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NYC Put Out a Nuclear Preparedness PSA

What to do after a nuclear detonation.

New York City has produced a public service announcement (PSA) on the actions that average citizens should take to survive a nuclear attack.

It is a pretty basic 1.5-minute message on the actions people should take. Check out the “Nuclear Preparedness PSA.”

They could have gone into more detail, but likely decided to keep it simple. The issue is protecting people from radiation. Go inside; stay inside; stay away from windows; shower.

Here’s the basics for the advice, be it a dirty bomb (more likely) or a nuclear explosion. The actions being described above are to protect people from radiation and fallout that carries the radiation. Typically, the recommendations are to provide shielding from the radiation, thus the “go inside and stay inside.” Then the next best thing is to provide distance between you and the radiation, thus the move away from windows.

They do say to take off your clothes. I’d recommend they be placed in a plastic bag to be thrown away — not washed. Stay away from those contaminated items. Then as far as showering, from the deep recesses of my mind, from planning for a nuclear plant accident, you should use cold water to shower with so that you don’t open up your skin pores with hot water. You should use soap and shampoo to remove contaminants, without scrubbing the skin. Lastly, I just read an item about not using a hair conditioner, since that binds to the hair — so plan on being frizzy for a period of time. Not an issue I have if you look at my picture.

People can survive a dirty bomb contamination and many people will even survive a nuclear blast. Many more people will be better off if they take the actions recommended above. The big thing for a thermonuclear war scenario is the distance you are from the blast itself. If you are at ground zero, you don’t have to worry about any of the above.

My last thought — what’s with the throw lying on the floor of the apartment in the video. Very messy indeed!
Eric Holdeman is a contributing writer for Emergency Management magazine and is the former director of the King County, Wash., Office of Emergency Management.