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Perimeter security glossary - D
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D
Dam
A barrier built across a watercourse for the purpose of impounding, controlling, or diverting the flow of water (FEMA definition).
Damage Assessment
The process used to appraise or determine the number of injuries and deaths, damage to public and private property, and the status of key facilities and services such as hospitals and other health care facilities, fire and police stations, communications networks, water and sanitation systems, utilities, and transportation networks resulting from a man-made or natural disaster (FEMA definition). See Infrastructure.
Dangerous Weapon
An instrument dangerous to life. An instrument the use of which a fatal wound may probably or possibly be given.
Day Zone
A feature of an intrusion detection system that uninterruptedly monitors a highly sensitive area even when the system is disarmed.
Day/Night Switch
A means to turn a detection system on and off, usually with a key or keypad.
Dead Time Delay
The interval between a stimulus and a response.
Dead Zone
A zone that lies outside the sensing capability of sensors within a protected area. A dead zone may result from defective or improperly adjusted sensors or from interference, such as blocking objects or structures.
Deadly Force
A degree of force likely to cause death or serious bodily harm; any force involving a deadly weapon or a physical attack likely to inflict death or grievous bodily harm.
Deadly Weapon
An instrument designed to inflict serious bodily injury or death, or capable of being used for such a purpose. The key element in the definition of a deadly or dangerous weapon is the presence or absence of an instrument which, if used by the offender, would greatly increase the likelihood that serious injury or death would result.
Death
The cessation of life; the ceasing to exist; defined by physicians as a total stoppage of the circulation of the blood, and a cessation of the animal and vital functions consequent thereto, such as respiration and pulsation.
Declassification
A determination that classified information no longer requires protection against unauthorized disclosure, together with a removal or cancellation of the classification designation.
Declassification Event
An event that eliminates the need for continued classification of information.
Dedicated Vehicle
A patrol vehicle equipped with two-way radio communication that is used exclusively to provide quick responses to intrusions or alarms. See Command Post.
Defense Layer
Building design or exterior perimeter barriers intended to delay attempted forced entry.
Defensive Fighting Position (DFP)
An area prepared by soldiers to offer protection from incoming fire. Defensive fighting positions (DFPs) are more commonly referred to in U.S. military slang as foxholes. A foxhole generally refers to those that are large enough to accommodate a soldier's entire body and equipment. Foxholes can be as simple as a literal hole dug into the ground to elaborate structures that can house several troops along with machine guns such as the M-60, or mortars. See Hasty Fighting Position.
Defensive Measures
Protective measures which delay or prevent attack on an asset or which shield the asset from weapons, explosives, and CBR effects. Defensive measures include site work and building design.
Defilade
Protection for troops or vehicles from enemy observation and fire provided by natural or artificial obstacles. See A-1 Revetment, B-1 Revetment, Revetment, Sandbag.
Deflagration
The chemical reaction of a substance in which the reaction front advances into the unreacted substance at less than sonic velocity. Where a blast wave is produced that has the potential to cause damage, the term explosive deflagration may be used. See Blast Wave, Diffused Explosion, Shock Wave.
Delay Barrier
A critical element of the NRC and DOE facility security plans. A delay barrier, of any type, attempts to add time to the total time it takes a saboteur, terrorist, or other aggressor to be stopped or slowed down before and interdiction force can arrive. Common delay barriers include fences of any type, jersey barriers, walls, barbed wire or concertina wire.
Delay Equipment
Security equipment installed on or within a structure, and designed to delay unauthorized access to protected items within the structure.
Demilitarization
The process of eliminating or reducing military weapons, materials, other hardware and organizational structures.
Demolition Charge
A prepared explosive device used to breech defenses or to destroy buildings, bridges or other large objects.
Denial Equipment
Security equipment installed on or within a structure, and designed to deny unauthorized access to protected items within the structure by incorporating incremental penalties to discourage in unauthorized intruder from pursing his objective. As the severity of the unauthorized act(s) increases, penalties may ultimately reach incapacitating or possibly lethal stages.
Department of Defense Explosives Safety Board (DDESB)
The DDESB mission is to provide objective advice to the Secretary of Defense and Service Secretaries on matters concerning explosives safety and to prevent hazardous conditions to life and property on and off Department of Defense installations from the explosives and environmental effects of DoD titled munitions.
Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
A new cabinet level department charged with strengthening the security and protecting the assets of the United States of America and its territories. The primary mission of this agency, which consolidates a large number of other governmental entities under the leadership of one Director, includes (1) preventing terrorist attacks within the United States, (2) reducing America's vulnerability to terrorism, and (3) minimizing the damage and recovery from attacks that do occur. Additionally, DHS is responsible for homeland security coordination with other executive branch agencies, state and local governments and the private sector. See Office of Homeland Security.
Design Basis Threat (DBT)
The threat (aggressors, tactics, and associated weapons, tools, or explosives) against which assets within a building must be protected and upon which the security engineering design of the building is based. See Assets.
Detection Measures
Protective measures which detect intruders, weapons, or explosives; assist in assessing the validity of detection; control access to protected areas; and communicate the appropriate information to the response force. Detection measures include detection system, assessment system, and access control system elements.
Detection System Elements
Detection measures which detect the presence of intruders, weapons, or explosives. Detection system elements include intrusion detection systems, weapons and explosives detectors, and guards.
Detection Taggants
A marker or taggant placed into an explosive material that has utility before a bomb explodes. See Marker, Taggants.
Detection Taggants With Identification Capabilities
A marker or taggant placed into an explosive material that has both pre-blast and post-blast utility. See Marker, Taggants.
Detectors
A device used to identify a potential terrorist threat, e.g., metal detectors, explosive detectors, X-ray machines, etc.
Deterrence
The act, by use of a physical or operational security system, of delaying the occurrence of a threat. See Active Barriers, Barrier, A-1 Revetment, B-1 Revetment, Bollard, Passive Barriers.
Detonation
A release of energy caused by the extremely rapid chemical reaction of a substance in which the reaction front advances into the unreacted substance at equal to or greater than sonic velocity. An explosive reaction that consists of the propagation of a shock wave through the explosive accompanied by a chemical reaction that furnishes energy to sustain the shock propagation in a stable manner, with gaseous formation and pressure expansion following shortly thereafter. See Blast Wave, Detonation Wave, Shock Wave.
Detonation Pressure
The pressure created in the reaction zone of a detonating explosive. See Explosive, Explosive Device.
Detonation Velocity
The rate at which the detonation wave travels through a column of explosives. See Explosive.
Detonation Wave
A shock wave which passes through high explosives as a uniform front, from the point of ignition, breaking the chemical bindings at molecular level. (>3000m/s). See Blast Wave, Shock Wave.
Detonators
Blasting caps, electric blasting caps, delay electric blasting caps, and non-electric delay blasting caps. See Blasting Caps.
Diffused Explosion
An explosion characterized by a slow expansion over a relatively wide area into a combustion known as deflagration. Most explosives causing this type of explosion have a pushing rather than a shattering effect, and a twisting and tearing type of deformation results. See Deflagration.
Diffusion
A technique for uranium enrichment in which the lighter U235 isotopes in UF6 gas move through a porous barrier more rapidly than the heavier U238 isotopes.
Direction of initiation
The direction in which the shock wave travels through the explosive, may be parallel to the surface of the target or perpendicular to the target; determines the rate of energy transmitted to the target. See blast wave, shock wave.
Disassembly
Process of taking apart a nuclear warhead and removing the subassemblies, components, and individual parts.
Disaster
The ultimate emergency -- one that exceeds the available resources to deal with it, and which involves multiple jurisdictions, triage and casualty distribution, access restriction, ambiguity of authority and responsibility, and an inability to use routine response procedures and resources.
World Health Organization: an occurrence that causes damage, ecological disruption, loss of human life, deterioration of health and health services on a scale sufficient to warrant an extraordinary response from outside the affected community area.
Federal Emergency Management Agency: An occurrence of a natural catastrophe, technological accident, or human-caused event that has resulted in severe property damage, deaths, and/or multiple injuries. As used in this FEMA guide, a "large-scale disaster" is one that exceeds the response capability of the local jurisdiction and requires State, and potentially Federal, involvement.
As used in the Stafford Act, a "major disaster" is "any natural catastrophe ... or, regardless of cause, any fire, flood, or explosion, in any part of the United States, which in the determination of the President causes damage of sufficient severity and magnitude to warrant major disaster assistance under the Act to supplement the efforts and available resources or States, local governments, and disaster relief organizations in alleviating the damage, loss, hardship, or suffering caused thereby."
See Emergency, Agency, Manmade Disaster, Natural Disaster.
Disaster Drill
A simulation of a disaster to assess and improve the effectiveness of a health care organization's or system's disaster preparedness plan. See Disaster Preparedness Plan.
Disaster Preparedness Plan
A formal written plan of action for coordinating the response of a hospital's staff in the event of a disaster within the hospital or the community. See Disaster Drill.
Disaster Recovery
Is the activity that takes place during and after a catastrophic event to minimize business interruption and return the organization as quickly as possible to a state of normalcy that existed prior to the event. See Disaster Drill, Disaster Preparedness Plan.
Disaster Vulnerability
A measure of the ability of a community to absorb the effects of a severe disaster and to recover. Vulnerability varies with each disaster, depending on the disaster's impact on the affected population or group. See Disaster.
Disaster-Prone
The level of risk that is related to the hazard or the immediate cause of a disaster. Disaster-proneness is determined by analyzing the history of past events as well as new conditions that may increase the risk of a disaster taking place. See Disaster.
Dispatch Operations
The control of mobile patrol units, typically by the use of a radio system.
DMNB
2,3-Dimethyl - 2,3-dinitrobutane. One of four high-vapor pressure chemicals approved by the U.N. Council of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to be added to plastic explosives as a detection marker. See Plastic Explosives, C4, Marker, Taggants.
DoD 6055.9-STD
DoD Ammunition and Explosives Safety Standards that establishes a central source for explosive safety criteria, identifying hazards and promulgates safety precautions and rules when working with explosives. It is published by the Department of Defense Explosives Safety Board (DDESB). See Department of Defense Explosives Safety Board (DDESB).
DoD Building
Any building or portion of a building (permanent, temporary, or expeditionary) owned, leased, privatized, or otherwise occupied, managed, or controlled by or for DoD. DoD buildings are categorized within these standards as uninhabited, inhabited, primary gathering and billeting.
DoD Components
The Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD); the Military Departments (including their National Guard and Reserve Components); the Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff and Joint Staff; the Combatant Commands; the Office of the Inspector General of the Department of Defense; the Defense Agencies; the DoD Field Activities; and all other organizational entities within DoD.
DoD Directive 6055.9 Ammunition and Explosives Safety Standards
As a summary statement, DDESB 6055.9 outlines the "minimum explosives safety criteria for the design, maintenance, testing, and inspection of lightning protection systems." Lightning protection system design elements include: Air Terminals; Down conductors; Side flash protection; Surge protection for incoming conductors; and, Earth electrode system. Inspection, testing and training also are described. http://www.ddesb.pentagon.mil/DoD6055.9-STD%205%20Oct%202004.pdf
DoD Explosives Safety Board (DDESB)
DoD organization charged with promulgating explosives safety policy and standards, and with reporting on the effectiveness of the implementation of such policy and standards.
DoD Personnel
Any U.S. military, DoD civilian, or family member thereof, host-nation employees working for DoD, or contractors occupying DoD buildings. See DoD Building, DoD Components.
Domestic Terrorism
The unlawful use, or threatened use, of force or violence by a group or individual based and operating entirely within the United States or Puerto Rico without foreign direction committed against persons or property to intimidate or coerce a government, the civilian population, or any segment thereof in furtherance of political or social objectives.
DoS Building
Abuilding that falls under the authority of the Department of State.
DoS Personnel
Any personnel working for the Department of State including ambassadorial and embassy personnel.
Drop
The annunciation of an alarm by some type of mechanical or illuminated signal, such as a metal flag dropping into view behind a small window to indicate an alarm condition.
Drop Arm Barriers
Similar looking to a normal parking lot drop arm, with crash or cable beams rising to allow vehicles to enter, but stopping an unauthorized vehicle when in the lowered position.
Dry Firing
Safety-oriented firearms teaching technique in which learners practice the basics of shooting without using live ammunition. The technique helps learners develop psychomotor skills relating to sight alignment, breath control, trigger squeeze, and similar fundamentals before they are permitted to engage in live firing.
Dual Alarm System
A system that sounds a coded alarm signal for a fixed number of rounds at selected locations, and at the same time a constant and continuous alarm signal at all other locations until the system is restored to normal. The coded signal identifies the particular alarm-initiating device in operation. A dual alarm system facilitates evacuation of a building by announcing a fire alarm generally in all parts of the building and by simultaneously notifying response personnel so that evacuation and fire fighting can be started without delay at the fire-affected area.
Dual Rate Alarm Signal
An audible signal that begins with a slowly pulsed annunciation. When a pre-determined length of time has been reached or when a manually operated switch has been activated, the audible signal changes to a rapidly pulsed annunciation. The slow-pulse signal alerts emergency response personnel. The fast-pulse signal informs occupants to evacuate.
Dual Technology Motion Detector
A sensor that utilizes two technologies, such as microwave and infrared, in a logical combination to reduce false alarms. See Infrared, Microwave Sensor.
Ductile Materials
Materials that are malleable and will absorb impact loads without breaking.
Dud
An explosive device which has undergone a complete arming and firing cycle but has failed to explode. It should be noted that this is a very dangerous situation. See Explosive.
Duress Alarm
An alarm system is designed to inform security personnel of a potential threat to the user. Can be installed at a set location or have signaling capability to precisely locate the user.
Dust initiator charge
A dust initiator charge uses small quantities of explosives combined with large amounts of powdered materials to destroy thin-walled wooden buildings or rail cars. At detonation, the dust or cover is distributed in the air and ignited by an explosive incendiary charge.
Dynamite
An explosive compound usually produced in stick form. The explosive charge is surrounded by sawdust entirely wrapped in wax-coated paper. As some dynamite ages it exudes nitroglycerin beads or crystals and, in this condition, is highly dangerous to handle. See Explosion.
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