Re: Survey meter question

[Tim <tstead@ntirs.org>]

Allow me to put my $0.02 in.



I am a volunteer Paramedic - have been for about 6

years now - and I'd be scared of what would happen if

some of the people I run with are allowed to play with

a rad monitor.



Don't get me wrong, they are very good technicians but

their grasp of technical aspects around radiation

would lend itself to more panic than is necessary.



Imagine a first responder taking a rad monitor into

the Capital Building because someone had a massive MI.

 They'd stop at the front door, turn around and run

when they heard al lthe clicking.  What about Grand

Central Station?



There is a HazMat first responder class which teaches

people to stay uphill, upwind of a hazmat incident

until the HazMat team can get there.



So, in conclusion, I see no reason why FF's or medics

need or should have rad monitors on the engines or

ambulances since it will cause more confusion, panic,

and hysteria than is necessary.  Does the average

medic know that a radiation field of 5 mREM/hour is

pretty much harmless for the length of time they'll be

in it?  Why scare responders into not providing

assisttance just becuase they forgot to change the

scale on the instrument and its clicking louder than a

tap dancer with bubble wrap?  Someone like John Gofman

will come along, pretend to be an expert in radiation

protection, and fill people's heads with lies.



Unless you want to train them as HP techs, there is no

reason in my mind why they should have such monitors. 

Giving people too many tools who have too little

knowledge is a recipe for disaster.



Let me stick to the intubation and someone else can

worry about measuring the radiation field.  Let the

HazMat technicians have rad monitors, but for the love

of God - keep them off the first responding units!!!!



Tim Steadham, P.E.



--- Peter Sandgren <peter.sandgren@PO.STATE.CT.US>

wrote:

> In view of the chem/bio/nuclear terrorism threat I

> would like to sollicit 

> recommendations for survey meters for emergency

> responder use.  My 

> question, more precisely:  what are some good survey

> meters with pancake 

> probe for beta/gamma detection by first responders

> in an emergency 

> situation?  Alpha is a concern also, and the ideal

> meter would be able to 

> detect all three types of radiation during or prior

> to decon procedures. 

>  Thanks, in advance!

> 

> Peter Sandgren

> Training Division

> Connecticut Office of Emergency Management

> 

>

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