Rad Resilient City: A Preparedness Checklist to Save Lives After a Nuclear Detonation
Complete formatted document | Printer friendly PDF | Menu of all printable PDFs
The Rad Resilient City fallout preparedness checklist provides cities and their neighbors with a checklist of preparedness actions that could save tens of thousands of lives or more following a nuclear detonation through adequate protection against radioactive fallout.
Why is a fallout preparedness checklist needed?
If prevention of nuclear terrorism fails, then reducing exposure to radioactive dust and debris—that is, “fallout”—is the intervention that can save the most lives following a nuclear detonation. Nuclear terrorism is a real and urgent threat, according to assessments by the U.S. and other governments and by independent, nongovernment experts.1-3 Detonation of a 10-kiloton nuclear device in a thriving urban center could kill tens of thousands of people, dislocate millions, and inflict significant economic and social damage.4
U.S. cities may face the possibility of a nuclear detonation, but they do not have to resign themselves to a worst case toll of injuries and deaths. Sickness and death resulting from exposure to fallout could be minimized if the public immediately sought adequate shelter and awaited further information before evacuating.5,6 Federal modeling of a 10-kiloton groundburst in Los Angeles suggests that if everyone at risk of exposure to dangerous fallout quickly went into an adequate shelter, like a shallow basement or the middle of a multi-story building, then 280,000 lives could be saved.7
Most Americans, however, are not familiar with correct safety measures against fallout. In fact, many Americans believe that nothing can be done to reduce the suffering inflicted by a nuclear attack. Moreover, cities have no checklist on how to prepare the emergency management infrastructure and the larger population for this radioactive hazard, despite hundreds of pages of useful guidance from the federal government and radiation professional organizations. Experts generally agree that the country is not well prepared to respond to a nuclear catastrophe.9-13
The Fallout Preparedness Checklist converts new federal guidance and technical reports into a community-based vision of fallout preparedness, and it provides clear, actionable steps for cities and their neighbors to follow in implementing that vision. Actions are prioritized so that cities and their neighbors know where to apply their resources first and foremost. Hardly a far-fetched activity, fallout preparedness hinges on a very familiar formula for disaster readiness: the ability to shelter in place. In the case of a nuclear detonation, sheltering could last 1 day, at a minimum, to avoid the highest levels of radiation. People may also find it necessary or be advised to stay sheltered for 2 to 3 days or more depending on the state of infrastructure and other logistics.
Who should use this checklist?
Everyone who holds sway and authority in a city and its surrounding communities—mayors, county executives, city administrators, emergency managers, public health and safety officers, business executives, chiefs of volunteer- and community-based groups, heads of faith-based organizations, and other local opinion leaders—are encouraged to put the Fallout Preparedness Checklist into action in their hometowns. While high-threat, high-density urban areas have strong incentives to adopt this checklist, any community concerned with a comprehensive approach to disaster preparedness can benefit from the recommended course of action and the supporting materials.
What knowledge informs the checklist?
The Fallout Preparedness Checklist is the work of the Nuclear Resilience Expert Advisory Group.
Led by the Center for Biosecurity of UPMC, this panel includes seasoned decision makers from local and federal government; practitioners in emergency management, public health and safety, radiation control, and law enforcement—all from high terrorism risk jurisdictions; leaders from the business, community, and volunteer sectors; and experts in health physics, disaster sociology and psychiatry, disaster management, risk communication, vulnerable populations, public education, public warning, and evacuation.
The checklist and supporting materials reflect the experience and professional judgment of the Expert Advisory Group, as well as evidence obtained by the review of relevant literature, including current federal guidance on nuclear incident response, technical committee reports from radiation professional organizations, research studies on community preparedness, and select local radiation emergency plans and protocols. National practitioner organizations in the fields of emergency management, public health, and radiation control reviewed and further improved the document.
The Fallout Preparedness Checklist is in keeping with federal recommendations. On issues in which federal guidance has not yet been provided or developed, the Expert Advisory Group provided its best judgment. These limited instances are noted in the document.
