Editor's note: AC361° is a behind-the-scenes look at CNN's Anderson Cooper 360°. On AC360.com, click on the AC361° tab to learn more about Anderson Cooper, his staff, and the production of AC360°.

New York (CNN) - If there were a chemical or biological attack in New York City, Anderson Cooper would be prepared.

"I have a full-on Tyvek suit," said Cooper as he reached for the gas mask sitting on his windowsill. "There’s only a handful of us in the building who have this suit so I'm not sure who would shoot for me, or why they would think I would stay alive," he joked incredulously. "I also think frankly everyone who doesn't have this suit will try to break into my office and kill me and take the suit."

The gas mask and suit aren't the only field gear Cooper keeps in his office. Next to his gas mask is his Kevlar helmet – battered and dusty from his travels in Afghanistan and Iraq.

But what stands out in his office isn't the war gear. Instead, it's the little trinkets and mementos that tell the stories behind the stories, the reminders of his reportage.
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