National Coalition Launches To Educate, Prepare Against ‘Dirty Bomb’ Attacks

August 26, 2008

In an effort to raise public awareness to the impact of possible radiological attacks against the United States, a new national, not-for-profit and nonpartisan coalition was launched recently by a broad group of first-responders, business groups, health advocates and homeland security experts.

The Radiological Threat Awareness Coalition (R-TAC) seeks to prepare, protect, and prevent a radiological disaster in our country by providing information and resources on the risk of a radiological catastrophe such as a series of "dirty bomb" attacks.

Specifically, R-TAC will:

  • Educate the public about radiological threats and ways to protect against a possible attack.
  • Support federal and state level efforts to better prepare our nation against radiological threats.
  • Call for adequate funding of our nation's first responders to defend against radiological attacks.

The coalition also announced recently that James P. Pinkerton will serve as the organization's first chairman. Pinkerton is a former White House adviser and long-time national media personality.

"Since 9-11, Americans have known terrorism knows no borders nor boundaries. Yet we must come to grips with the reality that perhaps the greatest danger we face is inside our own borders -- here in the U.S. So we urgently need to do more to protect and prepare our country against this hideous threat," Pinkerton said.

The R-TAC mission will be reinforced and guided by a prominent Advisory Board consisting of the nation's foremost radiological and preparedness experts, including:

  • Dr. Albert L. Wiley, Jr. -- Director of Radiation Emergency Assistance Center/Training Site (REAC/TS) at Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education.
  • Dr. Carol Marcus -- Former Professor of Radiation Oncology and Radiological Sciences at UCLA's David Geffen School of Medicine; Expert on Nuclear Medicine and the Biological Effects of Radiation; Member of the FEMA Disaster Medical Assistance Team for Los Angeles and the FEMA National Medical Response Team.
  • Dr. Tareg A. Bey -- Clinical Professor of Emergency Medicine and Director of International Emergency Medicine, Department of Emergency Medicine, University of California at Irvine (UCI.)
  • Professor Bill Daddio -- Professor of Sociology of Terrorism, Georgetown University; Former Chief of Police for the U.S. Mint; Former Deputy U.S. Marshal at the Department of Justice.

For more information, visit the coalition’s Web site at http://www.r-tac.org.

Poll

What should the AirTran pilots have done after being told of remarks from Muslim passengers on the New Year’s Day flight?