HHS will evaluate the numbers and types of victims and along with the local/state/regional/tribal officials determine the effect on local and regional healthcare. HHS with the assistance of DOD, DOE (FRMAC), IMAAC, and local government will evaluate the size of blast, radiological dispersal, type of radionuclide(s), number of injuries and categories of injuries. An RDD/IED will cause a surge in victims of blast injuries, burns and radiological exposure and/or contamination. In addition, civilian assets from the Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) may be requested to support the immediate and continuing staffing needs of providing health care to victims of the incident. Once the severity and scope of the Explosive RDD has been determined, HHS will deploy personnel including as appropriate from USPHS and, NDMS. This function includes the assessment of the public health care system/facility infrastructure. HHS, in collaboration with DHS, mobilizes and deploys ESF #8 personnel to support the ERT-A to assess public health and medical needs. ![]() *Non-boxed text is common to all scenarios.ĬONOPS for Explosive RDDs is in the red framed boxĬONOPS for non-explosive RDDs (NERDD) and Radiological Exposure Devices (RED) is in the blue framed boxĪs in the introduction, non-essential points are in the gray box ESF #8 Missions: Initial Actions and Continuing Actions Assessment of Public Health / Medical Needs *Tasks are organized as in the ESF#8 Section of the National Response Framework. To avoid excess duplication and to emphasize the commonality, the CONOPS uses the following organization: “We’re the go-to place for anything drone related.The CONOPS of an Explosive RDD, non-Explosive RDD and RED have much in common. “Our testing capabilities, operational best practices, and aviation experience make us an ideal partner for a wide range of projects, both civilian and military,“ Porter said. The EPA is one of several government agencies, including NASA and NOAA, that have collaborated with the UMD UAS Test Site to conduct various types of research. “In the past, tests like these would have required use of a manned aircraft, or perhaps a crane with a boom extended over the burn site,” he noted. “The goal was to keep the drone in the middle of the plume so the EPA could gather as much information as they could,” said Mark Porter, project manager for the Test Site.īecause of their size, maneuverability, and lower cost, drones can be of tremendous value in performing this kind of work, Porter said. With the help of the sensor-equipped drone, the EPA team was able to obtain measurements for a number of carbon compounds and smoke pollutants. “The smoke blew back and forth as the wind changed direction, and we had to continually move the aircraft so that it remained in the center of the plume.” “Normally, we would create an automated flight plan, but in this case manual operation was needed,” Gaus said. The new, propane-fueled burn unit is expected to produce much lower emissions compared to the existing wood-fired unit, Hartzell said.Īs smoke drifted up from a burn site at the Naval Support Facility Indian Head in southern Maryland, UMD UAS Test Site pilot Josh Gaus flew an M600 drone-equipped with an EPA-provided Kolibri air emission sensor-in a hover pattern above, while two visual observers, stationed respectively to the left and right, assisted in keeping track of the aircraft. On October 14, the UMD UAS Test Site assisted a research group from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Office of Research and Development and the Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) Indian Head Division with tests of a new, more environmentally friendly burn unit.ĭata from the tests “will be used to validate the new explosives decontamination unit and to quantify the expected reduction in pollutants compared to the legacy unit,” said Jeanne Hartzell, the coordinator for this environmental research project, which is being funded by DoD’s Environmental Security Technology Certification Program (ESTCP). ![]() ![]() One common way to decontaminate explosive residues is through burning.īurning, however, releases pollutants into the atmosphere. UMD UAS Test Site Team Assists EPA and NSWC Indian Head DivisionĬleaning up decommissioned explosives production and processing equipment is no simple task: the scrap may contain cracks and crevices that could conceal explosive residues that must be removed before disposal or recycling.
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