Emergency Response Phases
Protective actions taken in the phases have three objectives.
What are Life Safety, Risk Mitigation, and Recovery?
Provides the mechanism for coordinated federal assistance to supplement state, tribal, local, and territorial resources in response to a public health and medical disaster, potential or actual incidents requiring a coordinated federal response, and/or during a developing potential health and medical emergency.
What is ESF #8 – Public Health and Medical Services?
State and local agencies should establish a registry as early as possible after a radiation emergency. This registry will be used for short-term medical follow-up or long-term health monitoring of affected people.
What is Public Health Surveillance and Epidemiological Investigation?
Happens when exposure to a large dose of radiation over the entire body occurs over a short time
What is Acute Radiation Syndrome?
Is an iodine compound that is not radioactive and can be used to help block one type of radioactive material, radioactive iodine (I-131), from being absorbed by the thyroid.
What is Potassium Iodide (KI)?
This phase begins when actions are taken to reduce radiation levels in the environment to acceptable levels that will allow inhabitants unrestricted use of the areas.
What is the Late Phase (months to years)?
Public health • Medical surge support, including patient movement • Behavioral health services • Mass fatality management • Veterinary, medical, and public health services
What are some ESF #8 functions?
There may be ongoing environmental cleanup and a need to assist those who may have been contaminated by or exposed to radioactive material. Addressing the psychological impact of radiation disasters will also be a key part of recovery efforts.
What is Community Recovery?
People who receive high doses of radiation could have a greater risk of developing cancer later in life, depending on the level of radiation exposure.
What is cancer?
A pill that can help remove radioactive cesium and thallium from people’s bodies.
What is Prussian Blue?
Also called the Plume or Emergency Phase, this phase occurs at the beginning of a nuclear/radiological incident involving a release of radioactive material into the atmosphere
What is the Early Phase (days to weeks)?
Possesses the authority to safeguard public health and welfare, to declare a public health emergency, and to prepare for and respond to public health emergencies
Who is the Secretary of HHS?
Effective and timely communication will play a vital role during a radiation emergency. Communication after a radiation event must address the public’s concerns using simple and concise messages.
What is Emergency Public Information and Warning?
Happens when exposure to a large dose of radiation causes injury to the skin.
What is Cutaneous Radiation Injury (CRI)?
Medical professionals will determine if these treatments are needed.
What are Medical Countermeasures for Internal Contamination?
This phase begins after the source of the radioactive release has been brought under control and reliable environmental measurements are available.
What is the Intermediate Phase (weeks to months)?
Serves as the cornerstone of HHS legal authority for responding to public health emergencies.
What is the Public Health Service Act (PHSA)?
A radiation emergency will include facility preparation, surge capacity, healthcare provider safety, patient decontamination, triage, and the medical management of lifethreatening injuries.
What is Medical Surge?
Any emergency, including those involving radiation, can cause emotional and psychological distress.
What is Mental Health?
Is recommended primarily to prevent internal contamination and reduce exposure to alpha and beta radiation, but it cannot fully protect against highly penetrating gamma or neutron radiation.
What is Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)?
Doses may accrue in this phase from deposition, re-suspension, and ingestion of radioactive material.
What is the Intermediate Phase(weeks to months)?
Amended the PHSA to grant flexible authorities expediting and enhancing the research, development, procurement, and stockpiling of medical countermeasures for chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) threats.
What is the Project BioShield?
Safety officers will be able to provide specific worker protections and precautions based on the situation. These could include barrier protection methods, such as N-95 respirators and gloves, as well as using radiation monitoring equipment, such as dosimeters or radiation detection instruments.
What is Responder Safety and Health?
It is especially important that pregnant women follow instructions from emergency officials and seek medical attention as soon as emergency officials say it is safe to do so.
What is Prenatal Radiation Exposure?
A medicine that can bind to radioactive plutonium, americium, and curium to decrease the amount of time it takes to get radioactive plutonium, americium, and curium out of the body.
What is Diethylenetriamine pentaacetate (DTPA)?