ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md. - More than 100 representatives from military and civilian units, law enforcement agencies and government organizations attended the Federal Bureau of Investigation First Responder Initiative workshop at the APG South (Edgewood) conference center Dec. 5.
The daylong event was hosted by the U.S. Army Reserve Consequence Management Unit. The USAR CMU provides operational support to the 20th Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear Explosives (CBRNE) Command headquartered at APG South (Edgewood). It also is a part of the U.S. Army North Task Force 51, a rapid deployment unit capable of employing and sustaining specialized response forces in support of civilian authorities after a CBRN incident. Due to its mission, the unit must maintain a constant state of readiness.
"The [commander] for Task Force 51, Maj. Gen. (Charles) Gailes said that if you see an event on the news, start packing and report for duty immediately," said USAR CMU Commander Col. Barrett Parker. "There is a real chance we will be working with other federal agencies if a major response happens."
Parker said the goal of the workshop was to familiarize attendees with the roles and responsibilities of the FBI during major incidents. He encouraged attendees to network, noting that they share similar missions.
"The last thing you want to do is meet people for the first time during an incident," Parker said. "If you have a good understanding of what they are trying to accomplish beforehand it is much easier to work together. We want to assist the FBI when practical early on and we absolutely do not want to hinder them. The best way to do that is to have a good understanding of their goals."
Special Agent Bomb Technician and Weapons of Mass Destruction Coordinator John Louden, from the FBI Baltimore Field Office, talked about the FBI's roles and responsibilities for incidents involving WMD, noting that the FBI is the lead law enforcement agency for investigating and responding to domestic acts of terrorism. Louden said the FBI strives to maintain a close relationship with other organizations, including first responders, local police and state troopers.
"They are our eyes and ears at the beginning of an incident," he said.
He said the FBI also investigates biological threats such as ricin-laced letters. Ricin is a highly toxic substance that can be sent through the mail and can poison people in small doses. Louden said these cases are primarily dealt with behind the scenes.
"If you don't hear about it, it means we are probably doing a fairly good job at investigating and prosecuting these matters," he said.
Other topics of discussion included incidents involving active shooters, chemical warfare, explosives and cases of mistaken identity. In the afternoon representatives from the FBI Headquarters Laboratory Division gave attendees an overview of what typically happens at an FBI crime scene during evidence collection, referred to as "sampling" in the military.
After the workshop, attendees remarked that the event provided the opportunity to share valuable information and experiences.
"I think the workshop provided timely information," said Shawn Davies from the Advanced CBRNE Training Team, part of the U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command's Edgewood Chemical Biological Center. "It helped us get a better understanding about what other agencies are doing."
Coast Guard Reserve Lt. Cmdr. Ben Perman said members of the Coast Guard Marine Security Response Team and the Coast Guard Atlantic Strike Team attended the event because they occasionally encounter chemical and biological threats.
"Often the FBI is not with us when we are offshore," Perman said. "We are the ones that have to handle the cases until we can get FBI support out to where the ship is located. It's good to know how everyone's mission might or might not overlap."
Other attendees included representatives from the U.S. Army Public Health Command, 20th CBRNE Command, U.S. Marines Corps Chemical Biological Incident Response Force (CBIRF), Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia, and civil support teams from Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Washington, D.C.
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