International Perspectives on

Lessons Learned

February 6, 2014

Mr. Ed van Zalen

Netherlands Forensics Institute

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Why? Is there a need for an education, training

and exercise programme.

developing and sustaining national response

National Response Plan should identify

education, training and exercise

requirements (targets, levels)

Education, training, exercise

• Education (knowledge building)

• Skills training (practical)

• Single disciplinary training

• Multi disciplinary exercise

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For Whom?

• Responders - first (fire brigade, police, medical response, defense staff, etc)

- crime scene managers/investigators

• Experts - nuclear science

- Law Enforcement forensics

• Policy/decision makers

5

Key Knowledge Across

Communities

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Responder

(First, Med)

Technical

Experts (LE,

Science)

Policy

Radiation Safety &

Health Physics

(Working in presence

of radioactivity)

First do not; Med

does

LE does not;

Scientist do

Does not know; n

Needs to be aware

Radiation Detection

Methods

First do not; Med

do not

LE does not;

Scientist do Does not know

Crime Scene

Management

First does not; Med

does not

LE Knows;

Scientists do not

Does not know;

needs to be aware

What can and cannot

Forensics do?

First does not;

Med does not

LE Knows;

Scientists do Needs to Know

What ? (1)

Skills training - Working under PPE conditions

- Applied Safety (Personal)

- Decontamination (investigating staff, evidence, materials and equipment)

- Communication (on scene)

- Collecting evidence/traces

- Chain of Custody (in practice)

What? (2)

• Forensic Awareness (serious gaming)

• Introduction in Forensic Science - criminalistics

- value of evidence

- Classical principles in forensic science

(rules of evidence, chain of custody)

- Traditional forensic disciplines

- Fallacies

- Hypotheses

• National Action Plan - legal implications

- nuclear forensics core capabilities

- building trusted communities

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What? (3)

• Radiological crime scene management; - Securing the incident site;

- Operating procedures;

- Safety (personal, handling radioactive material);

- Scene assessment;

- Radiation detection;

- Collection of radioactive evidence;

- Traditional forensics related to a radiological crime scene: – Permanent marks - Temporary marks

– Bulk evidence - Trace evidence

– Information carriers - Situational evidence

- Packaging of evidence (cross contamination, radio active contamination)

- Destruction and preservation of forensic evidence;

- Final survey and release of scene;

- Transportation of evidence;

- Involvement of national regulatory authority;

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What? (5)

• Nuclear Forensics Methods - key expertise in nuclear and other radioactive mateials

- national nuclear forensics libraries

• Traditional Forensics Methods - identifying individuals

- retrieving and analysis of digital data

- reconstruction of the incident

• Conclusions and Attribution

• (inter)National cooperation

• Social Media as source for intelligence (crowd sourcing)

• Disaster Victim Identification

Gaps

• Cross-cultural training

• Communication training (between groups)

• Media training

• Crowd control

• Train the trainer course

What ? (5)

Multidisciplinary exercise

• Table top exercise (procedures and understanding)

national and international

• Field/scenario training (practical)

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Key Elements of Multi-Disciplinary

Exercises

Responders

(First, Medical)

Experts (LE,

Science)

Policy / Decision

Makers

Table-Top

Exercises

(Specialists &

Policy/Decision

Makers)

Learn about

Expert

Capabilities

Learn about

Response

Capabilities

Effective to

educate about

National Reponse

Plan Capabilities

Interagency

Field Exercise

“Test Drive”

operational

procedures and

interfaces

“Test Drive”

operational

procedures and

interfaces

Good to Observe

• Validates inter-operable procedures during a crisis

• Manages expectations

• Identifies gaps

International resources

• IAEA regional training courses - introduction in nuclear forensics

- radiological crime scene management

- nuclear security for major public events

- ….

• Interpol

• EU

• Centers of Excellence

• Bilateral Arrangements

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Mr. Alan King

INTERPOL

15

Perspectives from

INTERPOL

• Recognize the continued need for cross-

disciplinary training across areas of expertise

• Joint investigations

• Equip the right people with the necessary

training

16

Ms. Itimad Soufi

CNESTEN/Ministry of Energy, Mines,

Water and Environment

17

Key Challenges

• Resource Constraints and Need for Capacity Building

• Different Priorities Among Organizations

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Effective Capacity Building

• Development of Response Plan for Radiological Event Should Build Upon Existing Plans and Structures – Identify Similarities and Gaps Between Conventional Responses

• New Expertise – Radiation Safety

– Importance of Protecting Responders

– Familiarity with Decontamination Process

– Proper Handling of Radioactive Materials

– Safe Transport and Treatment of Victims

• Adapt Organizational Structure and Operating Protocols to Implement New Areas of Expertise

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Competing Priorities

• Examples: – Responding to the Scene/Preserving Evidence

– Saving Victims/Ensuring Responders Take Necessary

Precautions for Own Safety Against Contamination Risks and

Potential Secondary Attack Threats

• Not Always a Clear Answer

– Importance of Developing Effective Means of

Communication

– More Consideration to Cross Disciplinary

Training

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Mr. Paul Jones

Australian Nuclear Science and Technology

Organization

21

Perspectives from the

NFWG

• Progress has been made in mutual understanding

• Effective command and control

• Understand roles, responsibilities, and authorities

• Use existing investigation and crime scene methodologies

• Translate evidence from the crime scene to the courtroom

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