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Dear Louis,
The common "proper" terminology I have seen is
"Radiological" Dispersion Device.
"Radiation" dispersion device gets the concept
across, but you are dispersing radioactive materials which (theoretically) would
increase the radiation levels over a wide area. Thus, "radiation"
dispersion device is a bit of a misnomer. You are dispersing the
radioactivity which then increases the radiation.
Splitting hairs? Yes, probably.
Depending on the audience, I'd use the term that I felt would be most effective
at getting the concept across. To a group of professional HPs I'd use
radiological. To a "hands on" group that aren't radiation specialists,
"radiation" would probably do nicely.
Jim Barnes, CHP
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Sunday, June 15, 2003 9:18 PM
Subject: A question of semantics or
not?
hello RADSAFERs,
I'm a lurker here
who has a very limited background in radiation training per say yet a need to
have a good working understanding of same but not to the Nth level as some of
y'all get to. I have a question of what some in my world (fire, police EMS and
emergency management) consider to be an issue of semantics I however a not
sure if it is or if it is more important then we think?
We spend a
great deal of time talking about the threat of a terrorist using a
radiological material (RAM) as a "filler" for an improvised explosive device
(IED) this creating what is commonly called an RDD.
Note I did not
define RDD because this is the crux of my question. Is the R in RDD
RADIOLOGICAL or is it RADIATION? Assuming that the RAM is placed in an IED
(the common theory for the creation of an RDD) which term would those of you
that are "into" the R side of the house prefer to see used and or more
appropriately does it matter to you which term is used hence is it just
semantics?
Louis N. Molino, Sr.,
CET
FF/NREMT-B/FSI/EMSI
LNMolino@aol.com
979-690-3607 (Home
Office)
979-458-0795 (Fire Field Office)
"A Texan with a Jersey
Attitude"
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