Community preparedness for radiation emergencies: How can the MRCs help? Medical Reserve Corp

Issue In the event of a radiation emergency that impacts a large population, we face serious challenges in meeting the radiological health needs of every affected community. In the event of a radiation emergency that impacts a large population, we face serious challenges in meeting the radiological health needs of every affected community.

Public Health Issues After Any Disaster Assessment of Health and Medical Care Delivery Rapid Assessment of Community Health/Medical Needs Delivery of Health and Medical Care Pharmaceutical Supply Potable Water, Safe Food, and Sanitation and Hygiene Injury and illness Surveillance Vector Control Assessment of Health and Medical Care Delivery Rapid Assessment of Community Health/Medical Needs Delivery of Health and Medical Care Pharmaceutical Supply Potable Water, Safe Food, and Sanitation and Hygiene Injury and illness Surveillance Vector Control Solid Waste Hazardous Materials Registry Mental Health Sheltering and Housing Mass Congregation Handling of the Deceased (humans and animals) Staffing Rumor Control Public Service Announcements/Media

In a radiation emergency: Public PhysicsHealth Your state radiation control program is a key partner!

Need for Radiation Professionals in a large scale radiation emergency Monitoring environment and workplace Monitoring people Supporting operations at: –Hospitals –Public and special needs shelters –Emergency operations centers –Community reception centers –Etc. Communications Monitoring environment and workplace Monitoring people Supporting operations at: –Hospitals –Public and special needs shelters –Emergency operations centers –Community reception centers –Etc. Communications

Where Does Radiation Expertise Come From? State? Federal? Mutual Aid? Your local community State? Federal? Mutual Aid? Your local community

“Planners should identify radiation protection professionals in their community and encourage them to volunteer and register in any one of the Citizen Corps or similar programs in their community.” “Planners should identify radiation protection professionals in their community and encourage them to volunteer and register in any one of the Citizen Corps or similar programs in their community.”

State boundary MRC Jurisdiction Radiation Volunteers General/Public Health/Medical Volunteers State Volunteer Registry Radiation Control MRC 2 MRC 3 MRC 1 MRC 4

Community Preparedness for Radiation Emergencies: How Can the Medical Reserve Corps Help? Elizabeth Fitch, MPA National Technical Assistance Coordinator Office of the Civilian Volunteer Medical Reserve Corps

Mission: Engage volunteers to strengthen public health, emergency response and community resiliency Key Points: –Organize/utilize locally –Affiliate/integrate with existing programs and resources –Volunteer management - identify, screen/verify credentials, train

MRC Emergency Preparedness and Response Activities

Additional Activities Disaster Behavioral Health First Aid/Comfort Stations First Responder Rehabilitation Mass Fatality Radiation Response Many others, based on local needs and resources

Volunteer Types

Public Health Sedgwick County (KS) MRC Health Screening and Education Upper Merrimack Valley (MA) MRC Blood pressure screening Emergency Preparedness and Response Omaha (NE) MRC Evacuee Shelter Bergen County (NJ) MRC Dispensing Clinic MRC Activities

Why Incorporate MRC? Identified, Organized Credentialed, Often Incorporated into State ESAR-VHP Databases Trained Partnering with others, such as CERT Familiar with large-scale activities

MRC’s and Radiation Response Florida’s RRVC MRC GEM (GA) Albany County MRC and Rensselaer County MRC (NY) – Empire ’09 Exercise Central Texas MRC Onslow County MRC (NC) Southern Nevada MRC (NV) – NLE 2010

Making the Connection Educating MRC Units about Radiation Response and Population Monitoring Educating professionals about the MRC Providing specific training to MRC volunteers

MRC Program Office –(301) MRC website – MRC Regional Coordinators MRC State Coordinators Contact existing MRC units For Additional Information

Contact Information Elizabeth H. Fitch, MPA National Technical Assistance Coordinator (301)

Community Preparedness for Radiation Emergencies: How Can the Medical Reserve Corps Help? Connect State Radiation Control Resources with Radiation Volunteers Ruth E. McBurney Executive Director Conference of Radiation Control Program Directors, Inc.

Responsibilities of State and Local Radiation Control Programs  License, register and inspect sources of ionizing radiation Radioactive material Radioactive material X-ray machines and accelerators X-ray machines and accelerators  Register and inspect sources of nonionizing radiation Lasers Lasers Ultraviolet (e.g., tanning salons) Ultraviolet (e.g., tanning salons)

Responsibilities of State and Local Radiation Control Programs  Emergency planning and response Offsite accident assessment, monitoring, and recommendations for actions for nuclear power plant exercises and emergencies Offsite accident assessment, monitoring, and recommendations for actions for nuclear power plant exercises and emergencies Accident assessment, monitoring and protective action recommendations for other radiological incidents and accidents Accident assessment, monitoring and protective action recommendations for other radiological incidents and accidents  Environmental monitoring around nuclear facilities

TOPOFF 4 The initial blast from the detonation of the radiation device in Portland, OR October 2007

Potential Victims of an RDD TOPOFF 2007

Where Can a Radiological Event Occur?  May not occur in a city with state resources States without nuclear power plants have less expertise in emergency planning and response States without nuclear power plants have less expertise in emergency planning and response Most state radiation control programs are located in capital cities, although some have regional staff as well Most state radiation control programs are located in capital cities, although some have regional staff as well  Host cities for displaced citizens with contamination will also be impacted  YOYO (You’re On Your Own) for several hours until other state and federal resources can arrive  State radiation control programs will quickly run out of resources for mass population monitoring

Involvement of Trained Volunteers  Registration through Medical Reserve Corps  Establishment of roles and responsibilities  Use of volunteers already trained in radiation safety and contamination monitoring, such as: Health physicists Health physicists Medical physicists Medical physicists Nuclear medicine technologists Nuclear medicine technologists

“Population Monitoring” Reception Center

Specialized Training through Workshops and Web Resources  National Response Framework, Nuclear/Radiological Incident Annex  Population monitoring of large groups of people Walk-through monitors Walk-through monitors Hot-line techniques Hot-line techniques  Effective communication to the public on monitoring results and remedial actions

Summary  Radiation control programs will need the assistance of trained volunteers in a mass radiological or nuclear emergency.  Trained radiation workers in hospitals, education and industry can be used with a small amount of additional training as volunteer emergency personnel, specifically for population monitoring.  Although some states have implemented the radiation response volunteer program, more states will need to do so in the near future.

Contact Information Ruth E. McBurney, CHP Executive Director Conference of Radiation Control Program Directors, Inc. (502)