AFD receives nuclear waste response training

By ROB LARSON
Daily Press Staff Writer
Erring on the side of caution, members of the Artesia Fire Department have gone through extensive Modular Emergency Response Radiological Transportation Training (MERTT) for the past two weeks, fully preparing themselves for the potential yet unlikely threat of an accident involving nuclear waste on U.S. 285.
David Lewis, senior training coordinator for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) and Certified Training Resources group instructor Tom Duffin, conducted the training. … For the rest of the story, subscribe in print and on the web.
“Since these guys are right in the direct path of the transport traveling down 285, we’re here to teach them how to respond safely and take care of themselves and the community,” Lewis said. “Besides taking them through a step-by-step process of what to do in the event of an accident involving nuclear waste, training involves presentations and hands-on practical exams.”
The training focused on what the AFD could expect in the event of an accident involving radioactive material, how to properly handle the waste and those who may have been exposed to it, and how to hinder it from spreading before it causes any further damage. Participants were also taught exactly how the waste is transported to the WIPP.