The University of Tennessee Institute for Nuclear Security recently held a course on nuclear safety and security for East Tennessee first responders.
The course, designed to give local law enforcement an understanding of nuclear security safety risks and responses, was the first the Institute has offered in the United States.
Howard Hall, who directs the Institute, said he and his colleagues have offered similar courses to mixes of law enforcement, educators and government officials in Nigeria, South Africa, Egypt, Algeria, Morocco, Indonesia, Philippines, Malaysia and Brazil.
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Lessons learned
Hall and Institute Research Consultant Natalie Rice led the attendees through case studies of real nuclear events, like the Pelindaba nuclear attack in South Africa and the nuclear accidents in Fukushima and Chernobyl.
“Chernobyl is a tragic case where in many cases first responders’ lives were squandered by their government,” Hall said.
When the Chernobyl reactor blew up in 1986, hundreds of first responders received large doses of radiation as they scrambled to contain it. Nearly 50 died.
Soviet secrecy made matters worse. Nearby towns were not immediately evacuated. The International Atomic Energy Agency estimates as many as 4,000 people who were exposed to radiation from the accident will die of cancer.
Read more at UT course teaches first responders how to stay safe in a nuclear incident
