"Nothing can compare with realistic training in the fire and rescue service."
- Ross Smallcombe, Firefighter
Emergency preparedness starts with building confidence and familiarity with key radiological terminology and instrumentation. This is especially the case when training for transportation emergencies.
While there’s a minimal chance of responders being exposed to harmful quantities of ionizing radiation during daily duties, there is still the very real risk of encountering radioactive material when attending the scene of a transportation accident.
This is why emergency personnel need access to key training and technical assistance to safely and effectively mitigate the effects of radiation incidents.
In this article, we’ll look at:
- How the Transportation Emergency Preparedness Program (TEPP) can teach responders how to react to radiation accidents
- The importance of real-experience training to support emergency preparedness
- A new training tool which can elevate responder radiation training
→ Related: Running a Safe, Cost-Effective, and Efficient Radiation Training Simulation
Successful radiation training scenarios rely on the extent to which the instructor is able to create a compelling, hands-on and truly life-like training experience.
When planning a radiation hazard training scenario, instructors have traditionally opted for real sources in order to enable students practice with the instruments they will actually use. While this is certainly effective for training, it does pose significant disadvantages. Cost, regulatory requirements, procurement, end of life disposal , and time constraints will all need to be considered when organising training utilising real sources.
If you’re a first responder, you have probably undergone training with index cards at some point in your career. This tried-and-tested method helps trainers provide information to downrange operators that should initiate a response or action from those operators.
On the surface, radiation training can seem somewhat straightforward: teach students how to properly and safely respond to situations involving radiation. However, as many CBRNe instructors know, it’s not that simple.
The International Society for Respiratory Protection (ISRP) is a non-profit organisation that provides education and information about respiratory protection. The primary purpose of ISRP is to bring together occupational health and safety professionals in the field of respiratory protection. Members are encouraged to share their opinions and disclose their research findings.
The NATO-approved SVG2 RadiacMeter made by Thermo Fisher is designed to provide critical measurements for nuclear incidents and attacks. It is an essential instrument for the emergency services and military personnel responding to a CBRN incident involving radiation. Argon Electronics has worked closely with the manufacturer to create the SVG-2 SIM simulation training system, which includes the SVG-2 SIM survey meter simulator and simulation Alpha, Beta, Gamma probe.
A huge hurdle to giving military personnel and emergency first responders radiation training is accurately and realistically simulating a radiological emergency.
One of the biggest obstacles to delivering effective hands-on radiation training is finding ways to safely and realistically replicate the conditions of a real-life radiological emergency.
Whether your students are training in the logistics of radiological reconnaissance, learning about the effects of shielding or inverse square law or practicing the principles of safe demarcation, it is hugely important that the realities of the live radiological environment are not underplayed or misconstrued.