MERRTT

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Transportation Emergency Preparedness Program
Update
Ken Keaton Transportation Emergency Preparedness
Program Contract Coordinator ken_at_trgroupinc.com 8
03-474-8000
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Transportation by Air, Rail Highway

• Annual Estimates of United States Hazardous
  Materials Shipping Activities
• 500 Billion packages
• 400 Million are hazardous material
• 3 Million are radioactive
• DOE ships between 5,000 to 20,000 annually

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What will responders in your community do when an
accident happens?
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How can you help responders prepare for accidents
involving radiological material?

• 44 CFR 351.1 assigns Federal Agency
  responsibilities for assisting state and local
  governments in emergency planning and
  preparedness for radiological/nuclear emergencies
• Participate with FEMA in assisting state and
  local governments in developing their
  radiological emergency plans, evaluating
  exercises to test plans, and evaluating the plans
  and preparedness
• Assist FEMA with the development, implementation,
  and presentation to the extent that resources
  permit of training programs for federal, state
  and local radiological emergency response
  personnel
• Assist FEMA in developing and promulgating
  guidance to state and local governments for the
  preparation of radiological emergency plans

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TEPP Implementation

• Through eight Regional Coordinating Offices
• TEPP Regional Coordinator located with each DOE
  region

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The first step to preparedness. . .

• Determine applicability and conduct a needs
  assessment
• The Needs Assessment will
• assist in determining readiness
• identify strengths weaknesses

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What does the Needs Assessment cover?

• To get started, simply click on one of the topics
  listed below to assess the indicated area of your
  program
• Emergency Management Planning Procedures and
  Capabilities
• Emergency Communications Center Procedures and
  Capabilities
• Hazardous Materials Team Procedures and
  Capabilities
• Fire Response Organization Procedures and
  Capabilities
• Law Enforcement Response Organization Procedures
  and Capabilities
• Emergency Medical Services and
• Care Facilities Procedures and Capabilities
• Training

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Automated Needs Assessment
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Automated Needs Assessment
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Second step address weaknesses in plans
procedures

• TEPP Model Plans Procedures
• First Response Initial Response Procedure
• Hazardous Material Team Incident Response
  Procedure
• EMS Responder Procedure for Handling a
  Radiologically Contaminated Patient
• Medical Examiner/Coroner Guide
• for Handling a Radiologically Contaminated
  Body/Human Remains
• Radioactive and Hazardous Materials
  Decontamination
• Emergency Operations Plan Annex
• Recovery Procedure

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. . .and address training weakness

• Modular Emergency Response Radiological
  Transportation Training (MERRTT)
• MERRTT has a modular design
• 16 modules (some with embedded video clips)
• 4 hands-on practical exercises
• Can be integrated into existing hazmat curriculum
  or delivered as stand-alone course
• Intended for responders with previous hazardous
  material response training
• MERRTT is designed to supplement existing hazmat
  training
• Many states have adopted MERRTT as their own
  training program

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MERRTT Program

• DAY ONE MODULES
• Radiological Basics
• Biological Effects
• Radioactive Material Shipping Packages
• Hazard Recognition
• Initial Response Actions
• Patient Handling
• Incident Control
• Radiological Survey Instruments Dosimetry
  Devices
• Transportation of Safeguards Material

• DAY TWO MODULES
• DOE Shipments and Resources
• Decontamination, Disposal and Documentation
• WIPP Module
• Pre-Hospital Practices
• Transportation by Rail
• Incident Command
• Public Information Officer

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Comprehensive MERRTT Student and Instructor
Manuals

• Student Workbooks and Instructor Guides have been
  prepared for each module in the MERRTT program
• Everything contained on the MERRTT CD-ROM

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Hands On Exercises and Training Videos

• MERRTT includes 4 hands-on practical exercises to
  reinforce material presented in the modules
• Instrument Use
• Patient Handling
• Package Integrity
• Contamination Survey
• Three training videos with Instructor Guides
• Emergency Response
• Pre-Hospital Practices
• Decontamination Dressdown

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2007 TEPP Training Activity

• In 2007, 6,570 responders were trained using
  MERRTT
• 1,454 participated in DOE-sponsored training
  sessions
• 2,431 participated in state or local
  level-sponsored training sessions
• 2,685 trained thru Independent Study
• 421 received continuing education hours (CEH)

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2008 TEPP Training Activity

• Year to Date Training Activities Include
• 45 MERRTT sessions
• 664 participated in DOE-sponsored training
  sessions
• 135 participated in state or local
  level-sponsored training sessions
• 1574 trained thru Independent Study
• 139 received continuing education hours (CEH)

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TEPP Exercises

• Tabletop, Drill Exercise Program Manual
  (Drills-In-A-Box)
• Guidance For Planning, Conducting and Evaluating
  Transportation Emergency Preparedness Tabletops,
  Drills and Exercises

• Converting existing 6 TEPP exercise scenarios to
  meet Homeland Security Exercise Evaluation
  Program (HSEEP) design requirements

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TEPP Full-Scale Exercises

• All tabletop, drill or full scale exercise
  activities are preceded by a Needs Assessment and
  needed training sessions
• In the past 14 months, TEPP has sponsored the
  following HSEEP compliant tabletops, drills, and
  exercises
• Muscatatuck, IN Grizzly - 2 tabletops and 2
  drills
• Fort Smith, AR Operation Critical Mass 1
  tabletop and 1 full scale exercise
• Fort Hall, ID Operation Rad Relief - 1 tabletop
  and 3 drills
• Laguna, NM Operation Enchantment 1 full scale
  exercise

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TEPP Full-Scale Exercises

• Tabletops, drills or full scale exercises
  scheduled for remainder of 2007
• Fort Hall, ID Operation RadReck 1 full scale
  exercise on May 14
• North Platt, NE Operation Great Plains 1
  tabletop, 1 drill, and 1 full scale exercise on
  August 23

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Interagency Coordination

• National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)
• Participation in development and maintenance of
  Standards 472 and 473
• Radiation Specialist Program
• Phase I and II completed
• Final pilot session scheduled for 6/08 in ID
• G-346 Hospital Training Program revised
  -available through FEMA
• ASTM International Proposed Standard Practice
  E54.02.05

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Modular Emergency Response Radiological
Transportation Training (MERRTT) Program Update
Ken Keaton Transportation Emergency Preparedness
Program Contract Coordinator ken_at_trgroupinc.com 8
03-474-8000
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2008 MERRTT Program Improvements

• Implemented changes were based on exercise
  findings, student and instructor feedback
• Added a new training video for proper responder
  decontamination dressdown
• Streamlined several modules and objectives to
  improve the flow of the training
• Two additional text book practical exercise added
  to the training program
• Evenly spread the hands on activities over the
  two days of training

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2009 MERRTT Program Improvement Considerations

• Proposed changes are based on exercise findings,
  student and instructor feedback
• Revise all supporting training video clips
• Add information in decontamination module
  addressing contaminated responders in station
  uniform and how to deal with mass casualty
  situations
• How to properly take and handle contamination
  swipes
• How to map/document radiation and contamination
  readings at an accident scene

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Want to know more?

• The TEPP web site provides one-stop shopping
• MERRTT Training Schedule
• 24-Hour Points of Contact
• Needs Assessment
• Model Procedures
• Exercise Planning Resources
• TEPP Regional Coordinators

http//www.em.doe.gov/TEPPPages/TEPPHome.aspx
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• Questions

?