information, but then
Chula Vista. There’s tactical drone Thursday and the second one works the power gets low. Is the DFR pilot
deployment, where an officer in the field Friday to Sunday. They just listen to the able to pull another drone from a pool
takes a drone with them on their shift, radio or 911 calls as they come into our and cast that in?
usually a Mavic 2 Enterprise or Skydio, dispatch centre, and send drones from DB: We have a couple of alternatives.
and deploys it from their trunk as one of four launch locations throughout We can supplement that DFR drone
needed. This could be a burglary in our city while they remain here at the with another from the field - one of the
progress, a prowler or whatever they police department. smaller drones from a patrol vehicle
encounter. I have nearly 30 pilots Our four launch locations give us trunk could certainly take the
operating drones as a collateral duty. about 95% coverage of our city limits, overwatch position. We also have an
They have full-time jobs, detective, patrol 52sq miles (134sq km), and at each one overlap between individual stations, so
or traffic for example, and the drone there's a charging station, launchpad the operator could bring in a drone
programme is a kind of secondary job. and drone, currently the DJI M300 RTK. from another station and send the
Drones as first responders (DFR) is When the tele operator gets a call where original one back for a new battery, to
the other side of the house. DFR is a they believe the drone can be helpful, keep that overwatch coverage. I believe
Chula Vista is now sending UAS as responders in their

own right, rather than just assets ©Chula Vista PD

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Assets inbound
we're one of a very few agencies in the

US that use a ‘one to two waiver.’ The
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
allows us to fly two drones from one
location, so in that situation, if we do
not have overlap, we can just send a
second drone from the original launch
location with the same pilot in
command and put it on station before
returning the first one for battery.
The reason this works is the
autonomy built into the software. Those
drones are geofenced away from each
other so they cannot collide, and
geofenced against any high altitude
possibilities such as one of the city’s
buildings or a tree.
Lastly, there’s a one touch button
that allows all drones to be lowered
to a minimum altitude to avoid
manned aircraft.
Chula Vista has a range of quad and octo copter drones ©Chula Vista PD
GW: Are there limitations, either
federal or local, on the number of requires a lot of oversight. law enforcement need, we do not deploy
drones you can deploy to a major For each pilot in command, I want a a drone.
incident? Is two the maximum you can visual observer to be monitoring the
have on scene or could you have some flight for a couple of reasons. First, they GW: Do you have pilots that specialise
100m (328ft) away on the periphery? need to be visual observers for the in specific tasks? So they can all fly the
DB: I don't think there's a maximum. drone. Secondly as police officers, we're drones, but this individual is expert in
Whatever we operate within the FAA down there and if our hands are on a plotting routes in and out of a scene,
regulations, we can do safely and I’d be remote control, then we're not paying or another does the interior work? Do
okay with. There’s a lot of occasions attention to what's around us that you encourage any specialist skills?
where we need to view things from could easily become a safety issue. In DB: They do have some specialties but I
multiple angles, and multiple drones on addition to being a visual observer for try and make everybody well-rounded.
station are very beneficial not only to the drone, the officers that are with the One drone we use, the Brinc Lemur S,
the officers present but also the pilots in command are also required to is a tactical indoor drone without the
command staff. The DJI M300 is a watch out for them and make sure that standard GPS positioning lock assist
bigger drone and can fly up to 400ft we're being safe not only with the that a lot of consumer drones have,
above ground level, while we keep a lot drone, but on the ground in our which makes it much harder to fly. At
of tactical drones, Mavics and the interactions with the public. the moment, only a handful of officers
Skydios, much lower, to give a different can fly it, but we're working on a
angle. We can do this safely as long as GW: Do you find yourself getting training programme to get everybody up
there's a pilot for each drone and a pilot involved in almost routine surveillance, to speed. I definitely think there are
in command. things like high visibility events, where some that are better suited for indoor
you’ll put a drone up two hours before versus outdoor flights.
GW: In terms of exercising these the game and then two hours after etc. I also think it's really important that
multiple drone operations, how many Do you run such missions? the tele operator and the drone operator
have you saturated a scene with? DB: We don't use our drones for a lot of are police officers because they know
DB: We train monthly as a team as the situations where they could be used. what to look for when some person may
everybody is required to come out for a For example we don’t do random be committing a crime. For them to
seven hour period and train on the surveillance, or because a special event’s recognise criminal activity and get the
newest tactics, software and hardware. We happening. There has to be a need, like best information from the video is
spend a lot of time going over what it some kind of emergency or a call for important. It needs an officer
looks like to fly from outdoors to indoors service in order for us to fly the drone. experienced in working the street.
and back again, and at any one time we're It's part of our relationship with the
able to safely fly four or five stations all at community that we will not just take GW: Have you considered putting any
once in the same congested area. It drones and watch them. If there's no other sensors on drones, either low

CBRNeWORLD
light thermal imaging or chemical Boston Dynamics Spot, to try and get our neighbouring agency is also using
sensors to augment operations or them both working together or is the drones this way. As we continue to
discover covert facilities? focus just on the aerial side? introduce other law enforcement
DB: Yes and no. We have thermal DB: Our SWAT team has a couple of agencies to the way we use drones,
capabilities on M300s, which we use in robots, they have a lot of limitations they'll go home and find better, more
assisting the fire department when and our drones would work well with efficient ways to use them. They'll call
they're deploying to a fire or a traffic them in areas that their robots can’t me in six months or a year and say:
collision. It assists in locating hotspots reach. I would love to get my hands on "Hey look, we found a better way to use
and other things that might be of value a Boston Dynamics Spot as I've seen it this particular technology!" Law
to the fire department. in action and I think it's an excellent enforcement isn’t competing against
We do not use our thermal capabilities tool. It's particularly impressive when it one another, it’s a team effort. We're
to locate marijuana grows or anything comes to opening doors autonomously. working to one common goal, which is
of that nature as for the most part there The amount of flexibility a drone pilot to make our community safer and
has to be a call for service. Neither do would get when Spot can open a door we'll take any way we can to better
we use it for our narcotics enforcement for the drone to fly into a room would serve them.
team to figure out who's doing what be fantastic. We do not have that
with what, or to locate grows. capability today, but it is definitely on GW: What's the next step of the
my personal horizon as regards the programme? You've established a great
GW: How do you work with the fire accomplishments I would like to see in capability, where does it go next?
department? Do you get involved in this programme. DB: We're flying seven days a week
having a hazmat officer, for example, during daytime hours, but
standing beside you as you go over a GW: As one of the leading drone unfortunately, because of regulations,
railroad rollover to say: “I'm looking proponents where do you get your we're not flying at night right now. It's
for escaped gasses at these places on training? Is there a facility that is more of a financial issue and finding
the railcar…” and you’ll run that pushing the envelope even further, or personnel to put on the rooftop at
mission for them? do you just have to practice yourselves night. We're very close to deploying at
DB: We take great pride in our within whatever city capability you night technology from DJI that includes
partnership with the fire department, have? its ambient light technology, which
who do both fire and the medical side. DB: We spend a lot of time training makes the picture clearer.
For a large scale incident, they’ll send amongst ourselves, and that's important The most realistic goal for our
one of their engineers down here to as the officer doesn't feel it's the end of agency is flying up to 20 hours a day,
stand with our officer and talk about the world if they crash the drone while seven days a week. We would also like to
what’s important to them. Knock on pushing their limitations. Often they see a drone in a box solution, where the
wood we haven’t had to do a hazmat want to know how far can they take this drone can charge itself, do its own
scene, but we have the capability to fly particular technology, what does this maintenance and prepare for the next
the drone into a hazmat scene and bring drone do versus some of the others and mission without the remote pilot or
it back to test it for the types of why is it better for this situation? command standing on the roof and
chemicals that are involved. We’ll also There's also quite a bit of training putting that drone into the air.
work side by side with any other law available through the state at various
enforcement agency that happens to be training centres, especially basic GW: Having been through this, and all
within our city. training. Anytime an officer joins the the bureaucratic and administrative
team, they're immediately sent to a pain to get here what's the advice you
GW: Have they come to you with a basic operators’ course. They come back give to people who think: "Wow, I'd like
requirement, for example, to put a four to us with the basics and we’ll add some to do that at my agency!"
gas meter on a drone to take readings? in-house training they have to complete DB: Don’t be overwhelmed. If you look
If they did, would that be possible? before we ever let them fly a drone. at an agency that's running a DFR
DB: We haven't done that yet, but it is I also encourage our officers to train programme that's a big task. Take it on
possible depending on the size of the on their own, to take the drones out of in small portions, starting with one
apparatus they need to use. We could the equipment closet and into the field, drone and one pilot for a few days a
certainly adapt to something like that, to fly missions during their shifts so week, and see what happens. I would
especially in the case of a large scale they can get better at what they're doing encourage people to rack up small wins
hazmat spill or accident of some sort. all hours of the day and night. they can take back to their city councils
There's a lot of capabilities we still haven't In terms of Chula Vista leading, I or police chiefs, so they can see the
tapped into yet and that is one of them. believe that we're trying to get as many value of using a drone in law
allied agencies on board with this enforcement. If they start small and
GW: Have you looked at pairing your particular way of using drones so that keep their goals realistic, they can
UAS with a UGV, something like the we're stronger together and know that achieve a lot in a short space of time.

CBRNeWORLD Petr Sladek, nuclear instrumentation specialist at the IAEA’s Nuclear Science and
Instrumentation Laboratory, provided written responses to our questions
We all need
to just fly
CW: IAEA has been developing an the possibility of further improvement and course different according to whether
instrumentation system for drones for at use for the benefit of IAEA member states, a UAV or a helicopter is being used.
least a year. How does this work? Is it an in the form of expert assistance missions This was why such development
architecture, or standard, that countries and training activities. Currently, our own started at a number of research
should consider if they are buying UAS development is focused on electronics for centres and organisations.
for this kind of thing? digital processing of the signal from the What is probably most attractive and
PS: The International Atomic Energy radiation detectors and the surprising for many experts is the flexibility
Agency’s (IAEA) Nuclear Science and implementation of new silicon of deployment of UAV-based technologies,
Instrumentation Laboratory (NSIL) has photomultiplier (SiPM) scintillation especially in emergencies. Not everyone
been developing detection and radiation detectors, which are much more can afford to have a permanent installation
monitoring technology based on compact, lighter and therefore have of measuring instruments on board a
unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), also lower power requirements. We are also helicopter, and the preparation and
known as uncrewed aerial systems (UAS). mworkingto integrate photogrammetry approvals can take long time. With UAVs,
This activity began via a project with into radiation mapping methodology. the technology is cost effective and can be
Fukushima Prefecture - Rapid Nowadays, UAV technology is applied immediately. An indisputable
Environmental Mapping with UAVS - becoming widely used in many areas of advantage of this technology is its
which was a part of comprehensive IAEA radiation measurement. The IAEA helps suitability for use in areas with higher
effort known as the Action Plan on member states with the selection and radiation levels, where a helicopter crew
Nuclear Safety1. The aim was to help configuration of such systems, mainly would be endangered. A further advantage
Fukushima Prefecture deal with the through its technical cooperation is that UAVs can fly much lower over the
consequences of the 2011 TEPCO programme2. For some applications, such terrain leading to higher sensitivity and
Fukushima Daiichi NPP accident, and as characterisation of contaminated areas greater efficiency in radiation monitoring
potentially offer innovative technologies or legacy sites, this technology has already of smaller sites or objects, etc. There is also
for radiological mapping. Our initial become almost standard and therefore the possibility of using a greater variety of
development focused on the design of a available commercially. radiation detectors. Of course, the biggest
simple, flexible and lightweight system difference can be found when comparing
suitable for rapid monitoring of selected CW: Aerial radiation monitoring, usually the service requirements and the prices of
contaminated areas. In brief, a complete by helicopter, has been a well- both systems.
instrumented UAV based system was established method for rapid UAV technology has its limitations,
developed by NSIL and delivered to the contamination surveying, did you find however, which are related to payload
Fukushima Prefecture. The device was anything different in the UAS and flight time. Weather conditions
specifically customised for airborne methodology that was surprising? and different usage legislation can also
radiological measurements in Japan, and PS: Indeed, this technology is very well pose restrictions.
comprised a versatile detection system, established, especially thanks to the In summary, these are not really
remote control compliant with Japanese geophysical aerial survey, which has systems in competition. Rather, they can
regulations, laser altimeter and other been developed over decades. There is a complement each other during
components. Of course, our solution was difference between geophysical and radiological deployments and serve jointly
restricted by the very limited payload and radiological surveying, however, if both are readily available.
flight durability of UAVs at that time. paticularly when it comes to
With the rapid development of UAV contaminated areas. CW: Does the ability to put multiple
technology we directed our efforts towards The monitoring methodology is of drones into an area, in a way you

CBRNeWORLD
wouldn’t dare with manned rotary That said, the technology delivered to hotspots or positions of radiation
assets, provide better real time 3D Asia will provide the ability to monitor the sources, and identify them. This exercise
aerial photogrammetry models, so you development of risk zones over time. This simulated possible nuclear security and
can, for example, track the impact of will, of course, include the influence of safety scenarios including locating a lost
meteorology on deposition? How does weather and climate on these legacy sites or stolen source. During the
having that data change response? and resulting NORMs. demonstration, participants could both
PS: Deploying a UAV swarm for watch the UAS flight operations and
radiological mapping is not yet used, as far CW: The recent webinar on the use of compare how different systems were
as I know. The point is that mainly larger UAS in radiation detection included piloted and established their search grid
UAVs are used for radiation mapping and practical demonstrations and use cases. flight paths. The delegates were able to
flying speed is not the main advantage What was the origin of this workshop? view the data collection process and
here. Rather, it is about the accuracy of Are you seeing disparities in state parties’ discuss approaches to data transmission
mapping and collection of the associated capabilities that made you want to extol and analysis with the experts.
radiation data. Moreover, synchronising the virtues of UAS? This demonstration showed the
UAVs in vast, rugged terrain is not easy. PS: The event held in Brno in September differences in construction of the
But this does not mean that such 2022 was a technical meeting on the use individual systems, methodologies of
configurations could not be used for of uncrewed aerial systems for radiation conducting radiation surveys, approaches
radiological mapping in the future. A detection and surveillance3. It was a part to transferring and sharing data and levels
typical example could be a combination of of a series of events that will address the of complexity of operation.
radiation detection and photogrammetry, need for improved research, It was also great to learn about the
where there are different flight height development, training, testing and variety of implemented radiation
requirements over the terrain. guidance on UAS in radiation detection detectors, from classic NaI(Tl) and CsI,
At present, development is tending and surveillance operations for nuclear through CdZnTe to plastic scintillators. I
more towards placing a number of sensors security and environmental monitoring. think it is great that manufacturers have
on one UAV, for example lidar and About 130 participants from more than been coming to the market in recent
radiation detectors, which are highly 50 member states attended along with 10 years with their own concepts and
effective for investigating objects, different technology suppliers, who different designs. This give users the
structures and entire buildings. exhibited UAS for radiological mapping. opportunity to choose a system suitable
Interestingly, a number of potential The meeting was organised in for their application or consider tailored
users are asking about the possibility of cooperation with the Czech Republic solutions for the desired purpose.
monitoring a radioactive plume, and National Radiation Protection Institute. Our role is to share our experience in
this may be an option for swarm The primary objective of this meeting this area with member states, to help
techniques in the future. Of course, was to address pressing concerns develop a concept for a specific purpose
potential UAV contamination must be regarding use cases, capabilities and and assist in choosing the right solutions.
taken into account, but in emergencies, specifications for UAS that are used for Additionally, we also intend to develop
it probably would not matter or radiation detection and surveillance. It practical user guidance describing
sacrificing a few systems would be was not intended to extol the virtues of technical, functional and operational
worthwhile. What’s more, cheaper UAV UAS but to ensure that member states specifications for UAS based on
systems with smaller radiation detectors understood the associated legal, appropriate use cases. Our document
can be used for such purpose. operational and functional issues. We would help guide member states in the
wanted to share best practices, development of procurement
CW: Have you done long term aerial challenges, needs and opportunities for specifications and increase the likelihood
mapping of Fukushima Prefecture or improving the technology and, where that a procured UAS will meet the
Central Asia that allows you to see appropriate, the application for various purchaser’s needs. Once a member state
seasonal variations, such as wet vs radiation safety and nuclear security decides to acquire a UAS, the IAEA may
dryer weather, for example? operations. As part of the event, we support it with relevant training, data
PS: Neither project focused on monitoring organised a demonstration of UAS processing and analysis, if requested.
weather or seasonal effect, and they were technology in real conditions at a small The technical meeting was preceded
different in nature. While the project with UAS air show at Vyskov public airport in by a dedicated webinar in January 2022,
Fukushima Prefecture was focused on where five suppliers demonstrated their which reached a professional audience of
developing suitable technology and solutions. We simulated a radiation over 200 participants and announced the
validating the methodology for monitoring situation using radioactive sources forthcoming meeting.
post accident contamination, the work in thanks to our cooperation with the NBC
Central Asian countries is related to Defence Institute in Vyskov. CW: How large were the sources, did you
monitoring exceeded concentrations of Vendors were tasked with conducting put any surprises in there? Was there a
naturally occurring radioactive materials a survey to define the airport polygon desire to make it true to life, or was it
(NORMs) at legacy sites. according to their methodology, find enough to simply identify the isotope?

CBRNeWORLD
We all need to just fly
PS: We used typical industrial point-like components of CBRN defence. CW: What happens next in this process?
sources of Cs-137 and Co-60 with an Indeed, there is a wide range of More webinars/experimentation, or is the
activity of a few hundred MBq. The possible uses of UAV based systems, as field mature enough for you to leave
practical demonstration aimed at giving we saw during the technical meeting, nation states to continue their own work?
vendors an opportunity to show what since they range from small battery PS: UAV based systems have become an
their systems do, how fast and how driven UAVs up to large units with fuel inseparable part of nuclear
sensitive their detection systems are, engines. Unfortunately, there is no ‘one instrumentation for radiation detection
what the operator sees on the ground size fits all’ UAV. and mapping. This technology brings a
and how easy it is to control the system In terms of increasing the movement number of advantages to the chain of
or whether it is fully automated. of contamination, this is one of many airborne survey, mobile monitoring and in
The IAEA does not aim to evaluate issues we are examining when considering situ measurement (portable systems). The
individual products or compile rankings practical applications. Increasing application of drones for nuclear security
as we need to remain vendor neutral. dispersion by the turbulence a drone purposes is newer for most member states
Each UAS had different parameters and creates can apply to UAVs or helicopters and further work is underway.
may be suited to a specific application. For but also to uncrewed ground systems, as Rapid development in capabilities and
instance, the requirements are very they may be programmed to drive through types of UAS means that many member
different, when you want to use an UAS a contaminated area. UAV based systems states would not have on the capacity to
for land characterisation after remediation can be outfitted for specific applications. I conduct their own thorough
from when the aim is to examine a believe that modular systems and investigations of the technology and
building to see if radioactive sources or replaceable detectors, sensors and other potential applications. Therefore the
nuclear materials are illegally hidden. devices carried by the same or different IAEA will continue to support them, to
The sources themselves were not UAVs will be a trend in the future. enhance their ability to determine if UAS
difficult to identify. Gamma dose rate make sense for their needs. We will
mapping continues to be a standard CW: Do you see the future as a continue to organise technical meetings,
requirement for ground and aerial combination of small, semi-autonomous hands-on training workshops and
monitoring, but more quantitative UAS and UGVs being controlled by a webinars. In addition to the technical
applications that detect the exact larger octorotor UAS? How much of the meeting in Brno, we covered this
radioisotopes present do exist. work is routine enough to be handed over technology in the Joint IAEA–ICTP
to automatic/AI control? Workshop on Advanced Solutions for
CW: Are you getting to a greater PS: Research in this area is ongoing and Field Measurements in Trieste, Italy, this
understanding of drones in CBRN a number of papers dealing with UGV year, as well as in the Training Workshop
environments that might lead to and UAV systems, enhanced with on In-situ Characterisation of
optimised systems? Do larger UAS, for artificial intelligence capabilities have Contaminated Sites with Practical Field
example, increase the movement of already been published. Each system has Applications in Pecs, Hungary, within the
contamination to an extent that it advantages and limitations for radiation regional European Technical
exceeds the advantage of larger/more detection and surveillance, and they can Cooperation Project. Over 50 participants
varied sensors? certainly be brought together in attended both of these events.
PS: This raises an interesting point synergy. But I think practically it is still In 2023, we will continue to hold
regarding our work to date. Our a challenge for the future. webinars on topics of interest plus a
experience and research have definitely Regarding larger octorotor UAS, technical meeting on Nuclear Security
increased our understanding of the uses there are some specific advantages of Countermeasures for UAVs. Date and
and challenges of deploying drones for octorotor or hexacopter systems. There location for the technical meeting will be
CBRN related activities. We help member can also be strength in design simplicity, announced soon but is expected to be in
states develop, operate and maintain especially in field conditions. For the spring or summer of 2023.
various nuclear and radiation technologies example, current quadcopters can carry Finally, as part of our uncrewed
and techniques in support of a wide range up to 2-3kg (4.4 to 6.6lbs) and fly for up systems work, the IAEA is planning to
of applications such as nuclear security, to 40 to 50 minutes, while a tricopter initiate a coordinated research project on
health, food, agriculture, environment and can have a payload of up to 10kg. For the nuclear security implications of
many others. Some areas of our work, highly sensitive measurements with uncrewed systems (air, ground, and
such as nuclear security, can have direct large-volume detectors or high- maritime). This project, with its
application to drone technology and resolution semiconductor high purity associated technical meetings, will
associated nuclear instrumentation, germanium (HPGe) detectors, large UAVs examine both the uses and threats
primarily in the radiation and nuclear with a fuel engine might be needed. presented by uncrewed systems.
1
https://www.iaea.org/sites/default/files/actionplan-ns.pdf
2
https://www.iaea.org/services/technical-cooperation-programme/about
3
https://www.iaea.org/events/evt1905338

CBRNeWORLD
Zoe Rutherford looks at current plans and trends in biodefence spending
Splashing the cash

I
n a post pandemic world the term bio funding front and a lot was done for and recover from biological threats” and
biodefence has become more of a pandemic preparedness, but with Trump to “create a world free from catastrophic
buzz word than ever. What it actually that all got pushed back. biological incidents.” According to this
means, however, is open to debate and Now, post Covid, we seem to be document “Covid-19 has demonstrated
explanations differ depending on where more focussed than ever on planning the enormous dangers posed by
you look. According to the US for biological disasters. The National biological threats, impacting virtually
department of agriculture it is a Biodefence Strategy is full of lofty every community in the world.
“nation’s ability to defend itself against ideals, with a vision of providing “a Mitigating these risks remains an
bioterrorism, the deliberate use of whole-of-government framework to urgent domestic and global imperative.”
microorganisms or toxins derived from organise how the US government The aim of the strategy is for the US
living organisms to induce death or manages its activities to more effectively government to optimise its own efforts
disease in humans, animals, or plants”. assess, prevent, prepare for, respond to, and harness the work of essential
Merriam-Webster says it is “the means
or methods of preventing, detecting, or
managing an attack involving biological
weapons”. Wikipedia tells us it “refers to
measures to restore biosecurity to a
group of organisms who are, or may be,
subject to biological threats or
infectious diseases”.
With all these descriptions floating
around it is easy to see how confusion
arises. Even at the highest echelons of
those charged with protecting us, there
is often disagreement on what biodefence
means. This can get even more convoluted
when those in power are trying to decide
how to spend the budget in terms of
protection methods. Where should they
focus the most effort, and what is the
biggest threat, terrorism or nature?
The Biden administration released
the American Pandemic Preparedness:
Transforming Our Capabilities plan in
September 2021, and the National
Biodefence Strategy and
Implementation Plan, which builds
upon the pandemic plan, in October
2022. We thought, therefore, that we
would take a look at how these plans are
dictating expenditure on biodefence.
When you speak to people in the know,
they tend to agree that for the initial
five years or so after 9/11 and
Amerithrax it was, for the first time,
easy to get funding for biological related
research and defence. Over the past 10
years, though, getting that funding has
been more of a battle. Under the Obama
administration there was a push on the Mitigating bio risks remains an urgent domestic and global imperative ©NIAID

CBRNeWORLD
Splashing the cash
partners, inside and outside of pandemic preparedness strategies and diagnostics that can be rapidly deployed.
government, both domestically and plans. This funding runs across the: • $3.1m for early warning, which
internationally, to assess, prevent, • Department of Health and Human includes establishing reliable clinical
prepare for, respond to, and recover from Services. surveillance system for early detection
biological events, whether naturally • Office of the Assistant Secretary for of emerging pathogens, and expanding
occurring, accidental, or deliberate. Preparedness and Response. pathogen sequencing in communities.
The strategy, which goes on to • Centers for Disease Control and • $2.3m for real time monitoring,
discuss the actions required for Prevention. including effective tracking of virus
implementation and the lead agencies • National Institutes of Health. evolution, and development of accurate
responsible for those actions is broken • Food and Drug Administration. models for forecast monitoring.
down into five goals with objectives: • Department of State. • $6.5m to strengthen the US public
• Enable risk awareness and detection • US Agency for International health system by expanding capabilities
to inform decision-making across the Development. to respond to public health emergencies.
biodefence enterprise. • $2.8m for global health security
• Ensure biodefence enterprise The pandemic preparedness plan capacity including strengthening local
capabilities to prevent bio-incidents. goes a long way towards breaking down capacity and international systems for
• Ensure biodefence enterprise the plans for where the requested R&D.
preparedness to reduce the impacts of funding will be spent. A summary • $3.1m for PPE to include promotion
bio-incidents, breakdown looks like this: of next generation PPE innovation, and
• Rapidly respond to limit the impacts • $24.2m for vaccines, including enhancing pathogen protection in the
of bio-incidents. design, testing and authorisation, and built environment.
• Facilitate recovery to restore the manufacturing capacity. • $2.1m toward the US capacity to
community, the economy, and the • $11.8m for therapeutics, including produce vital supplies, including
environment after a bio-incident. development and clinical trials of refilling stockpiles and building resilient
antivirals, and manufacturing supply chains.
Interestingly, this strategy does not capabilities for monoclonal antibodies. • $2m for strengthening biosafety and
go as far as spelling out what needs to, • $5m for diagnostics, including the biosecurity, including deterrence and
or will be, spent to achieve the goals development of affordable, accessible detection of biological weapons.
laid out. For that it’s necessary to wade
through various often long winded
budget documents that are not always
easy to interpret.
The American Pandemic
Preparedness: Transforming Our
Capabilities plan from 2021 gives a
clearer idea of what the US envisages
spending on biodefence. Although
directed at pandemics, the overall plan
looks at preparedness and response to
any virus, as well as improving early
warning systems, real-time monitoring,
strengthening public health systems,
and building core capabilities such as
improved supply chains, accelerating
biosafety, biosecurity, and deterrence. It
also covers improving regulatory
capacity for vaccines, therapeutics and
diagnostics. All these will improve
response to both natural and human
made biological incidents.
As part of biodefence preparedness
planning, the FY23 president’s budget
includes a historic $88.2bn request for
mandatory funding, available over five
years, to prepare for future biological
threats in support of objectives within Future spending trends look a lot like previous ones, with the bulk of it going on
US national and global biodefence and medical countermeasures ©Hudson Institute

Alexeter
Technologies LLC
Commerical Biological Defense Systems

CBRNeWORLD
Splashing the cash
in funds will also likely enable

development in the mRNA vaccine field
in particular. That technology is still
enjoying the buzz generated by Covid
vaccines and going forward there will be
further research into this method for
the next threat.
Unfortunately we have been through
reactions like this before, with policy
and money thrown at a problem
initially, and then proved that we are
not so great at sustaining the promises,
especially when something else comes
along to turns the heads of those in
charge. Some feel that the effort will be
great for the first few years and then
people will start picking off funding for
other needs. There is concern that
policy makers will see so much money
loaded into biodefence and pandemic
efforts, then potentially that will
become less relevant quite quickly
because they'll consider the matter
Humping and dumping! PPE will remain the smallest recipient of new funds
©National Guard cured, less of a threat, or there’ll be
something more threatening on the
• $1.6m to improve regulatory Strategic Preparedness and Response, horizon that needs the money.
efficiency and capacity. Department of Defense (DoD) and Right now much of our attention is
• $0.8m to establish mission control Defense Threat Reduction Agency. With on pandemics, but biodefence activities
for pandemic preparedness, and the driving biodefence focus still on dealing with threats of a non-natural
investment in international capabilities. pandemics and medical origin are also being well funded, both
countermeasures, it is highly likely that through Biden’s recent plans, and DOD
The above totals $65.3m, although the funding sources will not change plans and requests for funding to focus
the current numbers are preliminary going forward. on threats like anthrax, smallpox and
and may be subject to change So what can we expect to see in the botulism. Over the past two decades, the
depending on evolving assessments by next five to 10 years under these US government has supported the
the lead agencies, and ongoing preparedness plans? As we are just spending of at least $100bn on
consultations as part of the president’s emerging from the Covid-19 pandemic biodefence and biosecurity. It is
budget process. we are likely to see agencies go all out predicted that from 2022 to 2030 the
Looking at this plan, and trends in to protect us from the next one. Money global biodefence market will grow at a
biodefence spending during the will most likely be dished out left, right compound annual rate of 5.8%,
pandemic, not much has changed at the and centre at pandemic/biodefence reaching a market value of more than
top of the money tree. Trends in bio- related projects, and there could be $23bn by 2030.
related spending during 2019-2022 some amazing developments. At present, biodefence is a money
showed that therapeutics received the One of the positives we will likely sinkhole, we are throwing everything we
lion’s share of funding with nearly $1bn see from the proposed spending relates have into it, but things may not stay
spent. This was closely followed by PPE to vaccines. This will involve the that way for long. It would be nice to
at $318m and vaccines at $243m. Now, development of vaccines that protect see a sustained effort, but not everyone
in 2022, vaccines and therapeutics are against current and future strains of deems a seven to 10 year plan as
again due to receive the largest portion Covid, as that virus is here to stay. It realistic, and we're highly likely to start
of allocated funds. Diagnostics follows mutates fast, and the vaccines developed drifting away from this and losing
closely, while PPE has fallen lower down initially are now not as effective as they money in just a few years’ time. If we
the chain, presumably because we are were. There may well be work can sustain the funding for at least five
not currently in immediate need of it. developing universal vaccines that years we are likely to get something
Recent trends also reveal that the protect against flu and Covid, which will good out of it in readiness for the next
predominant sources of funding came involve the development of new vaccine biological threat. If we can stop the
via the National Institute of Allergy and platforms, as right now they're just not money being siphoned away before then
Infectious Diseases, Administration for modular enough to do that. The boost we might just be prepared enough.

John H Connor, associate professor of microbiology at Boston University
CBRNeWORLD
National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratory (NEIDL),
speaks to Zoe Rutherford about Uganda’s outbreak of Sudan virus disease
Family Filoviridae
O
n 20 September 2022, Uganda borders, has the virus made it into JC: They are, if anything, very distant
declared an outbreak of Sudan neighbouring countries? The scientific cousins, being different species within
virus disease (SVD) caused by community has rallied once again, and the Ebolavirus genus. The two viruses
Sudan virus (SUDV), also known as Sudan as of 8 December, 1,200 doses of one of make the same types of proteins from a
Ebola virus. This is the first outbreak of the three trial Sudan vaccines were genome where those genes are arranged
the virus in Uganda since 2012. Only delivered to Uganda, just 79 days after in the same order. They use the same
seven previous outbreaks of SVD have the outbreak was declared. approaches to get into and out of the
ever been known, while there have been We spoke to John H Connor of cells they invade, and cause a disease
30 outbreaks of Zaire Ebola virus. NEIDL about this latest outbreak, Ebola that's remarkably similar in presentation,
The current Sudan outbreak has so in general, and what we can expect for so in that, they are very similar. They are
far produced 142 confirmed cases and our future with filoviridae. however different in key details, so a
55 deaths, with the last the hospitalised vaccine against Zaire Ebola does not
patients released on 2 December. So will ZR: What are the main differences work against Sudan Ebola.
more cases pop up, or is the outbreak between the Zaire and Sudan strains of
over? Those affected, and their known Ebola? What differentiates them from ZR: Are the educational programmes
contacts have all been placed on no-fly each another in terms of their rolled out in the Democratic Republic
lists, but with the region’s porous structural make up, for example? of Congo (DRC) now useful for
Guess who's back? Back again!

Ebola's back - tell a friend! ©UNMEER

CBRNeWORLD
Family Filoviridae
Uganda? Are we testing to see if all the JC: Absolutely right. The entire world would've been nice if the world had
money spent during the 2014 outbreak learned more about prior positioning of stayed focused on Ebolaviruses in
was wasted, or has that information resources, their availability, and between 2016 and now and said: "We see
disseminated around the continent? defining the most useful types of what happened there. We’re going full
JC: I don't know directly, but would education about outbreaks. Facilities force on making certain that when
suggest there has been a huge change were built in Uganda after 2014 that Sudan and Bundibugyo pop up again,
in how people respond to these were designed to handle individuals we are so ready.” But it is remarkable
outbreaks following the West Africa infected with VHF. There's a site in Fort how frequently we don't finish a full
outbreak. We probably learnt a dozen Portal that wasn't solely built in game and are then surprised by events
things from the 2014 outbreak that response to the West Africa outbreak, like a reappearance of Sudan virus. I
have been applied subsequently. We but it was open and treating patients in think it speaks to the idea that we need
learnt a lot in 2014 about the this outbreak. I see a whole lot of really to be good at finishing what we start,
importance of interacting with the positive things comparing this outbreak and able to respond fast.
community where the disease is to the last Sudan virus outbreak, like
spreading, getting buy-in and what testing technologies can be used ZR: Has the scientific community noted
information through local use, and how they are disseminated? any particular cause for concern about
channels, and understanding the the current strain of SUDV in Uganda?
population’s sensitivities. ZR: The Sudan strain is not an Some of the higher echelons have really
Burial practices were a huge issue unknown entity and research into been getting their knickers in a twist
early on in the West Africa outbreak. That treatments and vaccines has gone on over this one, and I don't know if the
has been recognised and was understood for years. Why have these therapies not fear is a product of Covid or the West
much better during subsequent come to fruition? Is it because the Africa outbreak. After all, the case
outbreaks. I think Uganda took that outbreaks have been less frequent and fatality rate (CFR) is only 39%.
lesson from the earlier outbreak. less severe so the need appeared less JC: You say ‘only 39%’. I am super
dire, or have effective therapies been unhappy about that number being so
ZR: The West Africa outbreak was harder to create? high. Everybody in the community is
horrific in terms of fatalities, but it JC: The existence of Sudan virus vaccine unhappy that SUDV is circulating at all.
gave us a lot, and it’s why we now have candidates is due to advances made The fact that it is circulating is a
vaccines and better treatments. from the West Africa outbreak. It concern. I have seen no evidence that it
Poor handling of PPE was an Ebola lessons, hopefully this time it will not be treated in such a cavalier fashion ©UNMEER

Knoxville Ad v1:Knoxville Ad v1 30/12/2022 21:00 Page 1
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CBRNeWORLD
Family Filoviridae
SUDV is a disease with outsized consequences for an individual infection ©UNMEER

is more pathogenic than previous SUDV as typhoid, yellow fever etc. What work given that 99% of the people coming
outbreaks or that it is demonstrably is being done to speed up Ebola into the office won’t have Ebola, so it's
more transmissible. But it is a disease diagnoses, particularly for regions hard to keep it top of mind.
with outsized consequences for an without ready access to labs with Then there's the need have the
individual infection. advanced diagnostic equipment? necessary infrastructure to test and
JC: I’d say there's two separate things check out the hypothesis that
ZR: The last known outbreak of Ebola going on. First it’s about getting the something might be Ebola or Sudan,
Sudan in 2012 had a CFR of 57%, but existing diagnostics distributed and and respond. Unfortunately, DRC has
so far this one is lower, why might that readily available. Following the 2014 practiced that a lot due to repeated
be? Is it what we’re doing, like outbreak, there is a very solid approach need, and the dividend from that
improved medical care, or is it just that to disseminating Zaire Ebola virus practice is experience. It's not like West
you don’t know what you’re getting assays out onto diagnostic machines Africa where Ebola was absolutely out of
until it’s here? that are very widely distributed, the spectrum of expectation when it
JC: There are a lot of unknowns where particularly in Africa. first arrived.
it's really hard to identify what's going
on. I am super optimistic about the post ZR: Do you think that countries like ZR: You have worked with Ebola for
exposure therapies being deployed DRC that tend to have regular Ebola many years, including on projects
because if a successful therapeutic is outbreaks, are more adept at diagnosis? involving early detection of immune
identified through treating infected Perhaps they think Ebola first, rather response to the virus, and developing
humans it could potentially change how than yellow fever. Do they think about point-of-care diagnostics for
we address these outbreaks. In the future, it differently in areas that are more differentiating Ebola from other endemic
people could come into Ebola treatment susceptible to it? febrile diseases. How has this
units and walk out cured with very high JC: DRC has accumulated technical progressed, and what are you looking to
regularity. Man, is that a success! abilities and the clinical and scientific do next in terms of VHFs, is there
sophistication to respond effectively to anything exciting in the NEIDL pipeline?
ZR: Ebola can pose a diagnostic these outbreaks, for multiple reasons. JC: We have been interested in
nightmare for clinicians, as most onset Recognising hemorrhagic fevers needs developing, first a basic understanding
symptoms mirror other diseases such to be developed at the clinician level, of how these viruses work and causes

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CBRNeWORLD
Family Filoviridae
disease, and second, ways to JC: Does Ebola have the best PR firm? I ZR: Since we first came across Ebola
counteract these viruses. Robe Davey, think generally yes. As we've seen from in 1976 there have been 30+ known
professor of microbiology at NEIDL, repeated outbreaks, VHFs have an outbreaks. Will there eventually be
has been working to identify small outsized impact on how the world vaccines and treatments for all known
molecules that can inhibit Ebola, functions. Consider that at the time strains of Ebola, and perhaps no more
Sudan, and many other viruses in the some 80,000 people had Ebola in Africa, outbreaks, or is this an amazingly
same family. That work is ongoing and millions had malaria, but malaria adaptive virus that will evolve, and
there are some fantastically exciting infections weren’t news. It didn't change always be around?
results. Anthony Griffith, associate foreign policies or cause worry about JC: I am wary of making predictions
professor of microbiology at NEIDL, quarantine in Europe and the US. Ebola about viruses, but what we know is
has been accelerating the development virus infections did. that the Zaire Ebola vaccine was
of therapeutics and vaccines for VHFs remain a very significant initially deployed in 2016, showed
multiple ebolaviruses. threat to how the world works. One some effect and is now FDA approved.
My lab remains interested in outbreak with just small numbers in It’s been effective in all subsequent
developing better diagnostics, uncovering multiple countries would paralyse testing, so that's encouraging.
how we can develop one that works much of normal life. Attention should It seems that we are able to make a
earlier than the current gold standard. be paid to developing countermeasures, vaccine that protects against Ebola over
to understanding why it's so pathogenic decades of evolution, We need to be alert
ZR: Ebola is now the world's best so that this pathogenesis can be to the possibility of a future Ebola virus
known VHF. By way of contrast, reduced. Is it unfortunate that there's that is vaccine resistant and be prepared
Ghana has an ongoing outbreak of not as much funding or attention to all if that happens. That’s when we say, “OK,
Marburg, but we’re not seeing that this as I would hope? Yes and no. It is we thought about this, here’s the next
anywhere in the news, let alone really important to develop therapies step." We can't prevent it from
headlines. Do you think other VHFs and ways to stop suffering from these happening, but we can be ready to
are underfunded because Ebola gets diseases. I also recognise there's a lot of respond fast. That’s an effort and money
the limelight? infectious diseases that need attention. based question. But I think it's important.
A wide variety of agencies have been funding improved response in country for just this kind of occasion ©UK DFID

Dr Mike Logan, Director Scientific Branch, Queensland Fire and
CBRNeWORLD
Emergency Services, on understanding ANFO emergencies
ANFO Lessons
I
n recent months another major typically occur at AN storage sites or in provide for responders must be clear,
incident involving ammonium transit and can present emergency concise and reflect current knowledge
nitrate (AN) occurred in North responders with significant challenges of AN behaviour in these situations.
Carolina, to add to a long history of as regards assuring community and Ammonium nitrate, a white
events that includes Beirut, Toulouse, responder safety. Research into AN hydroscopic solid, is an oxidising agent.
Texas City, and most recently Western behaviour in fire situations was spurred It supports combustion and increases
Australia, as well as the Oklahoma City on by the catastrophic incidents listed fire intensity. When AN is used as a
terrorist bombing. Fortunately, the above. The outcomes can be used to commercial explosive or blasting agent
stored AN in North Carolina did not inform our understanding of AN during it requires an initiator and booster since
detonate, but it reminds us of the threat decomposition and fires. it is not a primary explosive. Many
AN poses in certain circumstances. After Such incidents serve to remind us to formulations are used commercially
world war two, AN gained significant challenge our knowledge of AN including hot AN solutions, emulsions,
use as an explosive blasting agent for especially where it may be involved in gels and ANFO (typically a 94:6 mixture
the mining industry. Today, around 23m fires and ensure that our response with a material like diesel), as well as
tonnes of AN is manufactured, arrangements are up to date including mixtures with other materials like
transported, and used globally, mostly access to subject matter experts (SME). calcium carbonate. As a result, the
as an explosive or fertiliser. Incidents The initial response guidance we chemical and hazardous properties of
"Mate, I don't think the insurance company is going to go for

'Some dings to body work...'" Thankfully no responders
were killed in the Angellala Creek ANFO explosion
©Queensland Fire and Emergency Services

CBRNeWORLD
ANFO Lessons
...and just like that Angellala Creek got a little deeper and bridge-less ©Queensland Fire and Emergency Services
the various formulations vary • Heating rate. during a truck fire, this is usually
considerably and are demonstrated in • Temperature. preceded by a prolonged fire.
the different UN hazard classifications. • Confinement. Responders should always be aware
Examples include but are not limited to: • Pressure. that during a fire involving AN or
non-dangerous goods, oxidising agents • AN density. where there is radiant heat impacting
and explosives. • Critical diameter. AN, the potential for a detonation
AN behaviour at high temperature Many of these factors influence the cannot be discounted.
and in fires may amount to self- effects of others. AN becomes Guidance available to first
sustaining decomposition, deflagration significantly more shock sensitive at responders varies across the globe.
and in some situations, detonation. Its 240°C or higher. If AN is involved in a Responders are often alerted to issues
decomposition behaviour including fire there is potential for a detonation. associated with AN contamination or
onset temperature, decomposition rate, Other incident factors also need to factors that affect its stability, and then
and products generated is affected by be considered such as the behaviour of focus on options for extinguishing the
many elements. These include: burning trucks, where it has been fire. Withdrawing, isolating the incident,
• AN concentration. shown a fire involving eight to 16 tyres and focusing on community/responder
• Contaminants (examples include typically burns for 0.75 to 1.25 hours. protection is often just one of several
metals, organic materials, halide-based Despite limited data being available on options rather than highlighted as a key
materials, clays, acids (pH)). instances of AN detonation in transit response option.

CBRNeWORLD
ANFO Lessons
The challenge for responders is that occur. A conservative value, for Finally, be aware of the local
the significance of many of the example 20kg (44lbs), can be adopted response arrangements, who the SMEs
contributing factors is either not as a small fire until further are, and how they are integrated into
known, or recognised when they arrive information becomes available to refine the response arrangements.
at the incident or during the early that value. A large fire is where more Such an approach providing clear
response phases. As such this adds to than 20kg is involved. and concise guidance applies equally to
the resource constraints high stakes Secondly, If it is not clear how fires involving AN at storage and
and time critical decision-making much AN is involved, a fire should be manufacturing facilities as to those
pressures on incident managers. considered large. occurring during transit. The Australian
Using a combination of available Thirdly, if the fire involves AN or its & New Zealand Emergency Response
chemical and physical properties plus involvement cannot be prevented, it Guide Book provides clarity and informs
historical incident data, we have an must be managed as a fire with the initial actions of emergency
opportunity to review the initial response explosives. No attempt should be made responders at these incidents on the
guidance and enhance it to protect our to extinguish a fire where explosives or basis of lessons learnt from incidents in
responders and communities. AN is present. Instead, actions should Australia. What does your local guidance
Firstly, the fire scale should be be withdrawal, isolating the incident say? Perhaps it is time to review the
clearly defined at a value where it is and implementing community guidance for emergency responders to
not likely a catastrophic result will protective actions. ensure it is right up to date.
If the responders don't know how much ANFO is on a burning truck then it should be considered a large fire
and no attempt should be made to fight the fire ©Queensland Fire and Emergency Services

Bruno Vallayer, President of Bertin Technologies and Kirsi Hedman,
CBRNeWORLD
CEO of Environics, talk to Gwyn Winfield about building a
strong relationship with each other and customers
…and customer
makes three!
N
estled away at the end of
September were the wedding
banns for the French company
Bertin Technologies announcing that it
was buying the Finnish company
Environics. This is the fourth Bertin
acquisition in the past four years,
alongside radiation detection French
leader Saphymo and the Swedish
unattended ground sensor concern
Exensor. Environics is bringing to the
expanding business its Chempro series
of detectors (most recently the
Chempro X1), its Ranid range of
radiation detection and strengthening
the system integration capacity. Bertin,
because of the earlier acquisitions has a
far more diverse, and extensive, product
range, but most pertinently is known
for its range of biodefence systems,
collectors (Coriolis) and identification
(qPCR), the Saphyrad family of
radiation detectors and also the Second
Sight stand off chemical detection.
CBRN is full of SMEs, both subject
matter experts and small to medium
enterprises, and this acquisition lifts
Bertin into the rarefied air above the
latter. There aren’t many large
companies in CBRN, and those that do
exist are predominantly in medical
countermeasures (where CBRN
solutions might make up a small
proportion of the product portfolio).
Other ‘whales’ are companies like
Teledyne FLIR, who make vast sums
from non-CBRN related work and
Smiths Detection, whose CBRN defence
business is dwarfed by its aviation and
physical security side. The acquisition of
Environics is going to bring Bertin very
close to this level, and once all non-
CBRN is stripped out it may even be The purchase of Environics will mean that Bertin will have handheld
Europe's largest CBRN player. devices in the chem, bio and rad space ©Bertin Technologies

CBRNeWORLD
…and customer makes three!
Bertin is likely to see €100m globally. That’s a good starting point! The They take the risk that the system
turnover in 2022 in which Defence is fact is that over the years, Environics has designer does not know the products well
about 35%, with 25% in civilian nuclear developed a very interesting capacity to enough to combine them in a good
power plants, 25% space and big science, be a CBRN systems integrator doing system and has not tested them all
and the rest in life science and chemical and biological detectors for land together. Ninety percent of customers
healthcare. This will be swelled by and naval vessels. We do not, Environics need help in designing a system. If you
Environics turnover of approximately is far ahead of us. The objective is not to are not familiar with each device there's
€14m only in CBRN. The geographic integrate Environics into our CBRN a risk, both in choosing the equipment
spread will also assist both companies as portfolio, but to put all the Bertin but also finding the best locations for
Environics has done well in the US, portfolio into the Environics brand, each device. We now have long
South East Asia and in Scandinavia, leverage on its market position and help experience in building such systems, and
while Bertin does well in France. Environics to become the flagship of the customer trusts us to build
Admittedly the past two years have Bertin Group business and one of the something that meets its needs.”
been a little quirky for CBRN, with some leading CBRN players worldwide. Prior to the acquisition Bertin was an
companies doing very well, and others “We’ll keep the Bertin brand for observer in the world of handheld
disastrously - depending on which side of France, and some French-related chemical detection, and will find that the
the Covid supply chain you stand. Bruno countries, but worldwide we are going to rules are not the same as with
Vallayer, President of Bertin Technologies push the products and technology we radiological detection. Traditionally
feels that the work they did on biological have developed into the Environics handheld chemical detection technology
identification for Covid stood them in CBRN portfolio.. Bertin has been an is driven by government investment,
good stead, and having purchased innovative company for a long time and mainly from the armed forces. The
Environics the synergies available will when we develop new technologies and chemical detection market is currently
continue to propel them higher. “The products it produces a nightmare in data ruled by Smith’s Detection’s lightweight
acquisition of Environics will make us and integration. With Environics that’s chemical detector (LCD or JCAD if you’re
one of the top two or three players in the going to change; as soon as we decide American) an investment in IMS
CBRN detection market in Europe, and that a certain technology is interesting technology made by the UK and then
maybe the biggest in Europe in terms of we can make a product and transfer the enhanced by the US. Bruker, for example,
turnover. We are going to be the only technology. We’ll develop it, retain the did not win either of those contracts and
one able to provide the full portfolio of intellectual property, but ask Environics designed its own µRAID, which judging
product, chemical, biological and to finalise it.” by its obscurity did not sell well.
radiological detectors. We have The focus on systems integration Meanwhile there are hundreds of gamma
radiological, biological and chemical raises an important issue. One of the detectors out there of all shapes and sizes
across both companies, but we reasons that Environics has been all of which sell fairly well.
discovered when we start to talk that our successful with military and civilian Chemical detection is a cut throat
products are not in competition. We also systems is that it can offer best of breed. game, so any company that’s not
have a broad portfolio coming from With a small product line it is able to prepared to invest in research that’ll win
technologies, equipment and system meet the customers’ requirements by the development money from ministries
integration capacity which will make us a shopping outside its own trolley. Once and defence departments is likely to be a
leading player for the coming years.” that product line swells, and the various footnote. IMS is a well understood
Environics is not, however, the only internal programme managers start technology, and Environics has a good
potential purchase that Bertin could have clamouring, then it will have a lot of current generation product, but with the
considered. While fewer than there were solutions bearing the same logo, and this various chemical agent detector contracts
a decade or so ago, there are a number of might not be what the customer wants. being awarded in the US by the Joint
other companies that Bertin could have Kirsi Hedman, CEO of Environics, Program Executive Office (see CBRNe
bought to propel them to the same agreed that it might be an issue, but it World 2021-05) Bertin/Environics needs
height: the CBRN detection business of also comes with some advantages. to get cracking in the research arena to
Bruker, the CBRN detection business of “That's true, but in many cases the produce the next generation.
Smiths or Proengin. So what was it customer understands the value of Mr Vallayer counselled caution, and
about this Finnish company that having all the components from one pointed to technology such as surface
attracted the French? provider. They understand that if we are acoustic wave (SAW) and other
“Environics is a leading player in the designing a system it is beneficial to wunderkind that ended up losing out to
field of chemical detection, with its ion already know the advantages and IMS. “We have good technology for fire
mobility spectrometry (IMS), which still disadvantages of each device we include. customers and we can develop that IMS
has many years of application in the field. The system is better if we know the technology further. Maybe in two or
We, and its customers, feel that products very well. Many customers three years we will be able to offer a new
ChemProX is the best of its kind and understand this but some do not and are one to the market but right now we need
most probably the best IMS system willing to buy from various providers. to be cautious. We have some

CBRNeWORLD
development in progress with the French tendency in Europe for people to wake up
military and in due course will decide and say: ‘Do you have any ready-to-go
whether we need to push it compared to CBRN equipment in stock?’ No. ‘Why
IMS. Environics has fewer and fewer not?’ Because you cut the budget two
competitors in the handheld chemical years ago so we don't have it any more.
detection market. Even if we do not push ‘We need to have it!’ This is the same
out new technologies within the next right across the industry, there is no
three to five years, we can still develop a stock because there have been no new
lot of the business with the technology contracts. All the European governments
we currently have. have woken up and realised they need a
“We have the opportunity to be strong industrial and scientific base for
supported by the French R&D CBRN in Europe. Not the US providing
programme, and choose some equipment in Europe, but Europe
technology to try and develop, but it’s providing equipment for Europe. We will
risky, the success rate might be 25%! In be the only purely European supplier of
the past 10 years there have been many CBRN detection equipment.
initiatives to develop new technologies in “So we are well placed to push in
US and elsewhere, everyone is pushing Europe and that will be a major part of
micro-spectral, micro GC mass our portfolio. Besides that, Environics is
spectrometry, but there is little of it on very well situated in the US fire brigade
the market. I don't think micro GC will market and we hope to leverage that in
be in direct competition with IMS, or order to push some Bertin products that
even flame photo spectrometry from we have adapted for the hazmat market. I
Proengin. These are the best don't know if we will reach the
technologies for warning systems, but Department of Defense, they are too big
micro GC is not a warning system. It’s an and maybe they are not waiting for us…
identification system and if you compare but if we have an opportunity we'll see.
price between the two systems it's going Environics is well embedded in Asia and
to be very difficult to buy as many as the Bertin has also been doing quite a bit of
army needs for a warning system. Both selling there too, and not just CBRN. So
sets of equipment will coexist.” we will reinforce our sales capacity with
Ms Hedman agreed: “We have been Environics. Then there is the Middle East
in this business a long time, and seen where both Bertin and Environics are
this development and big spending in talking advantage of sales opportunities.
US but despite all that we have not seen Should we develop a bigger, more
any remarkable new products. It’s also comprehensive approach for Middle East
possible to develop new products with an office somewhere in the region?
without big money! It may be that if you The question is being considered.”
The Bertin brand will be retained for
get the big development award you Bertin has an interesting CBRN
the French market ©CBRNe World
don’t do your best because you think pedigree, having started off in bio with
you have the time and money. We are a Coriolis and identifiers like Kim (now on what it had done well for 30+ years.
small company and have done a great discontinued) and then moving into As Mr Vallayer suggested now is a fertile
job with a small team and limited time chemical stand off detection, more bio time for new corporate entities. Not only
and resources. With an experienced and then a huge amount of rad with the because of customers’ increasing drive
team and good targets you can do a purchase of Saphymo. With the for new products, but also to replace
great job without the big money.” exception of the latter they weren’t a devices that are either reaching the end
So what does the world look like for brand name as samplers and stand off of their 10 year shelf life (thanks to so
the new Bertin/Environics set-up? With tend not to have the same ubiquity as many contracts starting in 2002/2003
Covid still lurking, and the Ukrainian war hand held assays or chemical detectors. due to Al Qaeda and Amerithrax, etc) but
looking like it will run at least into 2023, Equally Environics blossomed when also to replace stocks donated to
where are the opportunities for growth? acquired by Verso Capital in 2015. Ukraine. IMS certainly has a place in
“If you look at the different regions of the Whether it was money or confidence, both those markets, and it will be
world, we are going to be active,” said the company suddenly sprang into interesting to see what potential French
Bruno Vallayer. “With everything that is responders’ consciousness and started MoD research products might deliver for
currently happening in Ukraine, there is a launching exciting new products based future solutions.
1
https://environics.fi/products/chemprox/

CBRNeWORLD Lieutenant Luís Miguel Carvalho, researcher in the Portuguese army’s

chemical defence laboratory on the CELULEX exercise and Project Strategy
From training to
standardisation
P
ortugal’s structural and operational address the radiological domain, and it provides support through a number of
concepts concerning CBRN are was formally (re)named as the health professionals designated by the
comprehensively grounded in a Biological, Chemical and Radiological Health Directorate.
number of official documents. These Defence Element, commonly known as
start with legislation including the BCR Defence Element). The task force’s main capabilities are:
Portuguese Republic’s constitution, According to Nato CBRN doctrine, • Biological, chemical and radiological
several laws on national defence, and the BCR Defence Element is a reconnaissance and monitoring.
documentation such as the Strategic specialised CBRN defence unit. • Assessment, delimitation and isolation
Concept on National Defence. There are Moreover, its role fits the civil support of contaminated areas.
also more operationally driven norms operations domain. In Portuguese • Sampling and identification of
and standards such as the CBRN national doctrine, the element is biological, chemical and radiological
National Operational Directive, the main described as a modular task force, substances, including unambiguous
reference for civil protection and related activated as necessary, to support the identification of biological and
civil support operations. response to incidents potentially chemical agents.
The Portuguese army’s CBRN involving biological, chemical and • Multiple casualty triage and first aid
doctrine was most recently updated in radiological substances or agents. in contaminated areas.
2019. The relevant document identifies The Biological, Chemical and • EOD in biological, chemical and
the fundaments and concepts of CBRN Radiological Defence Element’s radiological environments and/or disposal
defence, details the components of organisational structure shows it is of explosive devices with biological,
CBRN defence and describes the composed of several subunits activated chemical and radiological agents.
planning and conduct of military under the land forces command. These • Decontamination of personnel,
operations in contaminated subunits are made up of specialised equipment, vehicles, infrastructure and
environments. Additionally, the modules from different army units and terrain.
organisation of the CBRN defence regiments. They include: • Technical advisory regarding
system has been revised and education • The First Engineer Regiment’s CBRN biological, chemical or radiological risk
and training in this domain is also defence company, mainly responsible for management, including medical
covered. Alongside this document, reconnaissance, sampling and intelligence.
CBRN-related and other civil support identification of biological, chemical and • Technical advisory on medical
operations carried out by the army are radiological agents, and decontamination. countermeasures and prophylaxis.
detailed in the Portuguese army’s • The same regiment’s explosive
emergency military support plan, ordnance disposal (EOD) team. Among other important issues, the BCR
published in 2018. • Two deployable modules from the Defence Element relies on training to
Back in 2007, prior to the Military Laboratory Unit for Biological ensure its operational proficiency and
publication of these two documents, the and Chemical Defence, responsible for improve its efficiency. Such training
army’s chief of staff approved the specialised sampling of biological or takes place at the subunit level, to cover
development and implementation of a chemical evidence and outbreak specific and internal procedures, and of
task force to respond to requests for civil investigation. utmost importance, there is also
support in cases of biological and • Military police from the Second training on the task force’s tactics,
chemical incidents on Portuguese Lancers Regiment, which is techniques and procedures. Moreover,
territory. In 2011, the structure of this responsible for tasks related to force the employment and interoperability of
task force was reviewed to enlarge its protection and security. the element with other stakeholders in
missions and capabilities in order to • A medical detachment which responding to CBRN incidents must also

CBRNeWORLD
be trained to achieve high quality results activities for contaminated areas. In its the World Health Organisation (WHO)
in a multi-sectoral and multi- second edition, also in Tancos, and King’s College London (KCL). In the
organisational environment. CELULEX became a joint exercise, with following year, activities were once again
With this in mind, the Portuguese a CBRN unit from the Portuguese air split across two locations in Lisbon
army conducts an annual CBRN field force as the first guest participant. region, Lisbon and Almada, and the
training exercise named CELULEX. This In 2014 two international number of attendees kept growing. For
is an army-level exercise series, that organisations, the Robert Koch Institute the first time five national organisations
aims to train the army’s capability to (RKI) from Germany and Statens Serum participated as players; the Portuguese
respond to CBRN incidents on national Institut from Denmark, were present as navy and representatives from the
territory. Under operation plan CÉLULA, observers. At its fourth appearance, in Romanian Army, WHO, the Food and
this response will be effected through Lisbon, CELULEX acquired an Agricultural Organisation (FAO) and
the employment of the Biological, interagency format, with civil World Organisation for Animal Health
Chemical and Radiological Defence organisations, such as the firefighter (WOAH) attended as observers.
Element, and thus the realistic goal for corps and specialised national agencies In 2019 CELULEX went even
CELULEX is to train this task force. participating as players for the first time. further, as 20 experts, both national and
CELULEX has now reached its 10th 2016 saw CELULEX taking place in from other nine countries, representing
iteration, having started in 2012. Over two different locations - Lisbon and nine international entities were
a decade, the concept and scale of the Mafra - and at CELULEX 17 the number challenged to respond to a complex
exercise has evolved and the complexity of external entities attending was greatly biological scenario. Participants came
of the scenarios has increased so the increased, with 12 Portuguese from the UN Office for Disarmament
training now approaches reality. organisations as players and three Affairs (UNODA), FAO, OMS, WOAH,
CELULEX 12 took place in Tancos, international organisations as observers. Brazil’s ministry of agriculture,
with the army supporting civil These observers were the Joint livestock and food supply, the Brazilian
protection authorities in Chemical, Biological, Radiological and army’s CBRN defence institute, the
reconnaissance and prediction Nuclear Defence Centre of Excellence, Bundeswehr’s institute of microbiology,
Celulex has now reached it's 10th iteration ©Júlio Gouveia-Carvalho

CBRNeWORLD
From CBRN training to standardisation
RKI and KCL. Players including experts exercises and the WHO simulation European organisations from 14
from the roster of the UN secretary exercise manual. countries, encompassing standardisation
general’s Mechanism for Investigation of With its increasing complexity and bodies, policy makers, technology
Alleged Use of Chemical and Biological attendance, CELULEX has become an suppliers and first responders.
Weapons, were challenged to investigate excellent platform for supporting R&D The STRATEGY consortium,
an incident comprising health-security activities, despite being essentially a supported by invited external experts, is
and human-animal interfaces. training exercise. In fact, several R&D working on several pre-standardisation
CELULEX 9th edition only happened projects have been conducted in documents. In the context of its
in 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, complementarity with CELULEX Working Stream Six CBRN, it has also
and in decentralising the exercise, the scenarios and events to perform trials, proposed and is taking part in the
chemical, radiological and biological experiments and demonstrate solutions. development of two normative
scenarios trained in Amadora, Back in 2013, BIODECON, a documents within European Committee
Mangualde and Porto, respectively. decontamination formulation developed for Standardisation (CEN)/Technical
CELULEX 21 was the first time that a by the Portuguese army, was field-tested Committee 391’s Working Group 2 -
foreign military force took an active and then approved as an alternative to CBRNE. The CEN technical specification
part, with the participation of a CBRN commercial solutions. In fact, a couple of under development is titled, Societal and
unit from the Spanish army’s XI Brigade years later, BIODECON was the main citizen security - Digital Chain of
‘Extremadura’. solution used by the army’s decon teams Custody for CBRNE Evidence. It
Between 10 and 14 October 2022 the in civil support activities related to the currently comprises Part 1: Overview
10th iteration of CELULEX took place in Covid-19 pandemic. Another example, and Concepts and Part 2: Data
the army’s Combined Arms School in was the testing of an unmanned aerial Management and Audit.
Mafra, with 16 national agencies and a vehicle with radiological and chemical The processes, concepts and
Spanish army CBRN unit involved in sensors and ATEX (ATmosphéres solutions proposed in the documents
managing and responding to complex EXplosibles) certification, developed in were tested and demonstrated at
CBRN incidents. The first day focused on the GammaEx project, during CELULEX CELULEX 22, while STRATEGY
the radiological dimension and the 18. Furthermore, since 2018 a team from members observed the related
scenario developed from an increase in the Military Academy Research Centre is operational activities. Then, a series of
radiation levels on a university campus, studying the physiological distress discussion sessions allowed experts to
as a high-magnitude earthquake severely supported by CBRN team members and evaluate and propose improvements to
damaged a research institute working developing a real time analysis model to the technical specifications. The
with radioactive materials. The monitor risk in such conditions. outcomes from this will be
earthquake also affected an industrial This year, a group of 40 observers incorporated into the documents under
chemical plant, where two parallel sub from the EU Horizon 2020 funded development, and the technical
scenarios were prepared. The first of project, STRATEGY, attended CELULEX specifications will be put to test once
these involved the accidental release of 22. They included project partners and more before their final revision and
an unknown substance at the company’s members of its advisory boards, among consequent publication, this time in
R&D laboratories. The second was more them representatives of the FAO, WOAH, Italy in March 2023, at STRATEGY’s
complex and involved a shift from a Optimal Defence, Lufthansa and final full-scale exercise.
safety to a security incident. Slovenian armed forces. Project It has been a long journey since the
This sub scenario was triggered by STRATEGY focuses on the need for an army operational force to
the admission into hospital of an standardisation landscape in crisis support civil operations in response to
individual, showing signs and management, being the work developed CBRN incidents was assessed. The
symptoms of possible exposure to a in eight thematic streams: search and Portuguese army has been supporting
vesicant agent, due to activities on an rescue; critical infrastructures national capacity-building efforts and
illegal laboratory assembled in an protection; response planning; command contributing to increased resilience
abandoned warehouse on the industrial and control; early warning and rapid against CBRN threats from the get-go.
facility. Finally, several horses sickened damage assessment; CBRN; training; and This has encompassed defining and
and some died with an unknown terminology/symbology. revising the structure, missions and
disease at an international equestrian The project seeks to enable the pre- capabilities of a task force, and
competition, that had started three standardisation process at European enlarging it to better address the needs.
weeks earlier in the scenario history, to level via realistic exercises, by A CBRNE-focused exercise has been
provide the scenario with a biological streamlining, testing and validating developed, delivered and expanded over
element. As described, given the multi- interoperability solutions regarding 10 iterations, in terms of numbers of
sectoral and one health approach of the systems, procedures and tools which participants and complexity of the
CELULEX exercise, its planning address the operational needs of crisis scenarios, and has supported several
process also took into account the management practitioners. The work is R&D initiatives focused on different
WOAH guidelines for simulation being developed by a consortium of 23 challenges in this domain

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of SX 34 for the decontamination of sensitive elements as well as aircraft cockpits.
All this allow us to offer our most advanced solutions and to know about new needs, new problems that arise which give us a major
enthusiasm to reach new objectives and to propose our customized solutions with highly technological systems, which will always be the
main characteristic of our company.

CBRNeWORLD Dr Christina Baxter, of EmergencyResponseTIPS.com and

Hazard3.com, offers helpful advice for first responders
Keeping you safe!

This column aims to provide the hazmat/CBRNE community with operational guidance on the selection and
performance of equipment and tactics. In this issue we are focussing on the use of advanced imaging
technologies across all phases of an incident from pre-event planning to situational awareness at the scene
and post event change detection.
Today, many use two-dimensional imaging

techniques, which exhibit varying degrees of
connectivity from within the scene to
incident management. But here, we are
concentrating on recent advances in three-
dimensional image capture and
characterisation technologies, and their
application to the hazmat/CBRNE scene.
Alongside operational locations and purpose,
the elements to consider when selecting an
imaging approach and system to meet your
needs, include system performance,
connectivity and security, image processing
software, ease of use, and image storage.
Using 3D imaging technologies informs the rapid building of situational awareness, identifying mission
priorities, and selecting approaches to be applied within the contaminated scene. In the context of a 12-
step CBRN crime scene process, these technologies are incorporated into the following seven steps:
approaching the scene; securing and protecting the scene; the reconnaissance survey; photographing the
scene; scene diagram; searching; and the final survey.
Basic capability – 2D digital cameras with 3D lens adaptors

Fisheye lenses allow a 2D digital camera to capture wider angles
or larger areas with enhanced depth of view. Depending on the
capabilities of the camera body selected, the quality and sharpness
of the images can provide excellent detail. Unfortunately, there
is significant image distortion with this approach, especially at
the edges and corners, but this can be minimised using software
packages such as Photoshop and Lightroom.

CBRNeWORLD
Moderate capability – 3D digital cameras
3D digital cameras are often termed action
cameras, and are generally compared on the
basis of cost, size, battery life, video quality,
and picture quality. These systems can be
handheld and incorporated into drones and
robotics for use within contaminated scenes.
If the system is built into a secure Wi-Fi
network, real time imagery and video can be
obtained and viewed outside the contaminated
areas. While the data provided is a step up
from the 3D lens approach, there is still
significant distortion. Advanced camera-
specific software algorithms can be used to
minimise image distortion and can provide advanced data analytics across the images including
measurements. Products in this class include the Insta360 OneX2, the Ricoh Theta, and GoPro Max.
Advanced capability – LiDAR sensors

Light detection and ranging (LiDAR), systems use light pulsed from lasers and measure the reflected light
to determine a range or distance. Compared with cameras and other optical imaging systems that provide
video or images of a scene, laser-based systems supply significantly more precise spatial information. When
LiDAR data is combined with spatial information, a digital point cloud is produced resulting in a highly
accurate 3D representation of the space. Current systems have been reduced in size so they’re wearable or
handheld.
Besides cost, size and weight, it is also important to compare commercial products according to their
scanning range, points/second collection, accuracy, processing software and data processing speed. Other
areas of interest may include robot or UAV mounts, and the ability to perform change detection, and to
operate independently (drone autonomy).
Many LiDAR systems incorporate

simultaneous localisation and
mapping (SLAM) technology for
mapping unknown environments
even in GPS-denied spaced.
SLAM technology allows for the *indicative *indicative
autonomous operation of the
systems, but more importantly,
permits very accurate change
detection algorithms. This
becomes important for crimes
scenes as scans can be captured
immediately upon arrival and
then again following evidence
collection to demonstrate
changes in the scenes and
capturing potential cross
contamination events.
LiDAR-based products include Emesent’s Hovermap, the Faro Focus S350, GeoSLAM’s ZEB, Leica’s BLK, and
the NavVis VLX.

Keeping you safe!

CBRNeWORLD
Applications
Mapping and imagery
technologies should be
included in your
hazmat/CBRN toolbox.
When reviewing these
technologies, consider
consulting police forensic
and imaging specialists as
they typically have a lot of
expertise applying imaging
and LiDAR techniques to
characterising crime
scenes. Their expertise
will be invaluable when
considering the potential
operational implications.
These systems can be used for pre-planning as well as for operational response. For pre-planning, the data
can be used for tactical assault planning or to note safe entry routes, chemical storage areas, ventilation
locations, fire loads and more. In operational responses they can be used in near real time to provide a
detailed site plan to enhance operational effectiveness, assessing threats in mass gathering and mass
transit locations, and bomb scene response. When using LiDAR-based systems, the rapid, real time analysis
allows for tracking operators as well as change detection between site entries.
These technologies are likely to revolutionise situational

awareness including personnel location, information sharing, Stay safe out there!
and pre-planning across all types of incident whether it be a
hazmat/CBRN release or a shooting at a school or nightclub.
It is important to begin investigating these technologies and
how they can be integrated into your approaches and identify
new applications.
CBax away!
Images are courtesy of Phil Buckenham
https://philbuckenhamart.wixsite.com/philbuckenham
56 CBRNe WORLD August 2022 www.cbrneworld.com

CBRNe
Summit
Europe 2023
CONFERENCE AND EXHIBITION
21-23 MARCH 2023 | LISBON, PORTUGAL
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HOW TO REGISTER:
www.intelligence-sec.com I events@intelligence-sec.com I +44(0)1582 346706
SPONSORS AND EXHIBITORS
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ORGANISED BY:
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BioFireDefense, June 2022, PH Commander.indd 1 5/26/22 10:55 AM

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