NVERS and DC Health and Medical Coalition Co-Host Radiation Surge Exercise

On January 10, 2023 NVERS and the DC Health and Medical Coalition (DC HMC) co-hosted a joint Regional Radiation Emergency Surge TTX. The exercise was attended by 50 participants including representatives from hospitals, emergency medical services, public health, hazardous materials, and law enforcement. The scenario included the detonation of a radiation dispersal device (RDD) in Washington DC and the discovery of an undetonated RDD in Alexandria, Virginia. Participants discussed plans and response actions during a "dirty bomb" scenario such as sheltering and evacuation, decontamination, security and access control, and treatment of the sick and injured. Participants expressed that they learned a lot about the detection and response capabilities of law enforcement and hazardous materials partners, as well as the resources that could be leveraged both in the region and via state and federal partnerships.