Homeland Defense Journal - January 2009 - 38

S T A T E & L O C A L VO I C E S By James Brinson Weapons of Mass Destruction, Southern Style HEN PEOPLE THINK OF MISSISSIPPI a lot of things come to mind, some good, some bad and some misconceptions. The one thing that people do not usually associate with Mississippi is terrorism and Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD), or Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear or Explosive (CBRNE) materials. Like most states, Mississippi has been working to ensure the protection of our citizens and critical resources by developing techniques and protocols, and by providing a considerable amount of training for our ﬁrst responder community regarding the possible threat of these types of weapons. The Mississippi Ofﬁce of Homeland Security’s (MOHS) CBRNE Response Coordinator operates in a technical advisory capacity at the request of any local, state or federal agency. The MOHS serves as an asset to the local municipalities and responds by request to any threats, such as suspicious substances, bomb threats or potential improvised explosives. Mississippi utilizes a unique approach to WMD/Terrorism response and training. The MOHS Operations Division has developed a week-long course for investigators who attend the Certiﬁed Investigative Program (CIP) at the Mississippi Law Enforcement Academy (MLEOTA). It focuses on advancing basic knowledge of Terrorism Criminal Activity, Terrorism Tactics, CBRNE Recognition, Critical Infrastructure, and Conducting Assessments of Threat Risk and vulnerabilities. These professionals are already trained to do their jobs, but as we well know, times are changing and it is our obligation to ensure that our professionals are equipped for the possibility of an attack, or for the possibility that someone may use our state as a platform to attack elsewhere. A similar, albeit more condensed training is also provided to all new recruits and can be ﬁeld delivered to local agencies. Our approach is to focus on Mississippi and its assets, so we have brought the training to a variety of Mississippi agencies, including Alcohol Beverage Control, the Gaming Commission, the State Auditors’ Ofﬁce, the Department of Education, the Department of Fish and Wildlife, and any agency with a law enforcement mission in Mississippi. One consequence of this process has been the improvement of inter-agency professional relationships, which, in a potential threat situation, can better facilitate the sharing of timely information between key stakeholders. A lot of these agencies are often overlooked in the context of homeland security, but they are important assets because their personnel have the potential of being exposed to the types of criminal activity that our enemies are known to engage in. Coupling this training with the traditional and advanced training received through the DHS Consortium Schools by our Fire and Emergency Service professionals, Hazardous Materials personnel, and Bomb Technicians, Mississippi has a well versed and rapid response rate to potential terrorism-related incidents. The MOHS offers these W personnel the resources to answer any questions, to aid them in their investigation, and if requested, join them on the scene. Along with this training, MOHS has developed three state advisory committees that meet on a quarterly basis. These committees are the Explosive Ordinance Response Committee, the CBRN Response Committee and the Critical Infrastructure Advisory Committee. The Explosive Ordinance Response Committee contains representatives from all Mississippi Bomb Teams, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF), the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation (MBI) and Explosive Detector Dog Teams. This committee discusses anything involving energetic materials response, training and protocols, and it has developed training for businesses, schools and law enforcement. The CBRN Response Committee contains representatives from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Mississippi Department of Health, the 47th Civil Support Team (CST) and the Postal Inspector. It discusses anything involving Chemical, Biological, Radiological or Nuclear materials response, training, protocols, or new technologies. Through training and education, and by developing relationships amongst our responder communities, Mississippi has built a system of protection and response that continually improves itself and stands as a tribute to all those that serve this great state. Our successes are rooted in the dedication of our response professionals, and in the renowned Mississippi spirit of helping our neighbors because we believe it’s just the right thing to do. Being the most charitable state in the nation doesn’t only mean we make monetary donations; we give our time, our respect and sometimes even our lives. YA’LL COME DOWN AND SEE US YA HEAR! n James Brinson is a CBRNE Coordinator at the Mississippi Department of Homeland Security 36 | Homeland Defense Journal Visit www.homelanddefensejournal.com
Homeland Defense Journal - January 2009

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Homeland Defense Journal - January 2009
