NCJ Number
210699
Date Published
2005
Length
6 pages
Annotation
This article outlines how police and other first responders should react to incidents of suicide bombings; it is the second of a two-part series on suicide bombers.
Abstract
The first article in the series presented profiles of suicide bombers in order to offer more knowledge about how to deal with suicide bombers and prevent attacks. The current article focuses on how police and other first responders should react to suicide bomber incidents. The responses to suicide bombings are presented in bulleted format and include immediate notifications of the appropriate authorities and containment of the bomber. Responders are cautioned to maintain a standoff distance and to remember the circumstances in which lethal force is justified. When lethal force is justified or authorized, responders are advised to aim for the head. Response requirements also prescribe force protection operations to keep responders safe from secondary and even tertiary bombing attempts. Other considerations for first responders include intelligence preparation operations, disruptive targeting mitigation, and establishing a triage area and crime scene investigation parameters. Readers are directed to additional resources and readings and a potential suicide bombing sample checklist is provided.