Which directive grants federal government authority to intervene in a suspected or confirmed WMD incident?

• A. Presidential Decision Directive 39
• B. First Responder Priorities
• C. Explosive Materials Storage
• D. FBI

Answer: (A)

The key idea is that a presidential directive creates the official policy and authority for how the federal government responds to weapons of mass destruction incidents, including who leads and how resources are brought in. Presidential Decision Directive 39 was issued to establish and coordinate federal intervention in suspected or confirmed WMD events, outlining roles for federal agencies and enabling rapid, interagency action when such threats arise. It clarifies that the federal government will take the lead in organizing and directing the response, including investigations and coordination among agencies like the FBI and others. The other options don’t fit because they’re not directives that grant nationwide response authority: one is a generic priority concept for first responders, one refers to storage of explosive materials, and the last is a federal agency, not a policy instrument.