Mission Statement:

It is the primary mission of the State of Illinois, State Weapons of Mass Destruction Teams (SWMD) to respond to a Weapons of Mass Destruction incident, anywhere in the State of Illinois, within 60 to 90 minutes of notification and to provide all avenues of assistance from the State of Illinois to the local Incident Command and the appropriate federal agencies responsible for the investigation and mitigation of such an incident.

The team composition consists of State of Illinois employees from the Illinois State Police, Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, Illinois Emergency Management Agency, Illinois Department of Public Health, Illinois Secretary of State, and Office of the State Fire Marshal.

Specific functions of SWMD at an incident:

• scene stabilization
• establish an inner perimeter
• neutralization of any human threat (tactically or negotiated resolution)
• initial detection of hazardous materials, chemical agents, and/or biological agents
• render aid to victims
• initial victim identification
• decontamination of victims, emergency responders, and all items moving from the "hot zone" to the "cold zone"
• crime scene preservation
• communication with Incident Command and the State Emergency Operations Center
• advanced preparation for arrival of Illinois National Guard Civil Support Team
• act as liaison with the Federal Bureau of Investigation