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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTexas Fixed Station Monitoring Program 1961 E X E C U T I V E D E P A R T M E N T DIVISION OF DEFENSE AND DISASTER RELIEF A u s t i n , T e x a s M e m o r a n d u m March 3 1 , 1 9 6 1 To: Civil Defense Directors, Mayors, and County Judges From: James H. Garner, State Coordinator Subject: TEXAS FIXED STATION MONITORING PROGRAM Policy To insure an adequate capability, each level of government -- Federal, State, and local - -must have a sufficient number of trained and equipped radiological defense personnel to measure, report, and analyze radiation hazards in its jurisdiction. A. State and local governments must have a system which will furnish detailed fallout intelligence in order to: 1. Issue early warnings to the public to seek fallout shelter. 2. Provide technical guidance regarding fallout for early survival operations. 3. Safely conduct evacuation of survivors from the areas of intense fallout to areas where radiation levels are tolerable. 4. Determine the need for and effectiveness of decontamination of personnel, vital facilities, water and food supplies. B. A system must exist whereby the government will have early information on the fallout situation to make decisions on the priority of effort in survival and recovery operations. C. Systems so devised must have the capability of furnishing an exchange of intelligence during the emergency period and must avoid duplication of effort, personnel, and facilities. , Monitoring Organization A. Federal The Office of Civil and Defense Mobilization expects to have at least one Federal monitoring etotion in ee,eh county of Toxng, Most - 2 - of these will be provided by the Federal Aviation Agency, the U.S. Weather Bureau, the Air reather Service of the U.S, Air Force, and the Department of Agriculture. It is anticipated that State and local civil defense officials will take the necessary steps to exchange monitoring reports with these Federal stations. B. State and Local The Office of Civil and Defense Mobilization developed a population - station formula for determining the minimum number of radiological monitoring stations recommended for towns and cities ranging from a population of 200 up. A different formula was used for the rural areas. As a result of this study it was determined that Texas should have a minimum of 2,173 primary monitoring stations, 3,725 secondary stations, and 4,120 rural stations, or a total of 10,018 for the State. It is recommended that each county and incorporated city develop within its civil defense program a Radiological Defense capability which will include: 1. One (1) Radiological Defense Officer who is technically qualified to assume responsibility for policy recommendations for the radiological defense of his county or city. This officer should be able to plan, implement, and direct emergency radiological defense operations, including moni- toring, reporting, analyzing, and evaluating radiological data; prepare summary reports; and recommend appropriate countermeasures. 2. Three (3) Assistant Radiological Defense Officers who have qualifications comparable to the Radiological Defense Officer and who are able to assume his duties if he becomes a casualty or if he is absent. 3. Four (4) Radiologica] Defense Monitors for each monitoring station. This team of four will provide three 8 -hour shifts and a standby. Qualified monitors should have had the OCDM Course for Radiological Instrument Operators as outlined in Interim Instructors Guide No. 2, or its equivalent. This course should be taught by someone who has had the OCDM course,Radiological Monitoring for Instructors, or its equivalent. How It Works The standing operating procedure is for secondary stations to report to prlmAyy 6totions; pr1rn i. j eto.tionn to the Colvnty andlo= City Rndiologionl - 3 - Defense Officer; County and City Radiological Defense Officers to District Radiological Defense Officers; and District Radiological Defense Officers to the State Control Center. As reports move from one echelon to the next, summaries only will be transmitted. The Division of Occupational Health, Texas State Department of Health, has the responsibility for organizing the radiation monitoring network for Texas. The Division will designate District Radiological Defense Officers and issue reporting instructions as local Civil Defense agencies establish monitoring stations. How to Get Ready The Office of Civil and Defense Mobilization offers excellent training courses for personnel in this service, Schedules of such courses are attached. The CBR Defense Orientation for Executives is designed to help prepare an individual to give general supervision to three programs for defense -- Chemical, Bacteriological, and Radiological warfare, The Radio- logical Monitoring for Instructors Course prepares an individual to train monitors who are to operate the monitoring stations, The Radiological Defense Officers Course, as the name indicates, is to train Radiological Defense Officers and Assistant Radiological Defense Officers. In this course both the administrative and the technical aspects of the job are developed. Individuals who are sent to these courses by civil defense organizations are eligible 12 have half their travel and per diem expenses provided by the Federal Government. Equipping for Radiological Defense When the civil defense director has an individual available who has had the Radiological Monitoring for Instructors Course, or its equivalent, he can request through this office a Training Set for the instructor to use in training monitors. This set has enough instruments to care for a class of not more than 25 persons, A Radiation Source Set can be secured to use in the training if the instructor can qualify for an Atomic Energy Commission By- product Material License. The instruction can be given without the Cobalt 60 Source Set, but is more effective when it is used. Operational Radiological Defense Monitoring Kits Operational Monitoring Kits consisting of six instruments are available from the Federal Government through this office when the following conditions have been mat: A. Fixed monitoring stations have been officially designated (fire and police stations are examples of acceptable sites); - 4 - B. Local Director agrees to assign one kit to each designated defense monitoring station; C. Local Director agrees to have assigned at all times at least two (preferably four) monitors who have been properly trained and are qualified as radiological monitors; D. Local Director agrees that radiological monitors will be trained as replacements for those who leave monitoring stations; E. Local Director agrees that instruments will be used for radiological defense operational purposes according to State and National plans; F. Local Director agrees that instruments will be given operability checks on a monthly basis; and G. Local Director agrees to make an annual report to the State and Regional Offices, listing changes and additions to the Monitoring Station and Personnel Roster. Estimate of your County and /or City Needs This office will furnish you data pertaining to your city or county, as it appears as a part of the State Fixed Station Monitoring Plan, if you request it. Enclosure OFFICE OF CIVIL AND DEFENSE MOBILIZATION WESTERN INSTRUCTOR TRAINING CENTER Alameda, California Schedule of Courses April - June 1961 Radiological Monitoring for Instructors April 17 -21 Radiological Defense -- Officers April 24 -28 Radiological Monitoring for Instructors May 1 -5 Civil and D ^ :fence Mobilization for Instructors May 8 -12 Introdon ti n to Chemical and Biological Warfare Defense May 15 -19 Radiological Monitoring for Instructors May 22 -26 Radiological Monitoring for Instructors June 5 -9 Radiological Monitoring for Instructors June 19 -23 OFFICE OF CIVIL AND DEFENSE MOBILIZATION CHEMICAL, BIOLOGICAL AND RADIOLOGICAL (CBR) DEFENSE SCHOOL Battle Creek, Michigan Resident Course Schedule May 1961 - June 1961 CBR Defense Orientation for Executives May 1 -5 Radiological Monitoring for Instructors May 15 -19 Radiological Defense -- Officers May 22 -26 Radiological Monitoring for Instructors June 12 -16 Radiological Defense -- Officers June 19 -23 ALL COURSES ARE ELIGIBLE UNDER THE PROGRAM FOR PARTIAL FEDERAL REIMBURSEMENT TO STUDT•w1S OY FxPFNSFS INCUnppF.D IN_ ATTENDING OCDM SCHOOLS.