First responders and incident commanders will learn vital information on safety measures during work inside the contaminated hot zones. They will learn how to avoid tactical mistakes during a large nuclear/radiological crisis. The goal of this course is to train responders to work as one unit in a safe, productive and timely response under a clear direction to avoid loss of life. This course will bring in experience, strategy and tactics of responders and government agencies who were involved in the emergency management of large-scale nuclear/radiological incidents, including Chernobyl incident for example.

Advanced strategies and tactics for coordination of multiple agencies during response to large-scale nuclear or radiological incidents in urban areas.This course shows the operational style of work for involved agencies during response of a large event and explains the tactical considerations during the operation inside radioactive contaminated zones. The class discusses the operational issues and concerns during prolonged responses, and the job shifts inside the hot zones.

Responders will learn ALARA principles during radiological response and other unexpected situations. Personal safety and protection inside hot zones is discussed.

The course will train students to cooperate with other agencies by learning those agency’s responsibilities during a radiological crisis. Specifics of pre, current and post operational tactics after small/medium yield nuclear detonation in urban areas will be explained. Information based on experience and strategy of government agencies involved in the emergency management of large-scale nuclear/radiological incidents.

Pre-hospital level medical personnel will be trained in all aspects of field medical triage, field/clinical differential diagnostic techniques, and emergency processing of mass casualties after WMD chemical related incident.

They will learn principles of the evacuation process for contaminated and deconed victims into the local hospitals/casualty collection areas, as well as learning about organization of medical supplies and equipment for management of those casualty collection areas. They will also learn organization of the EMT stations at the hot and cold zones of the decontamination line, including necessary medical equipment, antidotes/antitoxins, and necessary pharmaceuticals drugs for first medical intervention on the field and during evacuation as well as issues and concerns dealing with contaminated victims inside the ambulances. Students will be able to recognize/analyze and remove hazardous chemicals in liquid, solid, gaseous forms from contaminated areas, material and victims during decontamination and they will be able to use START system in combination with necessary life-saving manipulations during contact work.

A hands-on drill will help medics understand personnel survey techniques of victims showing presence of external/internal contamination.They will learn coordination principles of working with local hospitals after a mass casualty situation. Collective work with hospital staffing will help decrease mortality rates and protect hospital settings from unnecessary contamination.

Transportation issues and contamination concerns will be discussed in the event of a chemical attack.

Advanced course for ambulance services and paramedics involving selective strategies and tactics for personal protection during transportation of contaminated and contagious victims.

This course will provide students with hands-on experience on deactivation and disinfection procedures during contact work with contagious/contaminated patients caused by WMD nuclear/radiological, chemical and biological events. Proper PPE and safety rules are presented during first examination and START process necessary for personal protection in full contact work with victims, as well as describing the style of work for paramedics and EMT’s during transportation of the contaminated or highly contagious patients to the hospitals and CCA. Proper use of monitoring equipment for personnel during their survey of the victims and the ambulances will help students recognize presence of contamination. Proper decontamination techniques will follow.

Pre-Hospital level personnel will learn epidemiological principles and techniques applying to the processing of mass casualties after large-scale bacteriological and/or viral outbreaks in populated areas.

Pre-hospital medical personnel will learn about classification of potential biological agents, principles of dispersion and depositions of those agents in environment. They will recognize characteristics and effects of biological release on communities and issues and concerns of health providers in regarding WMD biological events inside urban areas. EMT’s and paramedics will learn principles of epidemiological control of infectious outbreaks and tactics during quarantine. Students will learn about necessary personal protection during contact work with contagious patients, as well as becoming skilled in self-decontamination. Pre-hospital medical personnel will learn the proper way to transport highly contagious victims, as well as learning about organization and availability of casualty collection areas.

Main bacterial and viral pathogens will be described, including B. Anthraces, Variola Vera, Plague, Tularemia and other potential biological agents and their pathogenic properties. Students will learn organization of the hot, warm and cold zones of the decontamination line and PPE levels for multiple internal quarantine zones. A hands-on drill will help students to understand donning and doffing procedures as well as principles of disinfection/deactivation of biological agents.

Pre-hospital personnel will learn how to respond to a nuclear plant incident and nuclear explosion in urban areas. Student will learn about ionizing radiation and effects of ionizing radiation on human body, as well as dose limits and dose rate after this type of incidents. Paramedics and EMT’s will learn about acute radiation syndrome development and strategy and tactics of medical personnel during evacuation of casualties. Proper personnel survey techniques and donning /doffing techniques, self and victims decontamination, and decontamination of transport (ambulances) will be addressed. Students will learn preventive techniques against external/internal contamination of ambulances and medical equipment during transportation of the contaminated victim to the hospital or CCA. Paramedics will learn necessary PPE and effective procedures inside contaminated vehicles during transportation of contaminated victims—including hazards from external exposure and contamination from destroyed reactor and radioactive dust as well as learning principles of work with atmospheric radioactive release and fallout.

Operational principles of unclean and clean EMT stations at the decontamination line will be discussed, along with ALARA principles during rescue missions. Students will be able to understand medical triage and necessary immediate medical intervention. They also learn START specifics during response on nuclear/radiological incidents.

EMT’s will be able to understand tactics of non-stop medical evaluation and first treatment of mass casualties from different scenarios. A hands-on drill will help students to polish the presented knowledge using donning/doffing techniques and personnel survey techniques as well as decontamination process for victims and responders.

Emergency responders receive advance training on wound decontamination and removal of hazardous radioactive material from the skin, clothes, and medical equipment using different techniques and solutions.

Student will be able to operate in mass casualty situations and they will be given advanced information on multiple casualties as well as combination radiation injuries after nuclear detonation in urban areas. A clear picture will be presented on the medic relations with involved hospitals and organizations, and contamination control of casualty collection areas as well as specifics of multi-trauma medical care.

Responders will understand necessary field medical life saving interventions and safe contact work with externally contaminated victims. Student will learn about lab tests and sampling process using detailed hands-on training. Medics will learn more about specifics of casualty collection areas and their involvement CCA operations. Issues and concerns in regarding of stockpiling of necessary medical materials and equipment will be addressed, as well as organization of decon lines/decon rooms inside/outside CCA and issues concerning contamination of the building, soil, and equipment.