Radiation Emergency Preparedness Tools: Virtual Community Reception Center

Radiation Emergency Preparedness Tools: Virtual Community Reception Center

[Announcer] This podcast is presented by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. CDC – safer, healthier people.

Hello. I'm Kevin Caspary, a Health Education Specialist with the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education.

Following a mass casualty radiation emergency, public health professionals will play a crucial role assessing people for radiation exposure, screening for radioactive contamination, and prioritizing for further care. This process, called population monitoring, will be conducted in community reception centers, or CRCs.

In an effort to enhance radiation emergency preparedness, the CDC Radiation Studies Branch and the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education have developed the Virtual Community Reception Center, vCRC. vCRC is a web-based training tool that provides an overview of the CRC process for planners, managers, and potential CRC staff.

vCRC is a self-paced program that uses a simulated 3-D environment, embedded video segments, an interactive process flow diagram, and customizable supporting resources to deliver a unique training experience for all users. The innovative four-panel view was developed to accommodate multiple learning styles and to enhance situational awareness while navigating the program. Combining the interactive flow diagram, 3-D environment, and floor plan allows users to walk through a CRC while in the training and planning stages, an experience that can strengthen subsequent CRC drills and exercises.

vCRC is a self-paced program that uses a simulated 3-D environment, embedded video segments, an interactive process flow diagram, and customizable supporting resources to deliver a unique training experience for all users. The innovative four-panel view was developed to accommodate multiple learning styles and to enhance situational awareness while navigating the program. Combining the interactive flow diagram, 3-D environment, and floor plan allows users to walk through a CRC while in the training and planning stages, an experience that can strengthen subsequent CRC drills and exercises.

vCRC has been approved for continuing education credit and can be viewed at emergency.cdc.gov/radiation. To order this free product on CD-ROM, send an email request with your name and address to cdcinfo@cdc.gov. Remember to put "vCRC" in the subject line. Additional resources for public health professionals are available on the COCA website at emergency.cdc.gov/coca.

[Announcer] For the most accurate health information, visit www.cdc.gov or call 1-800-CDC-INFO, 24/7.