Operation Synergy
By Ron Fraass
 
Because of our work with the Department of Energy staff from the Federal Radiological Monitoring and Assessment Center (FRMAC), I observed Operation Synergy in Orange County, California in early March. The exercise included Orange and Los Angeles Counties, the state of California, FBI, DOE, NRC, FDA, EPA, and DHS (FEMA) participants. The three-day exercise simulated intelligence concerns being worked by the FBI and local authorities prior to efforts by CA radiation protection personnel or locals. The simulated event was an RDD consisting of Sr90 and Cs137 spread by a few sticks of dynamite. The designated evacuation area covered a few square miles and the potential relocation area extended to more than 10 miles. Food Protective Action Guides were potentially exceeded for many tens of miles downwind. Local participants were trained and assisted in searches for the radioactive material prior to the event.

In addition to observing the exercise, I had the opportunity to bring up several state concerns over changes and reductions to FRMAC capability. At TOPOFF, FRMAC no longer had its remote telephone satellite dish because funding was eliminated. That will apparently be funded again in the future. Primary FRMAC equipment is still quite excellent. It has been reduced in size and weight as well as better integrated with data handling systems. They have excellent field simulators for radiation driven exercises including “plume in a box” so that instruments read correct values based upon GPS location data. This reduces the need for controllers and constant questions about meter readings.
DOE is still normally unable to bring their high purity germanium detectors to a scene in a cool (operational) state. The first unit was operational about 24 hours after they arrived and began cooling it with liquid nitrogen. ORTEC has developed a Germanium detector that is cooled electronically so it could arrive ready to function. ORTEC will probably have a booth at our annual meeting and demonstrate the instrument. About $60k would purchase a complete system. That is a higher cost than for a sodium iodide detector system, but a Germanium detector provides much higher energy resolution and more precise determination of individual isotopes.

California plans to integrate fully with the FRMAC and will use federal field team members to do on-the-spot training of state team members. FRMAC instruments will also become the primary instruments for field team members to use. FEMA evaluators monitored several aspects of the exercise to provide credit for a state power plant exercise scheduled for later in the year. From the initial outbrief by FEMA, CA will get some credit.

For those of you who have radiological emergency response functions, please consider adding another form to your equipment kits. If you do just-in-time training of field personnel, you should have copies of your approved form for female staff to use to declare a pregnancy. Although not required to declare a pregnancy, female staff should be provided the form if they desire to do so. We are required to maintain dose to declared female workers at a reduced level but not discriminate against their employment.

The second idea that came out of the exercise is using portable electronic road signs. Your state departments of transportation should have a few of these devices. The signs can be used to notify parents of school children where to locate their children or to find out information about other evacuated special populations. They could also be used to identify relocation or decontamination locations. Messages on such signs can be easily changed and the signs are designed to be placed beside busy highways and streets. California planned to put one prior to an exit and direct parents to a parking lot just off the exit for information about their evacuated children.


Ronald G. Fraass, Executive Director
Conference of Radiation Control Program Directors, Inc.
"A Partnership Dedicated to Radiation Protection"
205 Capital Avenue
Frankfort, KY 40601
www.crcpd.org
rfraass@crcpd.org
502 227-4543 ext 2222
FAX 227-7862