The Virtual Report For the First Responder Issue # 15 In partnership with

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1 The Virtual Report For the First Responder Issue # 15 In partnership with tvr@hazmatiq.com President or Dictator? And why it is important May 20, 2009 President Hugo Chávez Chavez was a career military man who formed a revolutionary force within the Venezuelan army and led a failed attempt to overthrow President Carlos Andres Perez in After two years in prison, Chavez was pardoned and made the transition from soldier to politician. Elected president of Venezuela in 1998 Chavez took office in February He remains popular among nearly two-thirds of Venezuelans after Fresh off winning a referendum that could allow him to remain winning a February referendum president until 2018 and perhaps for life, analysts say Venezuela's removing limits on reelection. President Hugo Chávez is creating an autocratic state with Democratic trappings. Chávez has chased a political rival out of Venezuela, jailed a former general, and had a compliant Congress strip away almost the entire budget of the newly elected mayor of Caracas. And now the Chávez-controlled Congress is preparing to snatch power from governors across Venezuela and hand over duties to Chávez-appointed, newly created regional ''vice presidents'' to oversee the governors. This year has seen an intensification of attacks, verbal and physical on Jewish institutions in Venezuela. The attacks on took place in the framework of Chavez's tirades against Israel over its campaign in Gaza, calling the campaign a "holocaust, and demanding that Venezuelan Jews denounce Israel. In addition Chavez has continued a charm campaign with Iran, which is, may be used as an opportunity by organizations such as the Lebanese-based Hezbollah establishing anti- Western terrorist cells in strategic areas of the continent. Jewish communities in South America have been vocal about their fears, citing the 1992 Israeli Embassy bomb attack, which was claimed by Islamic Jihad, a group that has ties to Hezbollah. Consider that Chavez has certainly embraced an anti-american agenda, and we've seen some Hezbollah related activity in Venezuela in the past, so the growing ties of Hezbollah in Venezuela, which is so close to our southern border leads to fears that Venezuela could potentially emerge as a base for anti-u.s. extremist groups and spy services.

2 Charity Linked to Mumbai Attack Helping Swat Refugees Approximately 2,000 members of the Falah-i-Insaniat Foundation, are helping the refugees who have fled the fighting in Pakistan's Swat Valley, distributing food and transporting refugees to camps according to a Pakistani website. According to the website of the Pakistani daily Dawn, Jamaatud Dawa (JUD), a charity and front organization of Lashkar-e- Taiba (LeT) has renamed itself the Falah-i-Insaniat Foundation but the same logo as the outlawed charity. Be aware that LeT and several of its front organizations, including the Jamaatud Dawa, were outlawed by the UN Security Council after the November 2008 attacks in the Indian financial capital Mumbai, which left 166 people dead and hundreds more wounded. After banning JuD, Pakistani authorities had vowed to prevent the group from re-emerging under a new guise. Despite overtly displaying the symbols of the banned organization, and the fact that its volunteers make no secret of a link to JuD, Falah-e- Insaniat appears to be operating unimpeded by authorities. Their presence raises questions about the Islamabad government's pledge to end the activities of the radical Islamist organization, which has been accused of being the charitable front of the al-qaeda linked Lashkar-e-Taiba. More Trouble in the Horn US officials have said they are seriously concerned by reports Eritrea is supplying arms to foreign fighters and Islamic hardliners fighting government forces in Somalia. Eritrea denies any involvement in arming or financing Islamist militants, which in the last week has resulted in 172 civilians killed, 528 wounded and 30,000 more fleeing Somalia's capital, Mogadishu. Consider that, there have been a number of reports of foreign fighters, of South Asian and Chechen origin with possible links to al-qaeda, fighting alongside hard-line Islamists of al-shabaab. Recently there have been suggestions that the Somali government might collapse, which would be a devastating blow to US counter-terrorism- anti-piracy efforts in Africa, and potentially set the stage for this area to become a haven for radical Islamic extremists to train, plan, and launch future attacks against the west. Stolen Paintball Equipment Paintball guns and explosives are feared to have fallen into the wrong hands after being stolen recently from a company in Hampshire UK, police said. Thieves forced open a storage unit at Action Paintball in Harewood Forest, near Andover and made off with a haul included paint guns and grenades. Paintball is one of the fastest growing sports in the world but consider that some radical Islamists might use paintball for a far more sinister purpose: as a training ground for jihad. Consider that three American Muslims, part of a "Virginia jihad network were found guilty in 2004 conspiracy to levy war against the United States using paintball games to train for holy war. Motorcycle Bomb A bomb-rigged motorcycle exploded near a convoy carrying the Gov. Sakur Tan of a southern Philippines island of Sulu. The governor was not injured but some security personnel were, officials said. The al-qaeda linked group abu sayyaf, has been blamed for numerous kidnappings, bombings and beheading is believed to be responsible for the attack. Abu Sayyaf, whose name means bearer of the sword in Arabic, is a militant organization based in the southern Philippines. It seeks a separate Islamic state for the country's Muslim minority, and boasts of ties to al-qaeda, as well as the Indonesian network of Jemaah Islamiyah. Consider that one of their favorite weapons is the vehicle borne improvised explosive devices (VBIED), which uses explosives to weaponize cars, trucks and even motorcycles. They are used globally by terrorists in assassinations aimed at killing a specific individual and in attacks designed to achieve mass destruction to people and property. VBIED s can also be deployed in suicide attacks. In such attacks, the vehicle is packed with explosives and then driven into a building, another vehicle or target.

3 Anhydrous Ammonia Leak Multiple agencies responded to a report of an anhydrous ammonia leak at American Cold Storage, located in, Louisville, Kentucky. About a dozen employees had already self-evacuated the building before firefighters arrived, but two workers were reported missing. Firefighters wearing Level A chemical protective clothing and self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) entered the building and removed the two men who later succumbed to injuries they suffered during an ammonia leak, a Louisville Fire Chief said. Anhydrous ammonia (UN1005) is classified by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) as a Class 2.2 Non-flammable Gas. Unfortunately, this classification leaves two important hazards of anhydrous ammonia unidentified by the DOT labeling system. Not only will anhydrous ammonia burn under certain conditions, it is classified as a corrosive liquid and poison gas in other parts of the world Responders to incidents involving anhydrous ammonia will require Level A chemical protective clothing and self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) to protect them or to perform rescue. Gas is lighter then air, produces a toxic, visible or invisible gas cloud, which may hug the ground when cool. For general operating procedures refer to the Emergency Response Guidebook, guide # 125. Organic Peroxide Spill A 350-gallon drum of highly explosive organic peroxide was accidentally punctured by a forklift at Peninsula Truck Lines in Yakima, Washington recently, resulting in a vapor cloud that hung in the air 100 above the building. Because the organic peroxide could have become flammable or explosive if it was mixed with another organic compound, the building was ordered evacuated. Organic peroxides are available as solids (usually fine powders), liquids or pastes. Diluted mixtures are less likely to explode when exposed to heat or physical shock than the undiluted organic peroxide. The main hazard of organic peroxides is their fire and explosion hazards. Organic peroxides may also be toxic or corrosive. Depending on the material, route of exposure (inhalation, eye or skin contact, or swallowing) and dose or amount of exposure. Truck Carrying Insecticide Catches Fire Highway 50 in El Dorado Hills, CA was closed recently after an early morning accident that resulted in a hazardous materials spill and fire just east of the Sacramento County line. A Fed Ex tractor-trailer overturned, spilling diesel fuel, which ignited, engulfing the truck and starting a fire on the side of the highway, which was quickly extinguished by the El Dorado Hills Fire Department. The truck, however, was carrying approximately 600 gallons of individually packed insecticide, which has complicated cleanup efforts, necessitating a hazardous material response, including a private cleanup firm. Consider that special hazards exist when fire involves pesticides. These hazards include: the flammable or explosive potential of the chemicals and containers, the toxic properties of the smoke, fumes, vapors, dusts, and liquids, and the longterm affects of spilling or dispersing biologically active chemicals into the environment. Be aware that the active ingredients of most pesticides are not flammable, but the formulation solvents of liquid emulsifiable concentrates or oil solutions (xylene, kerosene, or other organic solvents) are, and present a substantial fire hazard. Ethyl Acetate Leak A container was found to be leaking ethyl acetate in the Mallinckrodt Baker Inc. facility in a Lopatcong Twp, NJ recently. The chemical makers staff contained the flammable gas leak, but the still necessitated nearby businesses to be evacuated and sporting events cancelled. Ethyl acetate (UN 1173) a colorless volatile flammable liquid, used in perfumes, flavorings, lacquers, pharmaceuticals, and rayon and as a general solvent. It is highly flammable in presence of open flames and sparks or heat, considered slightly flammable, to flammable in presence of oxidizing materials, of acids, of alkalis. For general operating procedures refer to the Emergency Response Guidebook, guide # 129.

4 Sulfuric Acid Spill Workers smelled a strong odor coming from a maintenance area and discovered a sulfuric acid spill, which resulted in an evacuation at the Sikorsky-Schweitzer Black Hawk plant in Big Flats, NY recently. A haz mat team responded neutralized the spill, ventilated the building and performed the cleanup. Sulfuric acid (UN 1830) is an odorless liquid, but has a choking odor when hot. It is considered highly corrosive, and will react with water to produce toxic and corrosive fumes. Its vapors are heavier than air and will collect and stay in low areas. For general operating procedures refer to the Emergency Response Guidebook guide # 137. Staten Island Gasoline Spill Approximately 7,000 gallons of gasoline was being offloaded and spilled in the Mariners Harbor section of Staten Island, NY. Fire Department foam units, Hazmat and Marine units, as well as the Coast Guard, responded to contain the spill. Gasoline (UN1203) vapors may be ignited rapidly when exposed to heat, spark, open flame or other source of ignition. When mixed with air and exposed to an ignition source, flammable vapors can burn in the open or explode in confined spaces. Being heavier than air, vapors may travel long distances to an ignition source and flash back. For general operating procedures refer to the Emergency Response Guidebook, guide # 128. Picric Acid The discovery of an old, dangerous chemical resulted in the evacuation of three Tennessee businesses recently. Employee discovered an old container of picric acid, which the water had evaporated and the acid had crystallized, becoming unstable. The Chattanooga bomb squad, hazardous materials team and fire fighters evacuated the building, sealed off the street, safely removed the container, and took the picric acid container to a nearby the firing range and detonated it. Picric Acid can be a useful laboratory reagent; however, dry picric acid is a shock-sensitive explosive capable of releasing energy on a level similar to dynamite. In a confined area such as a lab, the force of a picric acid explosion could be devastating; due to its unstable nature, dry picric acid is forbidden from being transported in the U.S. For general operating procedures refer to the Emergency Response Guidebook, guide # 113. Pipe Bombs Found In Car New Haven CT narcotics detectives received a call that a man was carrying explosive devices in his vehicle. Police said they began following the man from New Haven finally catching up with the vehicle in West Haven where he was taken into custody. The bomb squad was called in and safely detonated the two pipe bombs, police said. The response demands generated by some explosives incidents in the pre- and post- blast stages are not entirely new to emergency responders. Additionally, remember that upon the discovery of explosives devices at any operation the appropriate agencies shall be notified promptly, the explosive device shall not be disturbed, and shall be assumed to be dangerous and possibly "booby trapped".. These weapons are employed using a wide range of techniques, found on the Internet. These improvised explosive devices (IED) can be fabricated out of a wide range of objects, from mobile phones to doorbells, and materials from military explosives to commercial dynamite to improvised fertilizer mixtures. Moreover, they have the ability to fashion highly sophisticated chemical explosives from every-day items.

5 Where has Chávez taken Venezuela? Profile: Lashkar-e-Taiba (Army of the Pure) Country profile: Somalia Conspiracy in overseas jihad The IED and VBIED Threat Smart Card smartcard.pdf Emergency Response to Anhydrous Ammonia Hazards of Common Pesticides: A Quick Reference Guide NIOSH Pocket Guide: Ethyl acetate Sulfuric Acid When gasoline spills &mod=publishingtitles&mid=8f3a f18be895f87f791&tier=4&id=a815d7d0ec7a460286cd20d1a02 51AB2 PICRIC ACID HAZARDS