Community preparedness for radiation emergencies: How can

the MRCs help?

Community preparedness for radiation emergencies: How can

the MRCs help?

Medical Reserve CorpMedical Reserve Corp

IssueIssue

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 DisasterPublic 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

• 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:In a radiation emergency:

Public PhysicsHealth

Your state radiation control program is a key partner!

Your state radiation control program is a key partner!

Need for Radiation Professionalsin a large scale radiation emergencyNeed for Radiation Professionalsin 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?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

RadiationControl

MRC 2

MRC 3MRC 1

MRC 4

Community Preparedness for Radiation Emergencies: How Can the

Medical Reserve Corps Help?

Elizabeth Fitch, MPANational 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

48%

68%71%

63%

43%

51%

13%

87%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

Alternate CareFacilities

Shelter Operations SNS/POD Pandemic FluPlanning

CommunityPreparedness

Hospital Surge Mass CasualtyIncidents

Other

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

13397

1289 24954193

1876 1552

8441 8429

487

66165

16755

48013

0

10000

20000

30000

40000

50000

60000

70000

Physic

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Physic

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Nurse

Pra

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Nurse

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Pharm

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/Med

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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– MRCcontact@hhs.gov – (301) 443-4951

• MRC website– www.medicalreservecorps.gov

• MRC Regional Coordinators

• MRC State Coordinators

• Contact existing MRC units

For Additional Information

Contact Information

Elizabeth H. Fitch, MPANational Technical Assistance Coordinator

(301) 443-0920

elizabeth.fitch@hhs.gov www.medicalreservecorps.gov

Community Preparedness for Community Preparedness for Radiation Emergencies: How Radiation Emergencies: How

Can the Medical Reserve Corps Can the Medical Reserve Corps Help?Help?

Connect State Radiation Control Connect State Radiation Control Resources with Radiation VolunteersResources with Radiation Volunteers

Ruth E. McBurneyRuth E. McBurneyExecutive DirectorExecutive Director

Conference of Radiation Control Program Conference of Radiation Control Program Directors, Inc.Directors, Inc.

Responsibilities of State and Local Responsibilities of State and Local Radiation Control ProgramsRadiation Control Programs

License, register and inspect sources of License, register and inspect sources of ionizing radiationionizing radiation Radioactive materialRadioactive material X-ray machines and acceleratorsX-ray machines and accelerators

Register and inspect sources of Register and inspect sources of nonionizing radiationnonionizing radiation LasersLasers Ultraviolet (e.g., tanning salons)Ultraviolet (e.g., tanning salons)

Responsibilities of State and Local Responsibilities of State and Local Radiation Control ProgramsRadiation Control Programs

Emergency planning and responseEmergency planning and response Offsite accident assessment, monitoring, and Offsite accident assessment, monitoring, and

recommendations for actions for nuclear recommendations for actions for nuclear power plant exercises and emergenciespower plant exercises and emergencies

Accident assessment, monitoring and Accident assessment, monitoring and protective action recommendations for other protective action recommendations for other radiological incidents and accidentsradiological incidents and accidents

Environmental monitoring around nuclear Environmental monitoring around nuclear facilitiesfacilities

TOPOFF 4TOPOFF 4The initial blast from the detonation of the radiation device The initial blast from the detonation of the radiation device

in Portlandin Portland, , OROR October 2007October 2007

Potential Victims of an Potential Victims of an RDDRDD

TOPOFF 2007

Where Can a Radiological Event Where Can a Radiological Event Occur?Occur?

May not occur in a city with state resourcesMay not occur in a city with state resources States without nuclear power plants have less States without nuclear power plants have less

expertise in emergency planning and responseexpertise in emergency planning and response Most state radiation control programs are located in Most state radiation control programs are located in

capital cities, although some have regional staff as capital cities, although some have regional staff as wellwell

Host cities for displaced citizens with Host cities for displaced citizens with contamination will also be impactedcontamination will also be impacted

YOYO (You’re On Your Own) for several hours YOYO (You’re On Your Own) for several hours until other state and federal resources can arriveuntil other state and federal resources can arrive

State radiation control programs will quickly run State radiation control programs will quickly run out of resources for mass population monitoringout of resources for mass population monitoring

Involvement of Trained VolunteersInvolvement of Trained Volunteers

Registration through Medical Reserve Registration through Medical Reserve CorpsCorps

Establishment of roles and responsibilitiesEstablishment of roles and responsibilities Use of volunteers already trained in Use of volunteers already trained in

radiation safety and contamination radiation safety and contamination monitoring, such as:monitoring, such as: Health physicistsHealth physicists Medical physicistsMedical physicists Nuclear medicine technologistsNuclear medicine technologists

““Population Monitoring” Population Monitoring” Reception CenterReception Center

Specialized Training through Specialized Training through Workshops and Web ResourcesWorkshops and Web Resources

National Response Framework, National Response Framework, Nuclear/Radiological Incident AnnexNuclear/Radiological Incident Annex

Population monitoring of large groups of Population monitoring of large groups of peoplepeople Walk-through monitorsWalk-through monitors Hot-line techniquesHot-line techniques

Effective communication to the public on Effective communication to the public on monitoring results and remedial actionsmonitoring results and remedial actions

SummarySummary

Radiation control programs will need the Radiation control programs will need the assistance of trained volunteers in a mass assistance of trained volunteers in a mass radiological or nuclear emergency.radiological or nuclear emergency.

Trained radiation workers in hospitals, education Trained radiation workers in hospitals, education and industry can be used with a small amount of and industry can be used with a small amount of additional training as volunteer emergency additional training as volunteer emergency personnel, specifically for population monitoring.personnel, specifically for population monitoring.

Although some states have implemented the Although some states have implemented the radiation response volunteer program, more radiation response volunteer program, more states will need to do so in the near future.states will need to do so in the near future.

Contact InformationContact Information

Ruth E. McBurney, CHPRuth E. McBurney, CHPExecutive Director Executive Director

Conference of Radiation ControlConference of Radiation Control

Program Directors, Inc.Program Directors, Inc.

rmcburney@crcpd.orgrmcburney@crcpd.org

www.crcpd.orgwww.crcpd.org

(502) 227-4543(502) 227-4543