Speaker
Ms
ITIMAD SOUFI
(CNESTEN)
Description
Morocco hosted on 20-21 November 2013 a ConvEx 3 Exercise, co named Bab Al Maghrib. This type of exercise is a large scale joint international exercise covering the early phase of a severe radiation emergency, based on a national exercise conducted in Morocco. The purpose of the ConvEx-3 exercises is to evaluate response to a major radiation emergency and, in particular, to evaluate the exchange of information, provision of the international assistance and coordination of public information.
The 2013 CONVEX 3 exercise was based on a severe radiological emergency triggered by nuclear security events with transnational/transboundary implications. The exercise was conducted for 25 hours on real time, with the participation of 59 Member State and 10 International Organizations.
The exercise scenario was based on evolving threats and multiple nuclear security events (RDDs) in populated places. The following issues were addressed in the exercise scenario: (a) dispersion of radioactive material into the atmosphere, (b) the interface between safety and security, (c) medical and public health, (d) impact on commerce, industry and tourism (food and products contamination, contamination of vehicles, ships), and (e) communication with the public. Additionally, at the international level, the exercise focused on different protective and other response actions in connection with activities such as commerce, industry and tourism.
Protecting the public, the responders and mitigating the consequences require a clear view and understanding of the situation, the risks and the potential consequences. With this regard, beside the national organizations and authorities in charge of lifesaving, security, public protection, control command and coordination, several technical organizations (such as meteorology, aviation, maritime, health, regulatory body and TSO organizations) played an important role in assisting national authorities responsible for decision making and the protection of the public to have a better understanding of the risks and their potential consequences.
Around 15 national organizations participated to the exercise playing in three activated emergency centers: On Scene (managing the situation on the scene), at the National Emergency Center / NEC (ensuring decision making, coordination and allocation of resources), at the Technical Crisis Center.
Throughout the exercise preparation and conduct, the technical experts provide a substantial support: technical injects, exercise documents, meteorological data, plume modeling, on scene radiation safety, radiological search and survey, radiological environmental survey, decontamination, etc. In particular, the Technical Crisis Center (TCC) located at the National Center for Nuclear Energy, Sciences and Techniques (CNESTEN) acting as TSO supported the National Emergency Center (NEC) for decision making regarding the protective actions. The main mission of the TCC was to support the NEC by performing radiological risk assessment and making recommendations on protective actions for the public and the emergency responders.
The presentation will focus on the presentation of the exercise features and the role and involvement of the technical experts to support both the exercise preparation and conduct and the response to such events.
| Country or International Organisation | Morocco |
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Primary author
Ms
ITIMAD SOUFI
(CNESTEN)
