Overview
The Department of Energy and Colorado WIPP Program provide access to radiological training programs to meet the diverse needs of emergency response personnel who may be called upon to respond to transportation incidents or fixed facility situations involving radiological materials. Highlights of these include:
- The Department of Energy has developed the only radiological training program in the United States, which is recognized by both the Department of Homeland Security and Occupational Safety and Health Administration. The name of the course is Modular Emergency Response Radiological Transportation Training. It is offered in a variety of formats to meet the needs of a conference audience all the way through Technician level training, and finally the Train-the-Trainer course. A draft TEPP course catalog is under development and may be viewed here.
- The Colorado WIPP Program identified an unmet need for medically-based radiological training along the WIPP transportation corridor. While it is highly unlikely that a patient would be radiologically contaminated as the result of a WIPP accident, the Department of Energy now provides a specialized course for hospital and prehospital personnel called “Radiological Training of Hospital Personnel”. This course was jointly developed by the Department of Energy and FEMA Course and is officially listed as FEMA course HRA-2, "Hospital Emergency Department Management of Radiation and Other Hazardous Materials Accident."
- To meet the needs of medical examiners, coroners, & crime scene investigators, and at the request of the Colorado WIPP Program, the Department of Energy developed a specialty course called, "Recovery, Acceptance, and Handling of Radiologically Contaminated Human Remains."
Colorado Radiological Training Matrix
This matrix provides a complete listing for all radiological training that is available in Colorado by OSHA level.
Training Handouts and Resources
There are a number of additional resources that have been scanned and provided here for course participants. The Colorado WIPP Program has many of these resources available printed, laminated, and ready for distribution. Should you have an interest in acquiring the original handouts, please contact Josh Lindsley, josh.lindsley@state.co.us, (303) 273-1913.
This laminated document is distributed in MERRTT courses.
- Radioactive Material/Common Practices for Responders (RAM/CPR)
This handout is from the First On Scene Transportation Emergency Response (FOSTER) course designed and developed by the Colorado WIPP Program.
- Conference of Radiation Control Program Directors Pocket Guide (CRCPD)
This pocket guide shows radiation dose, equivalents, units, and package labels.
Links to Other Radiological Training
This web-based training will provide public health officials with the most current information regarding public health planning for response to radiation emergencies, including information on local government roles and responsibilities, radiological monitoring of people, pharmaceutical countermeasures deployed by the strategic national stockpile, and the role of communications in a radiation emergency.
This series of modules can serve as "refresher training" for those already proficient in radiological response. This independent study course was included on the matrix of Colorado courses and includes the following topics: radiological basics, biological effects, hazard recognition (markings, labels, and placards), initial response actions, radioactive material shipping packages, on-scene patient handling, radiological terminology and units, assessing package integrity, radiation detection instrumentation, and radiological decontamination.
REAC/TS is the international leader in emergency medical response to radiation incidents. This site details training that they offer. In addition, they have expanded their website to include procedural resources for the decontamination of potentially radiologically contaminated patients.
Return to main Colorado WIPP Program page.
Return to main Nuclear Materials Transportation Oversight page.