DTRA Reservists teach course on nuclear incident response

  • Published
  • By Argen Duncan
  • Nucleus editor
KIRTLAND AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. --  Reservists based at Kirtland are teaching first responders all over the country how to respond to nuclear terrorist attacks.

The Defense Threat Reduction Agency's Reserve component at the Defense Nuclear Weapons School involves 32 of the 240 people who work for the agency, said Inspections and Education Chief John Stocker III. One is a soldier, 31 are Airmen and most have full-time jobs outside of DTRA.

They teach the two-day Introduction to Radiological and Nuclear Incident Response course.

"The whole purpose is educating the first responders," Stocker said.

The objective is to give them a better understand i ng of what happens so they operate with greater confidence, said Reserve Component public affairs officer and instructor Maj. Bruce H ill. Students come from all levels of law enforcement, fire and emergency-medical organizations, the military, federal agencies and other entities.

Some of the people who responded to the Boston Marathon bombing in 2012 had been through the course, and the reservists trained Philadelphia police and anti­terrorism personnel before Pope Francis' visit there last year.

Locally, New Mexico State Police emergency response officers have been getting nuclear material training through the class for two years.

"It's a real-world experience. Our officers get a lot out of it," said State Police Capt. Mark Rowley, director of hazardous materials and radiation protection.

Rowley also appreciates the opportunity the class provides to develop relationships with other agencies, and that i t's free for State Police.

New Mexico law dictates that State Police have specially trained officers to handle hazardous materials incidents, as well as check for illegal nuclear materials and make sure legal materials are transported properly. Radiological research, storage and transportation all go on in the state.

"So if there's an accident, our guys and gals need to know h ow to respond to that," Rowley said, adding that nuclear incidents are different from other hazardous materials situations.

Of 234 emergency response officers, 101 have taken Introduction to

Radiological and Nuclear Incident Response, Rowley said. He hopes to have the rest complete it in the next 18 months and go on to more advanced classes.

Each year, the Reserve component teaches the class 20 to 25 times to a total of 700 to 1,000 students, said Tech. Sgt. Nicholas Martin, instructor and operations non-­commissioned officer in charge of the Reserve Component.

Maj. Paula Hawley, Reserve component senior intelligence officer, said the program is unique in that it trains a lot of civilians as well as military personnel.

"We try to focus on the terrorism aspect of use of a (weapon of mass destruction) against a target, such as a special event, or a city hub," said Hawley, who works with the FBI when she's not teaching as a Reservist.

Reserve component Chief Col. Joli Garcia, trained as a nurse, said a 2006 study found the vast majority of first responders had no knowledge of radiation or what to do in a nuclear attack. So, that year, the Introduction to Radiological and Nuclear Incident Response program started, Martin said.

If terrorists were to stage a nuclear attack on a major city, a number of responders with various specialties from local, state and federal agencies would come to hand le different jobs. The situation would involve a lot of moving parts, Martin said.

Hawley said the course teaches what happens with a nuclear terrorist attack and what entities respond. Hill said expert instructors cover personal protective equipment, basic nuclear science, crisis communication and more.

At the request of clients, instructors often take the course on the road from Virginia to Michigan to California. Although reservists have led classes in Germany and the Virgin Islands, the program focuses on the continental United States.

Sometimes, the Reservists offer a course at their own initiative, but Marti n said that strategy only works in large metropolitan areas.

After completing the Introduction to Radiological and Nuclear Incident Response course, students may continue with more in-depth courses at the Defense Nuclear Weapons School.