Although many jurisdictions have general purpose sheltering plans for natural disasters and other non-radiation related emergencies, these plans are not sufficient for those displaces by a radiological incident. In response to this national gap for radiation preparedness, NACCHO collaborated with the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to create the Radiological Sheltering Tabletop Exercise (TTX) Toolkit.
The toolkit supports local health departments (LHDs) and community stakeholders in developing and implementing effective public sheltering plans, specifically when responding to a major radiation emergency. The toolkit aims to do the following: identify strengths and areas for improvement in mass shelter plans for radiation emergencies; promote LHD use of CDC’s Guide to Operating a Public Shelter in a Radiation Emergency; and increase LHD access to tools, strategies, and other resources related to public health and radiation preparedness.