In January 2017, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a revised, 2017 Protective Action Guide (PAG) Manual. The PAG Manual contains radiation dose guidelines that would trigger public safety measures, such as evacuation or staying indoors, to minimize or prevent radiation exposure during an emergency.
EPA has issued two companion documents to assist public information officers and other officials responsible for providing safety information to the public: Protective Action Questions & Answers for Radiological and Nuclear Emergencies and the Protective Action Area Map Templates.
Protective Action Questions & Answers will help emergency planners prepare public communications prior to and during a radiological emergency and is designed to be worked into emergency response plans and Standard Operating Procedures. It presents questions and answers that might arise during emergencies when the PAG guidelines are implemented by state and local officials.
Protective Action Area Map Templates offers four templates and associated messaging for evacuation areas, “get inside” areas, food and safety, and drinking water. These templates are designed so that they can be updated quickly in Microsoft Word or PowerPoint and personalized to address the needs of the user community. Each template includes the following:
- Space to insert a map that highlights the area where an action is needed
- Space to insert a state or local agency logo and contact information
- Tested and pre-approved messages which can be adapted to convey the action needed quickly and clearly
Ideally, the messages presented in these documents will never be needed.
Take a moment to download these new communication tools and forward them to your professional contacts and networks.
For more information, or to download these new communication tools, visit the EPA PAG Public Communication Resources website.
To download the 2017 PAG Manual, visit the EPA PAG Manuals and Resource website.
Please feel free to contact Stefanie Gera at [email protected] for additional information.
