RIVM is in a state of readiness to assist and support the fire brigade, the Dutch National Police Service (KLPD) and the Regional Emergency Health Organisation (GHOR) in the event of any disasters with hazardous or unknown substances or any food-related incidents during the NSS. RIVM has a team on standby in The Hague for this purpose, with a mobile laboratory and a radiation measurement vehicle. A number of fixed measurement points for radiation have also been installed in The Hague.
If necessary, RIVM can measure hazardous materials in the air, work out how they are dispersing and assess the risks. RIVM will also examine any suspect item showing increased radiation levels or containing unknown substances. Furthermore, RIVM will take action in the event that people become ill through eating food. This may include taking appropriate measures to protect visitors to the NSS and surrounding inhabitants.
The on-site team will pass on any data it collects to RIVM in Bilthoven for further analysis, where a team will collate, interpret, model and translate the data into information that will be of use to the authorities. If necessary, a sample can be transferred for further investigation to one of the expert laboratories in the Netherlands, which are together with RIVM, organised within a Laboratory Network. The normal RIVM response organisation will remain on standby in case any disaster should occur in other parts of the country.
Nuclear Security Summit
The Nuclear Security Summit (NSS) 2014 is an international meeting of top personnel, whose object is to prevent nuclear terrorism. It is anticipated that 58 world leaders, 5,000 delegates and 3,000 journalists will be in attendance at the World Forum in The Hague.