Los Angeles County - Comments

For the past decade (or more), DOT/DOE workshops have advised first responders to more aggressively respond to transportation accidents involving radiological materials. The assertion is supported statistically with the statement that there have been no recorded instances of responder injuries or deaths at such incidents. Recognizing that responders are entering a period in time where we are ever more likely to respond to an incident involving a Radiological Dispersion Device, Improvised Nuclear Device or even a Nuclear Bomb blast, I believe that more related information in the ERG would be warranted. It would be very easy to overload the ERG with too much information (albeit very good and very useful information), but my suggestion would be a table in the white pages which represents "stay times" for responders working within the radiation field. I found the attached table in Los Angeles County's very comprehensive "Multi-Agency Radiological Response Plan". (Table 7, page 86). With a dosimeter/rate meter, a responder can look at this table and determine how long he/she may remain safely in that level of radiation. Thanks you for your consideration of this addition to the 2012 edition of the ERG.