Wednesday, July 02, 2008

Senate hearing discusses federal response plan for a nuclear attack

A June 26 hearing, called by the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, focused on the nation's ability to provide care and meet basic needs in the aftermath of a nuclear attack.

Paul McHale, assistant secretary of defense for homeland defense and America's security affairs in the Department of Defense, painted a bleak picture of the devastation a 10-kiloton improvised nuclear device could bring to a city:

  • Total destruction within a one-half- to three-mile radius
  • 1 million evacuees
  • Contamination up to 3,000 square miles around the explosion site
Included among DoD's response are a team of 4,000 to 6,000 military personnel trained in medical triage, radiological assessment and decontamination; 59 U.S. Army chemical companies capable of mass personnel decontamination; and more than 300 U.S. Marine Corps personnel trained in search and rescue, emergency medical care, and stabilization of contaminated personnel.

W. Craig Vanderwagen, Department of Health and Human Services assistant secretary for preparedness and response, said 160,000 volunteer health care professionals in the Medical Reserve Corps could assist in caring for victims. Additionally, HHS has established partnerships with various organizations to treat victims with nuclear blast-related injuries, he said.

07/02 at 05:40 PM
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