This book discusses multiple aspects of radiological and nuclear terrorism. Do you know what to do if there is a radiological or nuclear emergency in your city? These accidents are not common, but they have happened – and even though we have not seen an attack using these weapons, governments around the world are making plans for how to prevent them – and for how to respond if necessary. Whether you are an emergency responder, a medical caregiver, a public health official – even a member of the public wanting to know how to keep yourself and your loved ones safe – there is a need to understand how these weapons work, how radiation affects our health, how to stop an attack from taking place, how to respond appropriately in the event of an emergency, and much more.
Unfortunately, the knowledge that is needed to accomplish all of this is lacking at all levels of society and government. In this book, Dr. Andrew Karam, an internationally respected expert in radiation safety and multiple aspects of radiological and nuclear emergencies, discusses how these weapons work and what they can do, how they can affect our health, how to keep yourself safe, and how to react appropriately whether you are a police officer investigating a suspect radiological weapon, a firefighter responding to a radiological or nuclear attack, a nurse or physician caring for potentially contaminated patients, or a governmental official trying to keep the public safe. To do this, he draws upon his extensive experience in the military, the several years he worked directly with emergency responders, his service on a number of advisory committees, and multiple trips overseas in the aftermath of the Fukushima accident and on behalf of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Interpol, and the Health Physics Society.
Dr. P. Andrew Karam is a nationally and internationally respected radiation safety professional with over 35 years of experience in his field. He began his career in the US Navy’s nuclear power program, assigned as a radiation safety specialist on a nuclear attack submarine. Upon leaving the Navy, he continued his career, taking positions in academia, state government, as a consultant in private practice, and as a WMD scientist with the New York City Police Department’s Counterterrorism Division before accepting his current position as Homeland Security Scientific Advisor with Mirion Technologies.
Karam has earned degrees in Geology (B.A. and M.S.) and Environmental Science (Ph.D.) and is board-certified in health physics by the American Board of Health Physics. He has authored 17 books, 6 book chapters, and over 30 refereed papers in addition to hundreds of editorials, essays, magazine, and encyclopedia articles, and blog postings on various aspects ofradiation and nuclear safety. He also presents papers, invited lectures, and posters at meetings throughout the US and internationally.
Karam also tries to remain active in his profession outside of work. To that end, he has served on several committees of the National Council on Radiation Protection and Management (where he co-authored reports addressing various aspects of radiological and nuclear terrorism), two committees of the US National Academy of Science, and serves as Web Manager for the International Radiation Protection Association. He has made a number of international trips on behalf of the IAEA and the Health Physics Society, including to Cambodia, Lithuania, Uruguay, Cyprus, and Paraguay. More recently, he travelled to Japan shortly after the tsunami and reactor accident, providing training to emergency and medical responders caring for patients from radiological areas, and he continues to provide training to emergency responders throughout the US and overseas.
Karam’s current focus is on issues related to radiological and nuclear weapon interdiction and response to terrorist attacks. To that end, he works extensively with emergency responders at all levels of government as well as with Mirion, a radiation instrumentation company, to develop instruments, procedures, operational concepts, and more. His extensive experience across the field of radiation safety will provide the foundation for this book.
