RECOGNIZING A CHEMICAL ATTACK:
There are some fairly obvious indications that a chemical attack may be taking place. You may notice a strange smell in the air. You may notice people suffering from some of the symptoms of an attack (coughing, choking, gasping for air, suffering from pain in the eyes, falling unconscious, convulsing, etc.). You may start to suffer from some of these symptoms yourself. It may seem to be getting dark. You may notice a cloud of gas, hear an explosion, spot a crop duster where it shouldn't be, or something else unusual. You will hear about the attack via radio, TV or warning sirens.
RECOGNIZING A BIOLOGICAL ATTACK:
Depending on the nature of the biological attack, there's every chance that you will not notice anything unusual.
If the attack is with anthrax (which doesn't transmit from person to person), then you may notice unusual activity like those described above.
However, if the attack involves spreading a contagious disease, then the terrorists will probably use a subtle approach (like putting it in a water supply or simply releasing it quietly among the general population). In this scenario, it will probably be days or weeks later - when more and more people start to suffer the initial symptoms of the attack - before you realize that it happened.
At this point it will be difficult to determine if you've been affected.
If you've any reason to suspect that you've been subject to a biological attack, follow the basic procedures described later in this book and seek immediate medical attention.
Call your doctor or local hospital before visiting. This will prevent you spreading the disease to others - especially important medical staff. Follow whatever advice they give you on how to proceed.
Note: If you know that an attack has happened in your region, be on the lookout for flu-like symptoms. If you suffer these symptoms, call your doctor or local hospital immediately.
HOW TO PREPARE FOR A CHEMICAL OR BIOLOGICAL ATTACK:
The worst-case scenario for a chemical or biological attack could be a situation where there is extensive spread of a contagious disease (that medical authorities aren't able to effectively treat) and where the continued spread of the disease is difficult to halt.
In this case, you may find yourself confined to a secure shelter (either at home or elsewhere), avoiding all outside human contact until the 'all clear' is given.
Depending on the nature of the situation, this could be a question of days, weeks or - in an extreme, but unlikely, case - even months.
To prepare yourself and your family for this type of situation, there are a number of steps you can take.
By taking these steps now, you can ensure that yourself and your family can survive an extended crisis - even in the event of scarce access to water, food, communications, electricity, medical help, and so on.
Think about the places where your family spends time: school, work and other places you frequent. Ask about their emergency plans. Find out how they will communicate with families during an emergency. If they do not have an emergency plan, consider helping develop one.
