Would you be willing to give your life for others like the Japanese Firefighters?

Without question, the Japanese Firefighters are faced with a horrendous incident that keeps getting worse. One of the key tactics for now is keeping the reactor cores from going critical, which means dropping water from helicopters and operating monitors on the ground.

For the firefighters on the ground, it stands to reason that the amount of radiation they are encountering will cause cancer and a pre-mature death. They know this, yet just like the Russian firefighters in Chernobyl, many will perish because of the lethal exposure to radiation.

Would you sacrifice your life for others, knowing you will die within months?
Who would be selected to do the job, knowing it has to be done?
Do you think the politicians and opportunists attacking firefighters today ever think about this part of emergency services?

CBz

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Permalink Reply by Pierre-Louis Lamballais on April 12, 2011 at 2:30pm

Hi,

Im'not sure that,in the case of Tchernobyl or Japan, we can argue with "training" or "not training". The situation is an exception and wwe must admit that running to pick up an uranium element, then going back to throw it away don't really need training.
So the selection is not (in my opinion) possible according to "are you trained?".
The problem came from the "risk vs gain" and the fact that nuclear risk is a viscious one: a fire will burn me immediatly. A nuclear elemnt will burn me more slowly but will send me to death.
It's nice to say, in front of the keyboard "I will go". But here, we are not in front of a fire and a quick action. On the fire scene, you don't have the time to think about your wife, children and friends, Here, they have the time.

My opinion is that the selection must be made according to the family situation: if you have wife and children, don't go. If you're alone, why not.

But, I prefer being in front of my screen and keyboard than in Japan, today.

Best regards
Pierre-Louis

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Permalink Reply by Barbu-Maximilian Laurentiu on April 14, 2011 at 12:46pm

The Japanese know what they do. Agency in Vienna and eventually oversee everything will be solved. However, all respect for those involved.

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Permalink Reply by Mike Schlags (Captain Busy) Retd on May 19, 2011 at 4:40pm

Fukushima NPP Update: Assuming that there is still a good deal of interest in the Fukushima NPP accident. The Health Physics Society has recommended a presentation update prepared by the University of Pittsburgh Nuclear Engineering Department. It is pretty good.

It has a different breakdown than those previous sources that have been distributed. Good info for science nerds and folks whom want to understand more about the whole fuel – criticality – power – water – design chain.

Knowledge is power. Be informed.

CBz

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