Tracking and Predicting the Atmospheric Dispersion of Hazardous Material Releases Implications for Homeland Security (2003) / Chapter Skim
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2. User Needs
2. User Needs
Pages 11-18
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From page 11... ...
The historical precedent of nuclear weapons test monitoring attests to the usefulness of accurate atmospheric modeling studies as a means of retracing the transport of airborne C/B/N agents. Transport modeling may also assist in determining sensor sensitivity and sampling requirements as well as preferential locations for monitoring (either systematically for wide coverage or specifically for suspected terrorist activities)
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From page 12... ...
, prevailing weather patterns and predicted atmospheric transport effects were used by protection forces to identify areas of heightened vulnerability or risk and, correspondingly, to help allocate available monitoring resources for maximum coverage and effectiveness. While improved transport modeling would be useful in the case of real emergency events, existing models have proven useful for satisfying these preventive resource-allocation and training needs.
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From page 13... ...
Emergency response protocol establishes the official primacy of local authorities in dealing with such emergencies, although state, regional, and federal resources may be actively engaged in providing various degrees of supplemental support. The experience and training of these early emergency response teams is especially crucial during these chaotic first few hours following a release.
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From page 14... ...
and a decision as to evacuate or to shelter-in-place civilian populations in event impact areas. Over the next several to 12 hours, the emergency response team will be working to refine these evaluations and predictions, to assess the downwind impact zone in accordance with atmospheric transport and dispersion models so as to provide timely warning to threatened downwind populations, and to provide support for recovery efforts involving response personnel entering or re-entering affected areas.
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From page 15... ...
The emergency responders who participated in the workshop uniformly agreed that in real emergency events, the atmospheric modeling community should speak with a single voice. There is general dissatisfaction with the large number of seemingly competitive atmospheric transport models and services now supported by various agencies.
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From page 16... ...
Additionally, because of conflicting concerns over liability for decisions made and actions undertaken during the difficult first few hours following a terrorist attack, many in the responder community urge that atmospheric dispersion modeling and prediction be managed as a federal service. As discussed in greater detail in Chapter 4, most models predict the average dispersion (over a large number of realizations of the given situation)
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From page 17... ...
With appropriate attention, the committee believes atmospheric transport and dispersion modeling can meet these needs and substantially enhance our national emergency response capability. RECOVERY AND ANALYSIS There is no specific timetable that establishes when recovery from a harmful atmospheric release begins.
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From page 18... ...
event simulation exercises should be convened regularly to bring together emergency response teams and members of the atmospheric modeling and observational communities to help establish and exercise a common set of data interface and decision support protocols. Emergency responders face a confusing array of seemingly competitive atmospheric transport model systems supported by various agencies, and in many cases, they do not have a clear understanding of where to turn for immediate assistance.
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