Responsibilities
The KDHE Radiological Emergency Preparedness (REP) Program works to ensure the safety of Kansas citizens from accidental or purposeful incidents or accidents involving radioactive materials through planning, training, exercising, and responding.
Radiological incidents fall under Emergency Support Function (ESF) Number 10, Oil and Hazardous Materials, of the Kansas Response Plan. KDHE is the Primary agency for radiological incidents, as assigned under the Kansas Response Plan and ESF 10. KDHE is the lead state agency for operational radiological response in the state of Kansas. KDHE radiation staff remain on call 24 hours a day/seven days a week for notifications of radiological incidents and will respond to the site of an incident as needed.
The KDHE REP Program maintains extensive radiological emergency response procedures to guide the agency response for all types of radiological incidents.
Staff Duties
Staff from the REP program provide radiological response training to:
- Agency staff
- Other state and local government officials
- Hospitals
- First responders including law enforcement, fire departments, and ambulance services
- Other public and private organizations as requested
All KDHE Radiation Control staff participate in regular drills and exercises to maintain their knowledge and skills and build partnerships with other agencies and organizations.