Threat #1 (National Planning Scenarios) – Improvised Nuclear Device

An Improvised Nuclear Device (IND) can describe either: a nuclear device that has been modified from an existing weapon, or can be one that is constructed from parts of devices.

It is important to differentiate them from Radiological Dispersion Devices (RDD) (otherwise known as “dirty bombs”) because, in the latter case, the purpose is to disperse radiological particles using a conventional explosive like dynamite or TNT. In that case, there isn’t a nuclear reaction. An RDD will create an explosion like any other.

Courtesy: Department of Homeland Security

An IND, by contrast, creates a nuclear explosion like those at Hiroshima and Nagasaki (mushroom cloud), because it is a radiological chain reaction and will be vastly different from an explosion from TNT. The detonation of an IND is a major catastrophe of an almost apocalyptic scope. The explosion of an IND in a major city would raze dozens, or (depending on the yield) hundreds of square blocks.


Plan

Like any other explosion, an IND will cause casualties, damage buildings, and disrupt utilities and essential services. However, as you put together your plan with your disaster manager, you should keep a few unique things in mind:

• If an IND is detonated near your facility, work will cease indefinitely. The number of casualties and the pace of destruction will be such that economic activity will grind to a halt until order is restored;
• If an IND is detonated in the US but not near your facility, work will essentially cease for a few days as fear and panic sets in awaiting the government response.
• The risk is not just from the explosion itself, but also from the nuclear fallout that results from the detonation;
• Do not rush your employees back to work, and consider that friends and family may be affected. 
• Roads may be closed, and other commercial activities involving transportation will almost certainly be halted.
• Government functions, public sector activities, and contractual obligations (both buying and selling) will be suspended.
   
• Employees may have severe psychological trauma, trouble concentrating, or experience phobias. Be prepared to activate the EAP.
  

Train


I recognize that training your staff on how to respond to a nuclear weapon explosion will probably result in a few smiles and side-jokes. When we train our clients, we do our best to make the training relevant, but not too “doom and gloom”.

Courtesy: United States Army

If you decide to do your own training, make sure you be very careful of the wording you use, and don’t make it too company-centric. If you have medical staff, they all need to be trained on the medical effects of a nuclear reaction detonation, including (but not limited to):

• Primary, Secondary, Tertiary, and Quaternary Injuries as applied to a nuclear explosion
• Blast Wave and Overpressure;
• Radiation Exposure and Contamination;
• Delayed effects of acute radiation exposure;
• Specific organ effects depending on where a given isotope is incorporated;
• Carcinogenesis;
• Psychological effects.

Conclusion

Thankfully, this is a threat that has a remote chance of occurring. Unlike what the movies portray, a nuclear weapon is a highly sophisticated machine that requires incredibly specialized skills and equipment to design and build.

Furthermore, even if a group were able to get the blueprint for one, they would have to acquire the radiological materials, properly harness them (without getting killed from radiation poisoning), and procure all the other machinery necessary to properly administer and maintain the weapon before the radiological materials broke down into their half-lives. 

However, an IND event should remain a planning scenario for your business, because, if that terrible day does come, it may be the only way you can effectively Reverse Disaster.

Patrick Hardy

phardy@hytropy.com

Twitter: @hytropy

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