A National Training Course on First Response to Radiation Emergencies for Afghan specialists was organized by the IAEA in Vienna, Austria from 18-22 August 2014 under the framework of the IAEA's national TC project AFG/9/006, entitled 'Strengthening of National Regulatory Authority,' with the technical support of the IAEA's Incident and Emergency Centre.
Altogether, 15 participants from the following 8 National Authorities participated in this training course: Ministry of Interior Affairs, Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Public Health, Kabul Medical University, Afghan National Police Hospital, Afghan Atomic Energy High Commission, Afghanistan National Disaster Management Authorities and the Fire and Disaster Department.
The training course consisted of lectures, discussions of case studies, work sessions, demonstrations and interactive activities on:
- Lessons learned from past radiological emergencies;
- Exposure pathways and protective actions;
- Basic concepts of emergency preparedness and response;
- Response organization (Command and Control System) and concept of operations;
- Tasks of specific responders/teams to include the law enforcement team, fire brigade, emergency medical services, public information officers, first responder monitors, forensic evidence team and national officers;
- Assessment of radiological hazard and establishment of inner cordoned area;
- Guidelines on personnel protection and public protection;
- Monitoring and decontamination of the public, responders, vehicles and equipment;
- Field triage for mass casualties' event;
- Sample media and public statements for different scenarios of radiological emergencies;
- Role of the IAEA in enhancing preparedness of Member States to respond to radiation emergencies.
Participants shared their findings and recommendations during a roundtable discussion at the end of the course. The participants acknowledged the support of the IAEA in organizing capacity building activities, such as this training course, for strengthening a national coordinated preparedness for radiological emergencies. Continuity of support was considered necessary for reaching sustainability and for developing and maintaining operational response systems in the future. Participants highly appreciated the opportunity to share their experiences with the IAEA staff and international experts who lectured at the course. The assessment at the end of the course reflected that knowledge was adequately transferred to the participants.
The attendees of the training course stressed that the priority is to set-up the needed tools and mechanisms under the appropriate legal umbrella to implement a national plan for radiation emergency response and to create and practically train emergency response teams capable of responding and assisting the population in case of an emergency. It was also recognized that such training will enhance the safety and security culture in the management of radioactive sources.