Combatting 'unconventional' terrorism The threat of terrorism based on the use of unconventional weapons such as chemical attacks is prompting authorities worldwide to increase their preparedness in the face of such acts. Industrial Technologies © Thinkstock Terrorists around the world are becoming more sophisticated and are increasingly resorting to chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) weapons putting innocent civilians at risk. The EU-funded project 'CATO - CBRN crisis management: Architecture, technologies and operational procedures' (CATO) develops a unified approach how authorities can manage such CBRN incidents. It is looking at existing systems for emergency preparedness and management, with a focus on operational procedures, technology, and software. More specifically, the project team is developing a comprehensive Open Toolbox for dealing with CBRN terrorism-related crises. It is outlining needs of stakeholders, including policymakers, health services, first responders and citizens, examining the entire disaster life cycle from preparedness and detection to response and recovery. Already, the project team has made significant progress in delivering the first version of the Toolbox that includes guidelines and standard operating procedures based on stakeholder feedback. It has made headway in documenting best practices in the field, in addition to collecting technical expertise, tools, procedures, algorithms, handbooks and guidelines to build a CBRN knowledge base. Also included are CBRN data sheets containing a few representative agents that elaborate associated detection, response and recovery issues. The CATO toolbox features tools for use at different phases of the disaster life cycle and can be accessed by users through a web browser. The technology features a set of cooperating algorithms that improve situation awareness, support decision making, and facilitate resource management if and when a CBRN incident arises. The system will be able to interface with different services such as fire, rescue and medical emergency facilities. In effect, CATO will enable a comprehensive, integrated approach to CBRN preparedness and resilience across the EU. It will help overcome fragmentation in handling CBRN-related issues, enabling authorities to develop solid plans and responses. The EU will be in a much better position to pre-empt CBRN disasters, contain related threats and protect its citizens. Keywords CBRN, weapons, nuclear, terrorist attack, radiological, biological, chemical, emergency response
