Police and first responders are taking part in an extensive drill this week, guarding against a potential dirty bomb attack in /*New York City*/.
While there is no known threat, police want to be at the ready. "This is an actual exercise...radiological material is actually used," said Police /*Commissioner Ray Kelly*/.
Officers from each of the city's 76 precincts rallied after 8am at the UN. They were told there's a missing white box van out of /*Connecticut*/, possibly with stolen radiological material.
Each officer is carrying a radiation detection device. They are briefed by counterter-riorism, then head out to set up checkpoints at five bridges in the /*Bronx*/.
Those bridges are the /*Macombs Dam*/, /*Madison Avenue*/, /*225th Street*/, /*145th Street*/ and the /*Third Avenue bridge*/.
Each passing car that drives by the patrol car formation, is checked for /*radiation*/. Commissioner Kelly says his officers are treating this like the real deal.
It will take millions of dollars, thousands of radiation-detection devices and some 150 law enforcement and other first-responder agencies. But when it's all said and done, the NYPD wants to be even more ready for one of the city's biggest nightmares - a so-called dirty nuclear bomb coming in by land or by sea.
This week's drills will be preparing for both, starting at the /*United Nations*/ and then expanding into the /*Bronx*/, /*Long Island*/ and parts of /*Connecticut*/ and /*New Jersey*/.
"This exercise is managed by a consultant," Kelly said. "The overtime, and it will involve overtime, is paid by a federal grant. So we're looking forward to seeing the results."
An increased police presence will be seen in the Bronx. The exercise runs through Saturday.
