AAHP Continuing Education Courses at the 70th HPS Annual Meeting

2025 AAHP Continuing Education Courses

Any personal or professional opinions presented within these courses reflect those of the presenters, and not necessarily those of the Academy.

 

Course 1: 16 CECs

Nuclear Detonation Response Training

9:00 am - 6:00 pm (CT)

Presenter Names

Brooke Buddemeier

Course Description

Responding effectively to a nuclear detonation requires addressing unique challenges not encountered in other radiation emergencies, such as nuclear power plant incidents or radiological dispersal devices. This training leverages insights from extensive assessments conducted by NNSA's national laboratories and incorporates FEMA's latest guidance, including:

• Planning Guidance for Response to a Nuclear Detonation, 3rd Edition (2022)
• Nuclear Detonation Response Guidance: Planning for the First 72 Hours (2023)
• Nuclear Detonation Preparedness: Communicating in the Immediate Aftermath (2024)
• The Nuclear/Radiological Incident Annex to the National Response Framework (2024)

Course Description: This one-day training provides a comprehensive overview of nuclear detonation effects and equips participants with best practices for preparation and response. The course emphasizes life-saving actions and effective communication strategies to minimize casualties and protect public health before and after detonation.

Audience: Designed for individuals who may support nuclear detonation response efforts, including:

• Health Physicists
• Radiological Operational Support Specialists (ROSS)
• Emergency Managers and Responders

Training Overview: This course combines expert-led training modules with scenario-based discussion exercises to reinforce practical application.

Modules:

Module 1: Nuclear Detonation Effects

• Overview of nuclear detonation impacts, including blast, thermal, and radiation effects.

Module 2: Zone-Based Response

• Introduction to response zones, their hazards, and appropriate actions for responders and the public.

Module 3: Shelter, Evacuation, and Communication

• Life-saving strategies, including sheltering, evacuation planning, and effective communication in the aftermath.

Module 4: National Response Framework

• Overview of national strategies for public protection, responder safety, and coordinated response.

Module 5: Population Monitoring and Decontamination

• Best practices for mass care, radiation monitoring, decontamination, psychological health, and worker safety during recovery efforts.

This work was performed under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Energy by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory under Contract DE-AC52-07NA27344. LLNL-MI-2005438-DRAFT

Course 2: 4 CECs

Radiation Safety Surveys for Multi-Energy Linear Accelerators in Radiation Oncology

10:00 am - 12:00 pm, (CT)

Presenter Names

Melissa Martin

Course Description

This 2-hour session will provide practical guidance on performing radiation safety surveys for multi-energy linear accelerators in Radiation Oncology departments. Drawing from experience conducting more than 50 surveys in collaboration with on-site medical physicists, the session will cover key components including selecting appropriate survey instruments, constructing regulatory-compliant reports, and interpreting clinical workloads in alignment with NCRP Report No. 151 and 10 CFR 20 guidelines. Participants will explore shielding considerations for linac vaults with and without mazes—emphasizing the growing use of mazeless vault designs—and learn how shielding materials such as lead, steel, and concrete affect expected and measured survey results.

Course 3: 4 CECs

Fundamentals of Criticality Safety and Nuclear Accident Dosimetry

12:30 pm - 2:30 pm (CT)

Presenter Names

Paul Maggi

Course Description

Radiation safety professionals are likely to be involved in any response to a radiological incident. Most radiation safety professionals, however, have little or no experience with emergency response or working with emergency responders, and they may be unaware of some of the tools developed to assist with radiological emergency response. This means that many of the people with the greatest amount of knowledge are likely to be less effective than we would like. The aim of this talk is to help Health Physicists to have a better understanding of some of the issues they might face and the emergency responders with whom they will be working in the event of a radiological or nuclear emergency.

Course 5: 16 CECs

Radiation Risk Assessment

9:00 am - 6:00 pm (CT)

Presenter Names

Stuart Walker, Fred Dolislager

Course Description

Radiation Risk Assessment is a full-day advanced course that focuses on specific technical and regulatory issues that Remedial Project Managers (RPMs) and On-Scene Coordinators (OSCs) address when managing Superfund sites that have a risk assessment conducted for radioactive contaminants.

By taking the course, participants achieve the following objectives:

• Learn a step-by-step approach to the Superfund remedial program's risk assessment process for radioactive contamination.
• Explore methods for conducting site-specific risk assessments.
• Discover practical recommendations for improving the radiation risk assessments conducted at your site.
• Master information about radiation risk assessment process.

The instructional methodology for this course includes lectures and demonstrations of using EPA's risk and dose assessment calculators developed by the Superfund remedial program. The target audience for this course is RPMs, OSCs, risk assessors and others that want to obtain a working knowledge on conducting Superfund radiation risk assessments.

Location and Contact Info

The Madison Concourse Hotel
1 W Dayton St, Madison, WI 53703