Preparing for Dirty-Bomb Attacks.

The article reports on the guidelines developed by the Sandia and Brookhaven national laboratories in the U.S. for community preparedness in the event of dirty-bomb attacks. First responders need to take protective actions within the first 48 hours of the detonation of a radiological-dispersal device in a populated area. Five hundred explosive experiments were conducted over the past two decades in order to come up with the guidelines. They include ways to interpret radiation levels, triage exposed personnel and decide whether to shelter the public in place or evacuate them.