News

FBI, Air Force join forces on hazardous evidence handling

  • Published
  • By Don Branum
  • Academy Spirit staff writer
U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. --  An FBI hazardous evidence response team met with first responders from the Air Force Academy and Peterson Air Force Base Jan. 16 to discuss methods of hazardous evidence collection and custody.

The FBI works alongside Air Force Academy responders during graduation and other special events and can also augment local responders in any event involving hazardous materials, from a chemical spill to a terrorist attack.

However, because Air Force responders are typically the first to the scene of an on-base incident, they are in a position to ensure evidence is collected and transferred to FBI labs with no external or cross-contamination, said Melissa Tallman, an analyst on the FBI's Denver Joint Terrorism Task Force.

"If collecting is done improperly, or if the transfer of evidence is done improperly, it can compromise a criminal case," Tallman said.

That doesn't mean FBI teams will take over any investigation they're called into, said Za Smith-Berthe, the hazardous evidence response team leader. The FBI only takes the lead on an investigation when evidence shows an incident was terrorism-related.

"We're not there to take over," Tallman said. "We don't want to take over. We want the case to go the way you need it to go in court."

For that reason, FBI response teams look at not just hazardous evidence but also traditional forensic evidence, such as fingerprints or DNA samples, Smith-Berthe said.
"We're looking to prove a crime was committed ... not just the chemicals they were using, but who was there," she said. "What were they doing?"

Much of the FBI's sampling work takes place before they enter a contaminated area, Tallman explained. Agents will talk with scientists at the FBI labs to determine what evidence they need to collect, then prepare equipment and label the containers they'll use to preserve the evidence.

"Before we go downrange, we have an exact plan," Smith-Berthe said. "We've already done everything we can in the cold zone."

While DOD methods are similar to the FBI's, added familiarity can help Airmen make sure evidence stays clean and gets transferred efficiently, said Maj. Dave Oertli, the Academy's chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear defense officer.

"We enjoy a great relationship with the FBI," Oertli said. "There are some neat things we can do in the hot zone: we can tell the wing commander if a white powder is cake mix or weaponized anthrax, usually in less than 15 minutes. There's some biological agent analysis we can do on the spot, and we can do chemical analysis on the spot.

"But we really want that clean handoff of evidence," Oertli added. "If our screening tools indicate a problem, we pull in the investigatory teams. The FBI labs have the capacity to confirm what our initial screenings have indicated, and that's of huge value to the Air Force."

Working together also means teams can respond more quickly in the event of a terrorist attack, Smith-Berthe said.

"How many terrorist events have we had? Not many," she said. "But when there is a case like (attempted New York subway bomber) Najibullah Zazi, everyone knows just what to do."