22 EH&S participated in several radiation safety sessions throughout the year, and throughout the state, to expand the radiological comprehension of Iowa's first responder network. EH&S participated in valuable meetings with professionals from the Quad Cities Generating Station (QCGS), the Iowa Department of Health & Human Services (Iowa HHS), and the Iowa HHS Bureau of Radiological Health. QCGS: In September 2021, EH&S delivered freshly-calibrated radiation detection equipment to Clinton and Scott counties during the annual radiological training at the community reception center (CRC) in Clinton County, Iowa. A Growing Knowledge Iowa HHS: Effective January 2022, EH&S began a new partnership with Iowa HHS to assist in radiological emergency planning and training across the state. A strong start: One of the first joint efforts was submitting a $75,000 grant application for FEMA funds to purchase new radiation monitoring equipment for Iowa’s hazardous materials response teams. In September 2022, EH&S learned the grant would be funded. A portion of the funds will be used to support EH&S in training the responders to use the newly-purchased equipment. How we got here: The Iowa HHS Bureau of Radiological Health considered hiring a new staff member, but EH&S proposed that its Catch up fast: The annual radiological safety refresher training is part of EH&S's commitment to Iowa’s Homeland Security and Emergency Management Department. As the supplier of calibration services and equipment, EH&S is responsible for maintaining the equipment in the CRCs — designated facilities stocked with the equipment necessary to support the evacuation of the public if there was an emergency at the QCGS nuclear power plant — and providing expert training on the detection of radioactive contamination and subsequent decontamination activities. Of note: EH&S is part of the Radiological Emergency Response Team effort for the QCGS. If there was an emergency at the QCGS, EH&S would provide a trained field team and coordination group to respond to the incident. The Department of Energy (DOE) Radiological Assistance Program (RAP) and the 71st Civil Support Team (CST) both use advanced radiation detection equipment. This equipment identifies the chemical composition of radioactive contaminants. The trailers of radiation detection equipment are ready for deployment at the workshop held on the university's campus. The trailers belong to the US Homeland Security's MDDU (Indianapolis), the 71st Civil Support Team (Des Moines), and the DOE RAP (Chicago).
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