In October 2001, the greater New York City Metropolitan Area was the scene of a bioterrorism attack. Thescale of the public response to this attack was not foreseen and threatened to overwhelm the BioterrorismResponse Laboratory's (BTRL) ability to process and test environmental samples. In a joint effort with theCenters for Disease Control and Prevention and the cooperation of the Department of Defense, a massiveeffort was launched to maintain and sustain the laboratory response and return test results in a timelyfashion. This effort was largely successful. The development and expansion of the facility are described,as are the special needs of a BTRL. The establishment of a Laboratory Bioterrorism Command Center andprotocols for sample intake, processing, reporting, security, testing, staffing, and quality control are alsodescribed
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