Trainer Cycle #1: Oak Ridge
October 13-24, 1997
Train-the-Trainer Program
Oak Ridge, Tennessee
November 17-21, 1997
Regional EMS Training Center, Yerevan, Armenia
January 12-16, 1998
Regional EMS Training Center, Moscow, Russia
June 8-12, 1998
Regional EMS Training Center, Chisinau, Moldova
August 24-28, 1998
Estonian Disaster Medicine Center, Tallinn, Estonia
October 12-16, 1998
Ukrainian Emergency and Disaster Medicine Center, Kiev, Ukraine
The successful management of a radiation accident is predicated upon the emergency response system’s ability to recognize the incident, manage potential victims and seek expert international consultative services. Practical continuing education programs for first-responders are lacking. Accidents can occur where trained on-site radiation personnel are not available. The program partners, BUSM, UMMS, REAC/TS, AIHA/USAID, and IAEA developed an education program to serve this need for medical preparedness in case of radiation accident.
A two-week train-the-trainer course on assessment of radiation exposure to humans, diagnosis and treatment of radiation injury, and organizational aspects of medical preparedness in radiation accidents was held at the REAC/TS facility, Oak Ridge, Tenn. in October 1997. Five training courses (above) followed the initial train-the-trainer course. The courses were designed to “echo” the original course. The courses provided the opportunity for faculty of five regional EMS training centers to conduct their first “solo” instruction of the topic.
The centers’ trained faculty fully planned and executed the course, and gave pre- and post-tests and performance tests. The program partners supervised. Twenty to thirty emergency medicine and radiation protection experts were course participants, selected by the national authorities of each country.
