The acquisition, proliferation, threatened or actual use of weapons of mass destruction by a terrorist group or individuals constitutes one of the gravest threats to the United States.

Mass casualties and extensive property damage are the trademarks of weapons of mass destruction, making their detection, prevention and destruction an FBI priority. A weapon of mass destruction (WMD), though typically associated with nuclear/radiological, chemical or biological agents, may also take the form of explosives or other means, such as in the 9/11 attacks and the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. A weapon crosses the WMD threshold when the consequences of its release overwhelm local responders.

In 1995, President Clinton issued Presidential Decision Directive 39 (PDD-39), the "U.S. Policy on Counterterrorism." This directive identified the FBI as the lead federal agency to coordinate all aspects of a Federal response to a WMD incident. Subsequently, in 2003, Homeland Security Presidential Directive 5 amended PPD-39 and identified the FBI as the Lead Federal Agency (LFA) in the investigation of terrorist or WMD incident with consequence management coordinated and led by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

In the event of a WMD incident, the protection of life remains paramount. Extensive coordination must take place between local, state, and federal law enforcement authorities - which view the incident as a crime scene - and fire, emergency medical service (EMS) and local government responders, which view it as a hazardous materials or disaster site. Critical issues facing first responders include a high risk of becoming casualties themselves, contamination of critical facilities and large geographic areas, a panicked reaction from the public, and time.

Since 1997, the FBI identified the need to coordinate with local fire, EMS and local government agencies in response to WMD and/or terrorist incidents. The Norfolk FBI, through the position of its WMD coordinator and Hazardous Materials Response Team (HMRT) has strengthened the relationships among the Hampton Roads emergency response systems. The Norfolk FBI has been involved in numerous field exercises and training opportunities with city and state services to include, law enforcement, fire/hazmat departments, EMS, hospitals, bomb squads, city emergency managers, public health organizations, emergency response planners and their respective Virginia State entities. Norfolk has strived to integrate the federal response into the local Incident Command System (ICS) being used by the area's first responder community. The Virginia Department of Emergency Management, Hampton Roads Metropolitan Medical Response System and the Hampton Roads Emergency Management Committee Web sites have more information about what Hampton Roads communities are doing to prepare and train first responders and include preparation guidance for citizens as well.

As the lead investigative agency, the FBI derives its legal jurisdiction to deter, prevent and/or investigate a terrorist or WMD incident from an assortment of federal statutes and executive branch directives. Any alleged or suspected criminal violations of the Weapons of Mass Destruction Statute and the Biological Weapons Anti-Terrorism Act will be investigated. The WMD Statute includes the threat or use of a WMD weapon, and defines the WMD weapon as any destructive device (i.e. explosive or incendiary), chemical or biological agent, or the release of radioactive material. The Biological Weapons Anti-Terrorism Act Statute specifically provides for the prosecution of individuals who use hoax devices. The Norfolk Division of the FBI is committed to aggressively pursuing prosecution of anyone who threatens a terrorist act, whether or not it is determined a hoax. The Norfolk FBI WMD Coordinator works in conjunction with the FBI's Tidewater Joint Terrorism Task Force (TJTTF). The TJTTF consists of over thirty investigators from over twenty one federal, state and local law enforcement entities in the Hampton Roads area.

Norfolk FBI is currently one of twenty two FBI offices in the United States to have a Hazardous Materials Response Team (HMRT). The purpose of the HMRT is to collect evidence at a contaminated crime scene. The Norfolk HMRT has operated in investigations and special events with the most significant events to include the attacks on 9/11, the anthrax investigation in Boca Raton, Florida, the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City Utah and the ricin poison events in 2003.