First Responder Radiation Assessment Tools (FRAT)
Radiation Biological Dosimetry Tools for First Responders
The FRAT is a software program that contains a number of tools useful to First Responders for the management and assessment of casualties of radiation exposure. FRAT (formally known as the Radiation Biological Dosimetry Tools for First Responders) was developed by the Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute (AFRRI) under sponsorship of the federal Technical Support Working Group (TSWG). The tool is available for downloading by Domestic State and Local Emergency Responders.
The FRAT components include the following:
Casualty Management Guidance
- Terrorism with Ionizing Radiation General Guidance Pocket Guide - provides information such as diagnosis, treatment considerations, decon procedures, and public health reporting procedures.
- Medical Management of Radiological Casualties Handbook - provides concise supplemental reading material for the Medical Effects of Ionizing Radiation (MEIR) Course and helps prepare medical care providers to treat injuries complicated by ionizing radiation exposure and radioactive contamination.
Medical Data Forms
- The AFRRI Adult/Pediatric Medical Field Record - a medical record form for gathering emergency medical information in the field.
- The AFRRI Biodosimetry Worksheet - a four page data entry worksheet that provides a means for recording case facts on radiation exposure.
Exposure Assessment Software
- Biodosimetry Assessment Tool (BAT) - a software application that equips healthcare providers with diagnostic information (clinical signs and symptoms, physical dosimetry, etc.) relevant to the management of human radiation casualties. Designed primarily for prompt use after a radiation incident, the software application facilitates the collection, integration, and archiving of data obtained from exposed persons. Data collected in templates are compared with established radiation dose responses, obtained from the literature, to provide multi-parameter dose assessments. The program archives clinical information (extent of radioactive contamination, wounds, infection, etc.) useful for casualty management, displays relevant diagnostic information in a concise format, and can be used to manage both military and civilian radiation accidents. An integrated, interactive human body map permits convenient documentation of the location of a personnel dosimeter, radiation-induced erythema, and radioactivity detected by an appropriate radiation detection device. In addition, the program archives collected information for later use in radiation protection matters. The BAT program runs on Windows 9x, ME, NT, 2000, and XP operating systems and a Pentium 200 with 128 MB pf RAM and 10 MB of free disk space.
State and Local Government organizations wishing to download and register FRAT components may do so from the AFRRI web site at www.afrri.usuhs.mil. CD ROMs containing this information will be available in the near future. Instructions for obtaining them will be posted on this web site.
Note: AFFRI is in the process of developing PDA versions of the Medical Management of Radiological Casualties Handbook and the BAT. They will be available on a new CD ROM in the fall of 2004.