Learning to read the METER

Don’t be alarmed by the fire trucks in front of the Institute for Applied Health Sciences. It’s only a drill.

For the next two days, McMaster will be hosting dozens of healthcare and emergency response practitioners for a unique training course called “METER” (Medical Emergency Treatment for Exposures to Radiation). Coordinated and presented by Health Canada, participants are receiving world-class training from Health Canada’s Radiation Protection Bureau and the Department of National Defence.

“This is the first time such a course has been delivered in Hamilton, and only the third time in Ontario,” says Dave Tucker, senior health physicist at the University’s Nuclear Research Building. “We’ve got a great bunch of people here, and this is all part of our responsibility to develop emergency response capability.”

Day 1 offers a comprehensive review of radiation effects and radiological emergency response, while Day 2 will provide more hands-on workshops and exercises in radiation detection, the use of PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) and contaminated casualty treatment.

The local aspect of the course was developed in collaboration with McMaster, Hamilton Health Sciences, St. Joseph’s Healthcare and the City of Hamilton (Public Health). Other participants in the two-day affair include staff from the city’s Emergency Management team; the Hamilton Fire “HazMat” (Hazardous Material) team; Hamilton Police Services’ Emergency Response Unit; Hamilton Public Health officials; and McMaster’s own Emergency First Response Team.

“The focus of this course involves the medical care of patients exposed to radiation,” explains Tucker. “It’s a rare opportunity to connect all of these different services, and work with both theoretical and practical knowledge. The experience of working together as a team is invaluable.”