United States Government Publishing Office publisher pbl distributor dst United States Government Accountability Office author aut Government Organization text government publication eng GAOREPORTS Legislative Agency Publications gao legislative 2010-08-12 U.S. Government Printing Office 2008-06-27 monographic deposited born digital 79 p. GA 1.13:GAO-08-180 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GAO-08-180 P0b002ee1803861e5 f:d08180 DGPO 2010-08-12 2011-03-23 GAOREPORTS-GAO-08-180 machine generated eng fdlp REPORT GAOREPORTS-GAO-08-180 GAO-08-180 Agency missions Biological research Biological warfare Chemical agents Chemical warfare Data collection Data integrity Emergency preparedness Federal/state relations First responders Hazardous materials emergency response Hazardous substances Health hazards Homeland security Laboratories Operational testing Performance management Policy evaluation Program management Protective equipment Public health Radiation exposure hazards Research and development Risk assessment Risk management Security threats Standards Strategic planning Terrorism Terrorists Test equipment Policies and procedures Program implementation DHS BioWatch program Interagency Modeling and Atmospheric Center (IMACC) Other Written Product A82590 First responders are responsible for responding to terrorist-related and accidental releases of CBRN materials in urban areas. Two primary tools for identifying agents released and their dispersion and effect are equipment to detect and identify CBRN agents in the environment and plume models to track the dispersion of airborne releases of these agents. GAO reports on the limitations of the CBRN detection equipment, its performance standards and capabilities testing, plume models available for tracking urban dispersion of CBRN materials, and information for determining how exposure to CBRN materials affects urban populations. To assess the limitations of CBRN detection equipment and urban plume modeling for first responders' use, GAO met with and obtained data from agency officials and first responders in three states. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GAO-08-180/html/GAOREPORTS-GAO-08-180.htm https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GAO-08-180/pdf/GAOREPORTS-GAO-08-180.pdf GAO-08-180 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GAO-08-180 Other Written Product GAO-08-180; Homeland Security: First Responders' Ability to Detect and Model Hazardous Releases in Urban Areas Is Significantly Limited; Agency missions Biological research Biological warfare Chemical agents Chemical warfare Data collection Data integrity Emergency preparedness Federal/state relations First responders Hazardous materials emergency response Hazardous substances Health hazards Homeland security Laboratories Operational testing Performance management Policy evaluation Program management Protective equipment Public health Radiation exposure hazards Research and development Risk assessment Risk management Security threats Standards Strategic planning Terrorism Terrorists Test equipment Policies and procedures Program implementation DHS BioWatch program Interagency Modeling and Atmospheric Center (IMACC)