Niagara University Emergency Preparedness Workshop
Global Nuclear Awareness Guest Presentation
June 2, 2018
9:30-11:00 A.M.
LL Gallagher Center Multi-Purpose Room
Nuclear Risks, Radiological Hazards and Personal Protection
Public and professional interest in nuclear risks is pragmatic and urgent. It doesn’t matter whether the cause of a nuclear or radiological event is hostile, accidental or industrial, whether it is an emergency incident or chronic environmental exposure. People want to understand the risks and realities, the facts and the consequences of plausible and likely nuclear incidents, exposures and contamination. The public wants to be confident that the civil defense and emergency response network is capable and ready.
Current nuclear risks and radiological hazards
Guest Speaker: Tedd Weyman
9:30-10:15
The opening presentation will address the current threats locally and globally. It will review the basics of nuclear reactions, bio-physical principles of radiation, human exposure and radiological risk vectors. Some of the more controversial issues of nuclear matters will be addressed: the context of climate change, fusion energy, and the environmental hazards of the Canadian and US nuclear industry on the Great Lakes. The modern nuclear weapons arsenals and practicality of military defensive solutions and civilian defensive solutions will be discussed. We will also gain a clue of what would be faced and what must be done by a brief examination of the 1945 bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki (Japan) and the consequences for local communities and first responders at Chernobyl, Three-Mile Island and Fukushima.
Basic Requirements for Personal and Family Protection
Guest Speaker: Paul Zimmerman
10:15-11:00
The detonation of nuclear weapons, be it by war or terrorism, or a Fukushima-type accident will produce zones contaminated with radioactivity. These once peaceful surroundings, so easily taken for granted, will instantly be rendered hostile to health. For people caught in an enhanced radiation environment, the number one priority is to remain safe from harm. This is not at all difficult for one who is properly educated in advance and who has made relatively simple preparations. The top priority is to acquire a basic understanding of nuclear radiation and its hazards. Following in importance is knowledge of simple radiation detection equipment and its usage. Only through instrumentation can a person determine when it is necessary to take shelter, whether or not the chosen shelter is adequate, and when it is safe to exit the shelter. The third mandatory area of study is the science of radiation shielding and methods for creating an effective fallout shelter. This lecture will cover all of these subjects in nontechnical language and provide an introduction to what is required for personal and family protection in a radiation emergency.