Background
An assessment study in 1996, sponsored by EC, identified the lack of systematic training on off-site emergency preparedness (OSEP) as an important limiting factor for successful functioning of OSEP in many Eastern European and NIS countries. Provisions for systematic training of various personnel involved in OSEP were a high priority item for the EC assistance on OSEP. After all of the beneficiary countries confirmed in spring 1997 their interests in such training on OSEP, it was decided to launch Tacis projects on a regional basis, in order to be cost effective and to promote coordination and cooperation among the participating countries.

Two projects were implemented:

• TAREG 02/4A: Development of Training Material for Off-Site Emergency Preparedness (this contract);
• TAREG 02/4: Training on Off-site Emergency Management (see contract 25434);

The objective of the project TAREG 02/4 (Contract 25434) was to organize and execute a programme of training courses for groups of persons from the following countries: Belarus, Kazakhstan, Russia and Ukraine. The training was to be organized on a regional basis, the training Centre being located at the Institute of Physics & Power Engineering (IPPE), Obninsk, Russia.

The material for the training lectures and practical exercises of these courses had to be prepared in advance. This material was to be based on the best OSEP practices in EU countries, and, where appropriate, also include the IAEA work in the field. The development of this material represented the subject of this project TAREG 02/4A.

Objective

The general objective was to provide the background information necessary for the training of all groups involved at national level in the TACIS Countries on off-site emergency preparedness.

The specific object was to provide a set of training modules covering the subjects of the lectures for the various groups of people involved in the off-site emergency preparedness and in practical exercises envisaged for OSEP training.

The material for the training was organised in packages or "training modules", which constituted the basis for the lectures, as follows:

    1 Basics of nuclear emergencies

    2 Overview of Emergency Preparedness

    3 Items in an Off-Site Emergency Plan

    4 Radiation Protection

    5 Environmental Radiation Monitoring

    6 Accident Assessment

    7 Impact Forecasting

    8 Intervention Principles and Procedures

    9 Decision Making Support Systems

    10 Informing Public and Relations with Media

    11 Emergency Response Provisions and Services

    12 Emergency Response Techniques

    13 Emergency Medical Services

    14 Off-Site Emergency Exercises

    15 International Co-operation in Case of Nuclear Emergencies

    16 Emergency Preparedness for Other Nuclear Facilities and radiological Accidents.

The following groups of persons involved in OSEP were envisaged for the training:

    Group 1 Decision makers

    Group 2 Planning and management personnel

    Group 3 Decision making support personnel

    Group 4 Emergency response personnel (fire brigade, rescue teams, police, etc.)

    Group 5 System operation personnel (radiation monitoring and forecasting persons)

    Group 6 Medical and technical support personnel (medical and laboratory specialists)

    Group 7 National OSEP instructors for the general public.

Only selected training modules were appropriate for each group of persons.

The courses also were expected to include some exercise sessions, conducted to enhance practical knowledge on specific topics, as well as to allow participants to gain specific hands-on experience with the tools used within OSEP.

Results

The contractor identified the possible content of the training modules in order to obtain the best organization and the most suited number of the lectures, taking into account the timing and budgetary limitations.

For each lecture the contractor prepared a note corresponding to one hour presentation as well as the related overheads. The notes were in English. References were provided at the end of each lecture note.

For the preparation of the lecture notes the contractor took into account the approach to the off-site emergency preparedness developed in the EU countries. The Contractor also made use of the existing IAEA know-how in the field.

The contractor prepared plans for the scope of the training exercises.

The training materials prepared represented one of the inputs to the project TAREG 02/4 (see Contract 25434).