How to Survive a Dirty Bomb (Radiological Dispersion Device)

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit
Terrorist use of an Radiological Dispersion Device (RDD)—often called “dirty nuke” or “dirty bomb”—is considered far more likely than use of a nuclear explosive device. A "dirty bomb" combines a conventional explosive device—such as a bomb—with radioactive material. It is designed to scatter dangerous and sub-lethal amounts of radioactive material over a general area. The size of the affected area and the level of destruction caused by an RDD would depend on the sophistication and size of the conventional bomb, the type of radioactive material used, the quality and quantity of the radioactive material, and the local meteorological conditions—primarily wind and precipitation. The area affected could be placed off-limits to the public for several months during cleanup efforts.

Steps

Before an RDD Event

1. Take preventative measures. There is no way of knowing how much warning time there will be before an attack by terrorists using an RDD, so being prepared in advance and knowing what to do and when is important. Take the same protective measures you would for fallout resulting from a nuclear blast.
2. Add to your disaster supplies kit plastic sheeting, duct tape, and scissors if not already present.

During an RDD Event

1. Assume radiological contamination has occurred—particularly in an urban setting or near other likely terrorist targets—and take the proper precautions. As with any radiation, you want to avoid or limit exposure. This is particularly true of inhaling radioactive dust that results from the explosion.
   • While the explosive blast will be immediately obvious, the presence of radiation will not be known until trained personnel with specialized equipment are on the scene. Whether you are indoors or outdoors, home or at work, be extra cautious.
2. Breathe through the cloth of your shirt or coat to limit your exposure to dust or other contaminants in the air.
3. Seek shelter indoors immediately in the nearest undamaged building, if you are outside. If you manage to avoid breathing radioactive dust, your proximity to the radioactive particles may still result in some radiation exposure. If appropriate shelter is not available, move as rapidly as is safe upwind and away from the location of the explosive blast. Then, seek appropriate shelter as soon as possible. Listen for official instructions and follow directions. Remain indoors.
4. Limit infiltration of radioactive particles. Turn off ventilation and heating systems. Close windows, vents, fireplace dampers, exhaust fans, and clothes dryer vents. Retrieve your disaster supplies kit and a battery-powered radio and take them to your shelter room, preferably underground or in an interior room of a building, placing as much distance and dense shielding as possible between you and the outdoors where the radioactive material may be.
   • An interior room on the lowermost level, preferably without windows, is the ideal location to stay.
   • Seal windows and external doors that do not fit snugly with duct tape. Plastic sheeting will not provide shielding from radioactivity nor from blast effects of a nearby explosion, but can help radioactive dust from infiltrating your shelter.
5. Listen for official instructions and follow directions.

After an RDD Event

1. Decontaminate yourself if you have been exposed to radioactive material. To do this, remove and bag your clothing (and isolate the bag away from you and others), and shower thoroughly with soap and water.
2. Potassium iodide can be use to decontaminate oneself from radioactive elements. It should be consumed in proper quantity. There are different quantity prescribed for both adults as well as children.
   • For adults - 130 mg
   • For children - 32 mg to 65 mg
3. Seek medical attention after officials indicate it is safe to leave shelter.
4. Continue listening to your radio or watch the television for instructions from local officials, whether you have evacuated or sheltered-in-place. Do not return to or visit an RDD incident location for any reason.

Video

Erroll Southers (Former Deputy Director of the California Department of Homeland Security) stresses the absolute importance of not self-evacuating when an RDD has detonated.

Tips

• Contamination from an RDD event could affect a wide area, depending on the amount of conventional explosives used, the quantity and type of radioactive material released, and meteorological conditions. Thus, radiation dissipation rates vary, but radiation from an RDD will likely take longer to dissipate due to a potentially larger localized concentration of radioactive material.
• The primary purpose of terrorist use of an RDD is to cause psychological fear and economic disruption. Some devices could cause fatalities from exposure to radioactive materials. Depending on the speed at which the area of the RDD detonation was evacuated or how successful people were at sheltering-in-place, the number of deaths and injuries from an RDD might not be substantially greater than from a conventional bomb explosion.

Related wikiHows

• How to Survive a Nuclear Attack
• How to Respond to a Radiation Threat
• How to Survive a Chemical or Biological Attack
• How to Survive in Dangerous Times
• How to Work Safely With Chemicals
• How to React During an Earthquake

Sources and Citations

• Ready America, http://www.ready.gov/america/publications/allpubs.html – Original source. Public domain (U.S. Government Work)

Article provided by wikiHow, a wiki how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Survive a Dirty Bomb (Radiological Dispersion Device). All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.

Go there and Read more articles...
http://www.wikihow.com/Survive-a-Dirty-Bomb-%28Radiological-Dispersion-Device%29

Don