| The
Indian River County Department of Emergency Services as a Host
County representative for the Florida Power and Light Nuclear
Power Plant is required to participate in a Federal Emergency
Management (FEMA) evaluated Radiological Emergency Preparedness
exercise. On January 21,2004 the multi-agency task force of
the Radiological Emergency Preparedness Division, Fire Rescue
Division, Emergency Medical Division, Indian River County Department
of Health, Indian River County Sheriff Department and the local
chapter of the Red Cross demonstrated their outstanding capabilities
of emergency preparedness. The required criterion established
by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) was successfully
evaluated through the simulated demonstrations of traffic and
access control, monitoring and decontamination, distribution
of Potassium Iodine (KI) and temporary care and sheltering of
evacuees from St. Lucie County. The purpose of the exercise
is to assure that adequate measures to protect the health, safety
and welfare of Florida residence and visitors who would be affected
by a radiological emergency at the St. Lucie Nuclear Power Plant
are in place and can be implemented. The Federal Emergency Agency
stated that Indian River County Radiological Emergency Preparedness
exercise demonstrations set the bar for excellence. Several
of the implementation procedures will be used as guidelines
for other national exercises. |
