International Training

REAC/TS Provides Radiation Training for Emergency Responders in Iraq, South Africa and Morocco

In continuing support of the National Nuclear Security Administration’s international approach to nuclear and radiological incident response, REAC/TS recently traveled to Iraq, South Africa and Morocco to train physicians, nurses and first responders for emergencies involving radioactive materials.

“As one of the world’s primary responders to nuclear and radiological accidents, it’s critical that REAC/TS help prepare a variety of health care professionals for the medical management of radiation accidents,” said REAC/TS Director Dr. Albert Wiley, who attended all three trips. “Our medical professionals provide health care providers and first responders with the information they need to stabilize, handle, transport and care for others who may have been exposed to radiation.”

Known as I-Med, or International Medical Training, the courses featured topics such as basic physics and radiation protection; basic radiation instrumentation; radiobiology; the medical aspects of acute-local and whole-body irradiation; treatment for internal contamination; early dose magnitude estimation; pre-hospital and hospital patient management; as well as patient decontamination demonstrations.

The three REAC/TS courses, which were funded by NNSA, averaged approximately 35 attendees per location. Each year, more than 1,000 people from the medical, health physics and first responder communities benefit from lectures, demonstrations, and drills based on REAC/TS’ experience in radiation emergency medicine.