Response to Radiation Response to Radiation Emergencies and the Emergencies and the

Medical Reserve CorpsMedical Reserve Corps

WTF ???WTF ???

What’s To Follow?What’s To Follow?

Why worry about a radiation emergency?Why worry about a radiation emergency?

Why would MRC be involved?Why would MRC be involved?

CDC's concept of how to address mass CDC's concept of how to address mass screening.screening.

Programs some states have developed to Programs some states have developed to encourage MRC participation by radiation encourage MRC participation by radiation professionals.professionals.

Important!Important!

This entire presentation and links to the This entire presentation and links to the materials mentioned are all available at:materials mentioned are all available at:

http://mrcgem.com/radhttp://mrcgem.com/rad

NIMBY ???NIMBY ???

Not In My Back Yard?Not In My Back Yard?Nuclear plant nearby?Nuclear plant nearby?

Other facility with radioactive materials?Other facility with radioactive materials?

Interstate highway?Interstate highway?

Railroad?Railroad?

Airport?Airport?

Seaport?Seaport?

Stadium?Stadium?

Do you know???Do you know???

~ 1,500 fatalities~ 1,500 fatalities

> 1 million people evacuated> 1 million people evacuated– ~ 800,000 people displaced~ 800,000 people displaced– ~ 300,000 in evacuation centers~ 300,000 in evacuation centers

~ 100,000 people remained ~ 100,000 people remained

Civil unrestCivil unrest

Health hazardsHealth hazards

Infrastructure failureInfrastructure failure

Scenario ?Scenario ?

Public Health Functions AfterPublic Health Functions AfterAny DisasterAny Disaster

Rapid assessment of health and medical Rapid assessment of health and medical needsneedsSheltering and housing, mass care safetySheltering and housing, mass care safetyInjury and illness surveillanceInjury and illness surveillance

Potable water, safe Potable water, safe food, sanitation and food, sanitation and hygienehygieneVector controlVector control

Public Health Functions AfterPublic Health Functions AfterAny DisasterAny Disaster

Solid waste, waste water managementSolid waste, waste water managementHazardous material disposalHazardous material disposalRegistryRegistryHandling of the deceased Handling of the deceased

Rumor controlRumor controlPublic service Public service announcementsannouncements

Example: Planning for Public Example: Planning for Public Shelters after an IND Shelters after an IND

Public shelter locations:Public shelter locations:– 20 miles from Ground Zero20 miles from Ground Zero– 2000 miles from Ground Zero2000 miles from Ground Zero– Places in betweenPlaces in between

Radiation screening staff and equipment:Radiation screening staff and equipment:AdequateAdequateLess than adequate or none!Less than adequate or none!

Photo credit: Christian Science Monitor, Mario Villafuerte/PhotoLouisiana.com

Population MonitoringPopulation Monitoring

National Response FrameworkNational Response FrameworkNuclear/Radiological Incident Nuclear/Radiological Incident

AnnexAnnex

Decontamination/Population Decontamination/Population Monitoring are:Monitoring are:““the responsibility of State, the responsibility of State, local, and tribal local, and tribal governments.”governments.”

www.fema.gov/emergency/nrf/

Local ResponseLocal Response

Plan to receive a large population:Plan to receive a large population:

Potential for contaminationPotential for contaminationPotential for injuriesPotential for injuriesSome may need immediate medical careSome may need immediate medical careMost may need shelter/temporary housingMost may need shelter/temporary housingAll would be stressedAll would be stressed

Local ResponseLocal Response

People need to be screened and triaged, People need to be screened and triaged, preferably at locations other than area preferably at locations other than area hospitalshospitalsResponse and recovery from detection to Response and recovery from detection to site decontamination could extend for site decontamination could extend for weeks, months, or yearsweeks, months, or yearsBiomonitoring might be performed for yearsBiomonitoring might be performed for years

MRC GEM works with our local health MRC GEM works with our local health departments, serving Gwinnett, departments, serving Gwinnett, Newton, and Rockdale counties.Newton, and Rockdale counties.

We are a We are a non-profitnon-profit corporation corporation working closely with local health working closely with local health departments, emergency managers, departments, emergency managers, and homeland security.and homeland security.

Our Local MRC UnitOur Local MRC Unit

We serve a population of about 1 We serve a population of about 1 million.million.

About 300 health department employeesAbout 300 health department employees

About 275 MRC GEM volunteersAbout 275 MRC GEM volunteers

Daniel Barnett et al of the Johns Daniel Barnett et al of the Johns Hopkins Preparedness and EmergencyHopkins Preparedness and Emergency

Response Research Center recently Response Research Center recently published a study "Gauging U.S.published a study "Gauging U.S.

Emergency Medical Services workers' Emergency Medical Services workers' willingness to respond towillingness to respond to

pandemic influenza..."pandemic influenza..."

Conclusions:Conclusions:

If the workers:If the workers:

understand the risks they face and how to understand the risks they face and how to protect themselvesprotect themselves

understand the important, vital, critical role understand the important, vital, critical role they play in the responsethey play in the response

they are far more likely to participate in a they are far more likely to participate in a response effort.response effort.

In addition, when dealing with In addition, when dealing with volunteers, it is important to keep them volunteers, it is important to keep them engaged. Otherwise, they’re likely to engaged. Otherwise, they’re likely to find some other activity that provides find some other activity that provides

them with more positive feedback.them with more positive feedback.

Dr. Armin AnsariDr. Armin Ansari

Health Physicist with Health Physicist with CDC’s Radiation CDC’s Radiation Studies BranchStudies Branch

vCRC & PFA ToolsvCRC & PFA Tools

First Responder Technologies Bulletin had a First Responder Technologies Bulletin had a very nice article about the vCRC a few very nice article about the vCRC a few months ago.months ago.(http://www.firstresponder.gov/Pages/FRArticle.aspx?AID=50)(http://www.firstresponder.gov/Pages/FRArticle.aspx?AID=50)

Copies of both the vCRC software DVD and Copies of both the vCRC software DVD and the Psychological First Aid in Radiation the Psychological First Aid in Radiation Disasters CD are available for you on your Disasters CD are available for you on your way out.way out.

http://www.crcpd.org/Homeland_Security/RRVC_FinalReport.pdfhttp://www.crcpd.org/Homeland_Security/RRVC_FinalReport.pdf

CRCPD funded five state and one local CRCPD funded five state and one local radiation control agencies to:radiation control agencies to:

Pilot process for recruiting, managing and Pilot process for recruiting, managing and training volunteer radiation professionalstraining volunteer radiation professionals

Promote volunteer registry of rad pros within Promote volunteer registry of rad pros within existing registries and/or programsexisting registries and/or programs

Develop plan for effective deployment and Develop plan for effective deployment and utilization of the trained volunteers within utilization of the trained volunteers within existing state/local emergency plansexisting state/local emergency plans

Develop an action plan for continued and Develop an action plan for continued and expanded use of the programexpanded use of the program

While further development is ongoing, While further development is ongoing, materials exist that can form the core of an materials exist that can form the core of an effective local program:effective local program:

Outline of Florida program atOutline of Florida program athttp://www.myfloridaeh.com/radiation/Training.htmhttp://www.myfloridaeh.com/radiation/Training.htm

Outline and PowerPoints of Kansas Outline and PowerPoints of Kansas program atprogram at

http://www.kdheks.gov/radiation/rrvc.htmhttp://www.kdheks.gov/radiation/rrvc.htm

Ten additional awards are currently in Ten additional awards are currently in process.process.

ReferencesReferences

http://www.crcpd.org/RDD.htmhttp://www.crcpd.org/RDD.htmhttp://www.remm.nlm.gov/PlanningGuidanceNuclearDetonation.pdfhttp://www.remm.nlm.gov/PlanningGuidanceNuclearDetonation.pdf

Important Contact! Important Contact!

Know name and contact information for Know name and contact information for your state radiation control program your state radiation control program director. This person is vital in both director. This person is vital in both planning for and responding to a nuclear planning for and responding to a nuclear or radiological incident.or radiological incident.

http://www.crcpd.org/Map/map.htmlhttp://www.crcpd.org/Map/map.html

Questions?Questions?

Sherwin LevinsonSherwin Levinson

director@mrcgem.com