Twenty-five federal, state, and local law enforcement officers, hazardous materials personnel, and hazardous device professionals trained for three days in Raleigh, North Carolina, on the campus of North Carolina State University. The agencies prepared for crisis response to critical incidents with nuclear and radiological material. At left, FBI SWAT team members are shown participating in the exercise. At right, FBI personnel are shown working in full-body hazmat gear during the exercise as other participants look on. 

“Curieus Disintegration” trains federal, state, and local law enforcement, hazardous materials personnel, and hazardous device professionals to prepare for crisis response to critical incidents with nuclear and radiological material.

More than 500 people, representing 20 state and local agencies, and four federal agencies attended. Each day began with classroom instruction on radiological materials, detection capabilities, and appropriate response tactics. Participants then engaged in three practical exercises which simulated hostage-rescue and tactical operations by SWAT teams and first responders, hazardous material mitigation by emergency-management leaders and fire departments, and hazardous-device response for bomb technicians and explosive-detection K-9 units.

The FBI Hazardous Evidence Response Team (HERT) and Hazardous Evidence Response Component (HERC) joined the exercise on March 15. The teams are trained to safely assess and collect traditional and chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear evidence.

A portion of the N.C. State University campus was blocked off with monitors at each stopping point to safely conduct the exercise. Although, the training was planned for spring break, when fewer people would be present, a robust notification campaign was launched to ensure anyone nearby would know about the exercise and not be alarmed there was an actual emergency.