AUGUST VERNON is the operations officer for the Forsyth County Office of Emergency Management in Winston-Salem, NC. He served in the U.S. Army as a chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) operations specialist. He is a writer and member of the International Fire Service Training Association (IFSTA) WMD/Terrorism Committee. Vernon is the author of the new First Responders Critical Incident Guide published by Red Hat Publishing.