The problem was that the Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Department (MDFR) had not determined if their response plans to a major terrorist incident in Miami-Dade County needed to be revised in order for the department to function more effectively in a Unified Command structure. The purpose of this research was to examine MDFR's Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) response procedures and identify what steps could be taken to improve the department's ability to carry out their mission in a multi-agency scenario. The historical research method was used to identify (a) the fire department's role in a WMD incident, (b) other agencies that will respond to a local WMD incident and their roles and responsibilities, and (c) interagency coordination and Unified Command lessons learned from past WMD responses. Terrorist incidents require a multidisciplinary response.In addition to the fire service, many agencies that do not customarily respond to emergencies are called to respond. The initial step in this research project was to identify a problem statement. This was followed by the design of research questions to best address the problem. The research questions developed from the identification of MDFR's local responsibilities compared to other fire-rescue departments, to an examination of outside agencies that will respond to a local WMD event, and finally, to the exploration of lessons learned from previous responses. A review of professional journals, books, and after action reports of recent terrorist incidents and past disasters was conducted and supplemented by Internet searches.The results of this study showed that fire departments are responsible for establishing an incident management structure that will enable outside agencies to become part of the decision-making process. Many agencies will respond to major WMD incidents. A Unified Command structure is nationally recognized and has proven effective in past multi-agency responses. It is recommended that MDFR work toward accepting and implementing the ICS and Unified Command in Miami-Dade County and throughout the State of Florida. This can be achieved by MDFR improving working relationships with representatives from agencies that will respond to a WMD incident locally and by encouraging on-going review and revision of response plans, participation in working groups, and joint exercising to improve on-scene interagency coordination.