RE: "Perception is reality" (was DOE Sec addresses "Dirty Bombs")

["J. J. Rozental" <jrozental@HOTMAIL.COM>]

Dear colleagues,





No doubt Jim Hardeman´s statement is correct. At least was correct in 

Goiania, where the most serious radiological accident have occurred to date. 

I managed in Goiania first as General Coordinator to respond the emergency, 

from the early to the final recovery phases, total period of three months, 

and then as second stage, as head of  the Brazilian Regulatory Authority´s 

Office that was created in Goiania.  I was transfered to Goiania, for the 

second stage, where I spent two years to implement the Communication System 

to dialogue with Authorities, Media  and Population and also to Implement 

the Protection Safety System to keep the RadWaste in the Interim Repository. 

It was a hard  work   toward credibility and there are many anecdotes I 

could tell to my Radsafer´s colleagues, that we do not learn in any 

literature about Emergency Planning and Preparedness and risk perception 

during an emergency response.

One, among many,  is about the Jim Hardeman´s statement on how to achieve 

the goal:  He is correct.

I don’t believe that a dirty bomb will bring  worst radiological 

consequences than  the Goiania Accident in any association social,  

political,  economic, risk perception and  technical problems.



Jose Julio Rozental

jrozental@hotmail.com

Madrid, until 02-10-2002





>From: "Conklin, Al" <Al.Conklin@DOH.WA.GOV>

>Reply-To: "Conklin, Al" <Al.Conklin@DOH.WA.GOV>

>To: "'Jim Hardeman'" <Jim_Hardeman@dnr.state.ga.us>,        

>radsafe@list.vanderbilt.edu

>Subject: RE: "Perception is reality" (was DOE Sec addresses "Dirty Bombs")

>Date: Wed, 18 Sep 2002 11:53:43 -0700

>

>I got lost in the squabble that was occurring so lost what the original

>issue was, the Secretary's statement about a dirty bomb. But Jim Hardeman

>put it back into perspective for me, and he did it very well. If a 

>terrorist

>group sets of an RDD, the "perception" of too many of the public and 

>elected

>officials will be such that, as Jim stated, we who will have to respond 

>will

>deal with a "reality" of having to track almost every atom down and work to

>convince people they aren't going to die from the radiation exposure. Their

>perception of risk results in the reality of them being afraid, even though

>the reality of actual health effects is not there. I thought the 

>Secretary's

>speech was well thought out, and represents the reality of what we're going

>to face with the public if this happens. I understand the dose verses trust

>thing very well too. Even with small doses, the public won't believe us if

>they don't trust what we're saying, and the only way we earn their trust is

>to be empathetic to their concerns, whether ultimately valid or not.

>Educating a frightened member of the public is not a black and white issue.

>It takes considerable care to be believed. I find myself there all too

>often.

><< message5.txt >>





















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