State and local health departments have a responsibility to protect the health and safety of the populations they serve following a radiological event. In addition, jurisdictions may be asked to monitor, decontaminate, and shelter displaced populations that evacuate to their region from impacted areas in the event of a large-scale radiological event. We are sharing a number of resources to help you prepare for a radiation emergency.
The Centers for Disease Control and Protection has a wealth of resources available for Radiation Emergencies.
A quick “go to” list of resources for public health emergency planners include:
- Radiation Response Briefing Manual
- Population Monitoring Guide
- Guide to Operating Shelters in a Radiation Emergency
- CRC SimPLER
See the comprehensive list of Radiation Emergency resources that are available below:
Guidance and Planning Documents
- Radiation Response Briefing Manual: A Guide for Key Leaders and Public Health Decision Makers (July 2020) [PDF – 20 MB]
- Population Monitoring Guidance [PDF – 12.7 MB]
- A Guide to Operating Shelters During a Radiation Emergency [PDF – 7.95 MB]
- Guide for Handling Radioactive Contaminated Decedents [PDF – 1.4 MB]
- Radiological/Nuclear Law Enforcement and Public Health Investigation Handbook [PDF – 5.1 MB]
- Use of Radiation Detection, Measuring, and Imaging Instruments to Assess Internal Contamination from Intakes of Radionuclides
Communication Resources
- Radiation Emergencies | NCEH | CDC website
- Infographics
- Educational Videos
- Radiation and Your Health
- FAQs about Radiation Emergencies
- Radiation Risk Communication for Public Health
- Radiation Hazard Scale
- Radiation Thermometer
- Myths of Radiation: Communicating in Radiation Emergencies
- Improvised Nuclear Device Response and Recovery: Communicating in the Immediate Aftermath
- Communicating During and After a Nuclear Power Plant Incident
- CDC Radiation Emergencies Media Toolkit
- Radiation Dictionary
Training
- Public Health Planning for Radiological and Nuclear Terrorism
- Radiation Basics Made Simple
- Community Reception Center (CRC) Overview Video
- Virtual Community Reception Center (vCRC)
- Use of Environmental Monitoring Data to Support Public Health Decision Making in Radiation Emergencies
- Screening People for External Contamination
- Radiation Emergency Training for Poison Center Staff
- Medical Countermeasures for Radiation Exposure and Contamination
- Medical Response to Mass Casualties
- Just-in-Time Training for Hospital Clinicians
- Radiation Epidemiology for Public Health Decision Making
- Psychological First Aid in Radiation Disasters
- Success Stories in Radiation Emergency Preparedness
- Radiation Risk Communication for Public Health
- Myths of Radiation: Communicating in Radiation Emergencies
Tools
- CRC Drill and Exercise Toolkit
- Community Reception Center Simulation Program for Leveraging and Evaluating Resources (CRC SimPLER)
- CRC Electronic Data Collection Tool (CRC eTool)
- Internal Contamination Assessment Tool (ICAT)
- Points of Dispensing to Community Reception Centers Planning Toolkit [PDF – 3.48 MB]
For additional information contact [email protected].