Public Health Officers:
Information for Radiation Emergencies

• Public health activities for planning and response to a radiation incident will vary with
  • Nature, severity, cause, and location of the radiation incident
  • Agency responding
  • Expertise and staffing levels of the responders
  • Needs of the population
  • Phase of the incident timeline, i.e. different activities during early, intermediate, late phase (recovery, cleanup)
• Selected references
  • HHS
    • HHS Response and Recovery Resources Compendium
      • Web-based repository of HHS resources and capabilities available to Federal, State local territorial and tribal stakeholders before, during, and after public health and medical incidents.
      • The assets may also be useful for public health and medical emergency management officials.
  • National Association for Radiation Readiness (NARR): 4 video set for public health workers about planning for and responding to radiation incidents
    • Video 1: Phase 0 of the response - Introduction and pre-incident planning (Youtube - 18:21)
    • Video 2: Phase 1 of the response – activities at 0-24 hours of the response (Youtube - 18:21)
    • Video 3: Phase 2 of the response – activities at 24-96 hours of the response (Youtube - 20:24)
    • Video 4: Phase 3 of the response – activities at hours 96 and beyond (Youtube - 26:01)
  • CDC
    • Information for Public Health Professionals (HHS/CDC)
    • Public Health Preparedness Capabilities for Radiation Incidents (HHS/CDC, April 2014)
    • Population Monitoring in Radiation Emergencies: A Guide for State and Local Public Health Planner (PDF - 3.66 MB) (HHS/CDC)
    • Public Health and Radiation Emergency Preparedness (CDC/NACCHO-sponsored conference with many archived lectures about public health activities for a radiation incident, March, 2011)
    • A National Strategy for Public Health Preparedness and Response (PDF - 359 KB) (HHS/CDC, Sept 2011)
    • The Role of Public Health in a Nuclear or Radiological Terrorist Incident (HHS/CDC video, Feb 2005)
  • NCRP
    • Decision Making for Late-Phase Recovery from Major Nuclear or Radiological Incidents, (NCRP Report No. 175), Bethesda, MD, 2014.
    • Population Monitoring and Radionuclide Decorporation Following a Radiological or Nuclear Incident, (NCRP Report No. 166), Bethesda, MD, 2011.
    • Responding to a Radiological or Nuclear Terrorism Incident: A Guide for Decision Makers (PDF - 1.61 MB) (NCRP Report No. 165), Bethesda, MD, 2010.
    • Key elements of preparing emergency responders for nuclear and radiological terrorism (NCRP Commentary No. 19), Bethesda, MD, December 2005. Purchase required.
    • Advising the public about radiation emergencies (NCRP Commentary No. 10), National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements, Bethesda, MD, 1994.
  • EPA
    • PAG Manual: Protective Action Guides and Planning Guidance for Radiological Incidents, EPA-400/R-17/001 (PDF - 1.48 MB) (EPA, January 2017)
  • DHS
    • Response and Recovery Knowledge Product: Key Planning Factors for Recovery from a Radiological Terrorism Incident (PDF - 7.48 MB) (DHS/FEMA, September 2012)
  • Other
    • Evidence-Based Practice for Public Health Emergency Preparedness and Response, Consensus Study Report (National Academies of Sciences Engineering and Medicine, 2020)
    • PrepTalks: Brooke Buddemeier “Saving Lives After a Nuclear Detonation” (YouTube - 23:10 min) (DHS/FEMA, Feb 26, 2019)
      • Discusses the value of sheltering in place to save lives after a nuclear detonation.
    • Methodologies for Evaluating and Grading Evidence: Considerations for Public Health Emergency Preparedness and Response: Proceedings of a Workshop—in Brief (NASEM, 2019)
    • Engaging the Public in Critical Disaster Planning and Decision Making. (Institute of Medicine, August 23, 2013)
    • Local Public Health Preparedness for Radiological and Nuclear Incidents (PDF - 2.58 MB) (HHS/OIG, Jan 2012) - A study assessing potential shortfalls in state and local preparedness.
    • Public Health Preparedness and Response to Chemical and Radiological Incidents: Functions, Practices, and Areas for Future work, LaTourette T, Davis LE, Howell DR, Sama PR, Dausey DJ, (PDF - 2.15 MB) (Prepared for the Department of Health and Human Services by RAND Health, 2009)
    • Assessing Medical Preparedness to Respond to a Terrorist Nuclear Event: Workshop Report (Institute of Medicine of the National Academies, 2009)
    • Barnett DJ, Parker CL, Blodgett DW, Wierba RK, Links JM. Understanding radiologic and nuclear terrorism as public health threats: preparedness and response perspectives. J Nucl Med. 2006 Oct;47(10):1653-61. [PubMed Citation]