NCJ Number
205324
Journal
Law and Order Volume: 52 Issue: 3 Dated: March 2004 Pages: 96-97
Date Published
March 2004
Length
2 pages
Annotation
This article describes CoBRA, an antiterrorism software package developed for the Department of Homeland Security’s Office for Domestic Preparedness (ODP).
Abstract
Although it may seem strange to refer to a software package as a weapon, CoBRA may be one of the most important tools that a first responder has when faced with a hazmat situation. Developed by Defense Group Inc. (DGI), CoBRA can be loaded on a laptop computer to offer first responders a detailed electronic library of chemical, biological, radioactive, and explosives threat information. The Windows-compatible version offers “government best practices” for handling these types of threats in the field and a series of interactive checklists to guide first responders during on-scene threat assessments. CoBRA was recently used at the ODP’s “New Jersey Gateway Response Exercise,” in which more than 600 police, fire, and EMS personnel responded to a simulated scenario in which unknown hazardous materials had been dropped and opened, followed by a simulated explosion of unknown hazardous materials. CoBRA was distributed to first responders and their commanders for use during the training scenario. While the results of the training scenario are still being evaluated, it is known that much of the data necessary to evaluate the training scenario would have been lost without CoBRA. The data sources used to compile the information contained in CoBRA are presented, followed by a description of CoBRA’s capabilities, which include a searchable bomb database and information about how explosive blasts affect buildings. Finally, three challenges facing CoBRA are described and include the issue of its ruggedness, its robustness, and its intensity in terms of officer attention.