New program on radiation monitoring trains emergency personnel

EDGARTOWN, MA – Emergency Film Group has produced Radiation Monitoring, a DVD-based program that trains emergency personnel to respond to emergency situations where radiation may be a factor. The film addresses incidents involving terrorism, natural disasters and industrial & transportation accidents. It addresses the guidelines of ASTM-2601-Standard Practice for Radiological Emergency Response.

Although dramatic and widely covered by the media, radiological disasters such as the Fukushima disaster in Japan and the nuclear meltdown in Chernobyl are not the typical kind of incidents for which most responders would be called to carry out radiation monitoring. More likely are smaller accidental releases of radiation from sources used in medicine and industry, or from a transportation accident or release from improperly packaged radioactive materials. Since 9/11 there has been increased concern about intentional releases at the hands of terrorists.

Focus on safety
“Radiation Monitoring” focuses on keeping the responder safe. It describes the health effects of chronic and acute exposure to radiation, and discusses exposure measurements and limits. Using footage of historic news events combined with realistic training scenarios, the program portrays the equipment used during a radiological event – dosimeters, radiation pagers and radiation monitors – and shows how to interpret readings. Other topics covered include protective clothing and decontamination. The accompanying CD-Rom includes a Power point presentation that explains how to use the Inverse Square Law to calculate safe distances and dosages, as well as a post-seminar test and other resources that an instructor can use during a training seminar.

Technical committee
“Radiation Monitoring” was reviewed by a team of nationally recognized experts in radiological monitoring, including

Armando Bevelacqua, a member of several terrorism task forces looking at chem/bio response and the former special operations chief for the Orlando Fire Department;
Christopher Hawley, Deputy Project Manager with Computer Sciences Corporation and the teacher of several WMD courses with the DOD/FBI/DHS International Counterproliferation program. Chris is the author of the widely circulated text Hazardous Materials Air Monitoring & Detection Devices;
Tony Mussorfiti, Hazmat instructor for the International Association of Fire Fighters and a 20 year veteran of FDNY’s HazMat Operations and Terrorism/WMD divisions;
Greg Noll, senior partner in Hildebrand Noll Associates, a consulting firm specializing in emergency planning, response and incident management issues. Greg serves as the Program Manager for the South Central Pennsylvania Regional Counter-Terrorism Task Force;
Cheryl Weaver, Corporate Liaison and a trainer for Docimo & Associates, LLC. Cheryl is a paramedic with over a decade of experience in radiological technology.

Emergency Film Group uses leading professionals in emergency response and film production to create authoritative and accurate training programs for police and other emergency responders. Winner of more than 140 awards in national and international competitions, the company addresses such timely topics as incident management, terrorism response, homeland security, and hazardous materials response.

For more information, or for a free color catalog describing all programs available from the Emergency Film Group, call 800.842.0999 or 508.627.8844, or e-mail info@efilmgroup.com. Program descriptions are available on-line at http:// www.efilmgroup.com.

Photos available. Call Shirley Pye, 800.842.0999