DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY EFFORTS IN PREPARING AND IMPROVING FIRST RESPONSE CAPABILITIES AND PERFORMANCE IN THE EVENT OF A RADIOLOGICAL TRANSPORTATION INCIDENT

It is estimated there are three million radioactive material shipments made in the United States annually. The Department of Energy (DOE) is responsible for approximately 20,000 of these shipments per year. To address the concerns expressed by states and tribes along identified transportation corridors, DOE has established the Transportation Emergency Preparedness Program (TEPP), which addresses the emergency response needs of state, tribal, and local governments. This is accomplished by meeting emergency first responders’ training and knowledge needs, and by reducing the concerns of first responders. As a result, responders are better prepared to react to any radiological transportation incident. The preparation process involves conducting a Needs Assessment, improving procedures, conducting training, and may also include tabletop and/or full scale radiological transportation drills and exercises that focus on multiple agency interaction. As TEPP has evolved so too have the training and exercise capabilities that can now be offered to the response community. These include efforts to meet national trade association expectations and standards for competency for various response disciplines by providing advanced level courses. Additionally, TEPP is also now able to coordinate training and exercises utilizing high activity radiological sources. The result of these enhancements for those who have participated is a first response community better trained and prepared to manage any radiological transportation incident.