6. Emergency Preparedness Organization and Principles for Protection of the Public
6.1 In the Visaginas Region
Protection of the resident population in the town of Visaginas
is effected by Visaginas authorities based on corresponding emergency plan. This
plan is developed by the regional Civil Defence Headquarters and is coordinated
with the plan developed by the National Department of Civil Defence. There is
local off-site emergency center with adequate communication capabilities in Visaginas.
In case of accident notification of the residents of Visaginas is under remote control
through cable communication lines between Ignalina NPP and Visaginas. Notification
system of the residents of Visaginas includes:
- one-way loudspeaking communications network including 91
street loudspeakers installed all over the town and hooked up to the town radio center;
- automatic emergency warning sirens installed in the town;
- conference call cabinet whereas home telephones of the
plant administration and top officials of town organizations are hooked;
- wire transmitting network consisting of town radio center
and broadcasting receivers installed in apartments and organizations.
There is no shelter in Visaginas. The emergency plan provide
for various actions to protect members of the public if required by conditions
following a nuclear accident. Actions could be taken in the affected areas are:
- Sheltering: People would be advised to stay indoors
and close doors and windows.
- Consuming stable iodine tablets: In release contained
radioactive iodine, tablets containing ordi-nary potassium iodine would be given
to people in the affected area. This would reduce the amount of inhaled iodine
absorbed into the thyroid gland and thus reduce the risk of developing thyroid cancer.
- Evacuation: People would be advised to evacuate
to temporarily areas close to the accident site, which are out of the path of
radioactivity being blown by the wind.
- Control of food and water supplies: Experts from
appropriate government departments would act to ensure that consumers are protected
from consumption of food which is known or believed to be contaminated. Restriction
on the consumption of local products (or water) might be introduced if necessary.
The Visaginas population including the plant personnel is evacuated
by the decision of the Government in accor-dance with the plan of the Department of Civil Defence.
