Online Education > Other Enduring Education > Chemical Agents of Opportunity Webinars

Chemical Agents of Opportunity for Terrorism: Toxic Industrial Chemicals (TICs) & Toxic Industrial Materials (TIMs)

In recent years, there has been growing concern that many of the most likely threats of chemical terrorism involve so-called “agents of opportunity.” Both common and unusual industrial agents may pose a considerable threat as potential terrorist weapons. While an understanding of the traditional military chemical weapons (e.g. nerve agents) remains essential, an appreciation of the myriad of other potential toxic chemicals readily available in our society is crucial if we are to optimally prepare, identify and defend against chemical threats. Many toxic industrial chemicals are easily obtainable from multiple sources in our communities and pose a serious threat to health if accidentally released or intentionally disseminated.

Course Description

The American College of Medical Toxicology (ACMT) created a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)-approved awareness-level training course addressing the medical and psychological impact of industrial chemicals used as terrorist weapons. With sponsorship by the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Office of Health Affairs (OHA) Chemical Defense Program, ACMT is pleased to present this expanded course in a webinar format to the response communities participating in the OHA Demonstration Projects.

This course will utilize a symptom-based clinical approach to describe the medical impact of various chemical poisons. It will provide a framework to enhance recognition of the common health effects of apparently disparate chemical toxins, describe the risk to various healthcare workers, and introduce clinical and public health management strategies. The traditional military warfare chemical agents will not be covered in these lectures because information on these agents is readily accessible through a number of other forums.

Target Audience

The information presented will be of interest to state and local first responders, EMTs, paramedics, emergency physicians, emergency response coordinators, public health officials, industrial hygienists and others involved with chemical terrorism preparedness and response. Our topic selection for each course is intended to prepare the response community for their upcoming OHA Demonstration Project Tabletop exercise.

Course Objectives

By attending this course, the participant will be able to:

Understand the concept of chemical agents of opportunity, TICs and TIMs, and appreciate the basis for increased public health preparedness.
Identify chemical agents of opportunity that could be used by terrorists.
Discuss the past use of these chemicals in mass exposure situations.
Describe the major health effects of TICs, TIMs and other important non-volatile chemical agents that could be used by terrorists.
Identify the primary modalities available to assess and treat victims of such chemical exposures.
Understand the psychological impact of mass chemical exposures.

Previous Webinars

Module 1: Making Sense of Toxicology -- May 2015

This module provides a framework to understand and apply with confidence important toxicology principles (exposure pathway, dose-response, toxidromes, association vs. causation). CHEMM-IST (http://chemm.nlm.nih.gov/chemmist.htm), a tool to assist the medical care provider and emergency planner in identifying the chemical class responsible for a given clinical presentation is introduced.