Counter-Terrorism for Emergency Responders

Robert A. Burke, born in Beatrice and grew up in Lincoln, Nebraska and graduated high school in Dundee, Illinois, earned an A.A. in Fire Protection Technology from Catonsville Community College Baltimore County, Maryland and a B.S. in Fire Science from the University of Maryland. He has also completed graduate work at the University of Baltimore in Public Administration. He has attended numerous classes at the National Fire Academy in Emmitsburg, Maryland and additional classes on firefighting, hazardous materials and Weapons of Mass Destruction at Oklahoma State University, Maryland Fire and Rescue Institute, Texas A & M University, College Station, Texas, the Center for Domestic Preparedness in Anniston, Alabama and others. Mr. Burke has over 30 years experience in the emergency services as a career and volunteer firefighter, and has served as a Lieutenant for the Anne Arundel County, Maryland Fire Department; an assistant fire chief for the Verdigris Fire Protection District in Claremore, Oklahoma; deputy state fire marshal in the state of Nebraska; a private fire protection and hazardous materials consultant; an exercise and training officer for the Chemical Stockpile Emergency Preparedness Program (CSEPP) for the Maryland Emergency Management Agency; and retired as the fire marshal for the University of Maryland. He has served on several volunteer fire companies, including West Dundee, Illinois; Carpentersville, Illinois; Sierra Volunteer Fire Department, Chaves County, New Mexico; Ord, Nebraska; and Earleigh Heights Volunteer Fire Company in Severna Park, Maryland, which is a part of the Anne Arundel County, Maryland, Fire Department. He is currently a member of the Heartland LEPC covering SE Nebraska and has provided and manages a hazardous materials display at the Nebraska Fire Museum in Kearney.

"Robert Burke’s book is an eye opener; Terrorism is real and we are not immune from any form of Terrorist Activities.Robert Burke addresses the real true problem in domestic Terrorism and Global Terrorism. "Fear is winner" when any type of terror attack occurs. No matter how we may be prepared the Terrorist have been scouting our weakness constantly. "Thus we have become weaken from all dimensions" We must hold our resolve from our previous lesson in order to prevail in the future from Terrorism."— William (BJ) Jetter, University of Cincinnati, Greater Cincinnati Hazardous Material Unit. Duty Officer, USA"This is a terrific resource for any emergency responder from a small-town volunteer to a large city professional who may be called upon to respond to a WMD event. For those with little to no hazardous materials training it is an exhaustive work. For those trained in CBRNE is it a thorough review. A text that can and should be referred to often. It is a very useful tool."— Michael F. Roeshman, Deputy Chief/HazMat Chief, Philadelphia Fire Department (Retired), PA

• 1. Introduction 2. History of terrorism 3. Foiled terrorist plots: Successes in terrorism prevention 4. Evolution of terrorism and terrorist groups 5. Active shooter 6. Explosive terrorism characteristics of explosives and explosions 7. Improvised explosive devices and suicide bombers 8. Chemical terrorist agents 9. Biological terrorist agents 10. Nuclear terrorism 11. Incendiary terrorism 12. Monitoring and detection equipment for terrorist agents 13. Personal protective equipment (PPE) and decontamination for terrorist agents 14. Response to acts of terrorism 15. Terrorism resources and response training 16. Future of terrorism