New method for presenting offsite radiological monitoring data during emergency preparedness exercises

As scenarios for exercises become more complicated and flexible to challenge emergency response personnel, improved means of presenting data must be developed. To provide maximum realism and free play during an exercise, staff at the Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) have recently devised a simple method of presenting realistic radiological field monitoring information for a range of possible releases. The method uses only two pieces of paper. The first is a map of the offsite area showing the shape of the plume for the duration of the exercise. The second is a semilog graph containing curves that relate exposure rate and iodine concentration to downwind distance and time. Several techniques are used to maximize the information on the graph