Control Incident Perimeter

• Establishing the incident perimeter is critical for a successful and safe response and recovery
• Perimeter location depends on many factors including
  • Physical issues
    • The nature and severity of the radiation incident, e.g. RDD, IND, RED, nuclear reactor incident
    • The nature of co-existing threats like chemical and biological threats explosions, fires etc.
    • Likelihood of subsequent dangers or incidents in the area
    • Protecting critical infrastructure locations in the area
    • Managing risks from physical damage that has already occurred
  • Medical Issues
    • Responder safety
    • Public safety
  • Security issues
    • Using existing roads/structures/topography to help enforce security perimeters
    • Protecting/ gathering forensic information
    • Establishing/maintaining incident control locations
    • Protecting government and private institutions
• Boundaries reflecting levels of radiation from the incident may change over time as radiation decays

• Planning Guidance for Response to a Nuclear Detonation, Second edition, 6/2010 (PDF - 2.62 MB) (National Security Staff, Interagency Policy Coordination Subcommittee for Preparedness & Response to Radiological and Nuclear Threats)
• Harper FT, Musolino SV, Wente WB. Realistic radiological dispersal device hazard boundaries and ramifications for early consequence management decisions. Health Phys. 2007 Jul;93(1):1-16. [PubMed Citation]
• See illustration of Response area for radiological incident
• See illustration of Response area for nuclear detonation