Response organization
This page describes a generic response organization with the various functions and roles that would potentially be activated
in the early response to a radiolgocial emergency.
Functions/roles:
Command:
Planning:
Operations:
- On-scene controller
- Fire brigade
- Emergency medical service (EMS)
- Law-enforcement/security team
- Forensic evidence management team (FEMT)
- First responder monitor
- Radiological assessor/team
Note: Other response functions such as logistics and finance/administration may also be needed.
Response initiator
- situated at the local emergency dispatch centre
- receives initial notification of a potential radiological emergency
- gets basic information about the emergency and provides initial advice to the caller
- immediately notifies and dispatches local emergency services to the scene
- requests assistance from national EOC in assessing threats
- might be the "on-call" dispatcher/communicator of emergency services, such as law enforcement or fire brigade
Incident commander (IC)
- person in charge of the emergency response
- directs response of all responding organizations
- initially a senior member of the initial first response, e.g. fire brigade chief or lead local law enforcement officer
- otherwise a qualified local official
- may delegate authority for example to on-scene controller, public information officer etc
Command group
- formed in case of a unified command
- consists of local and national governmental representatives responsible for conventional and radiological response functions
- supports incident commander
Public information officer (PIO)/team
- keeps the media and the public informed
- coordinates with all sources of official information to ensure consistent message to the public
Resource coordinator
- establishes staging area
- determines and requests necessary resources
- integrates requested and un-requested assistance into the response when it arrives
24-hour planning coordinator
- develops incident action plans that define response activities and resource allocations for the next 12 to 24 hours, the remainder of the emergency phase and for the long term recovery
On-scene controller
- assigned by incident commander in a major emergency to coordinate operations
- responsible for operational management of response actions at scene as directed by incident commander
- typically the senior member of the on-scene response teams
Fire brigade
- establishes inner cordoned area
- performs search and rescue operations
- performs triage and first aid (until relieved by emergency medical service)
- deals with conventional hazards
- cares for public processing, registration, monitoring and decontamination
- cares for responder accountability, monitoring and decontamination
Emergency medical service (EMS)
- provides on-scene medical response
- advices medical transport and local hospital on risks and protective actions to take
- establishes temporary morgue area
Law enforcement/security team
- establishes security perimeter
- provides security for areas outside of security perimeter, including incident command post, hospital, staging area and public information centre
- provides security at public registration, triage/first aid and monitoring/decontamination areas
- manages evidence (until relieved by forensic evidence management team)
Forensic evidence management team (FEMT)
- gathers, examines and controls evidence
- disseminates information and intelligence recovered from scene through incident commander
- formulates strategy of priorities in relation to investigation of the scene
First responder monitor
- person equipped and trained to use basic radiation monitoring instruments
- performs simple assessment tasks
- unless immediately available, must be requested from a nearby user of radioactive material (e.g. hospital, university, research reactor)
Radiological assessor/team
- person or team trained, equipped and qualified for radiological assessment
- upon arrival (usually after several hours), provides radiation protection support
- assesses alpha, beta, neutron and gamma emitting material
- performs radiation surveys and dose assessments
- controls contamination
- ensures radiation protection of emergency workers
- formulates recommendations on protective actions
National emergency operations centre (EOC)
- ready to receive request for assistance from local level
- brokers assistance from radiological assessor
- coordinates local and national media releases until public information centre established
- coordinates national level support provided to the local response