Society News Archive

9 January 2003

Chapter Alert - Dept. of Justice Expands Homeland Defense Equipment Reuse (HDER) Program Nationwide

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Office for Domestic Preparedness (ODP) is planning to take the Homeland Defense Equipment Reuse (HDER) Program nationwide in April of 2003. As part of the current HDER Program Pilot Project, volunteers from local Health Physics Society (HPS) Chapters near the nation’s ten largest metropolitan areas are available to arrange annual calibration and basic maintenance for the equipment being redeployed, as well as provide hands-on refresher training and serve as a local source of expertise for questions regarding the instrumentation. Details on HPS participation in the HDER Program Pilot Project may be found in the HPS website News Archive.

All local HPS Chapters in the United States will be invited to participate in the program as part of the planned expansion of HDER. However, for your Chapter to be certified for participation, at least one member will need to attend one of two training sessions that will be offered in conjunction with the San Antonio Meeting (the maximum number of attendees per Chapter is limited to two persons). The dates and times for these training sessions will be (1) Wednesday, January 29, 2003, from 6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. and (2) Thursday, January 30, 2003, from 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Reimbursement for one additional night of lodging, as well as meals, will be available through the Secretariat.

If your Chapter would like to participate in the HDER Program, please e-mail George Anastas at Anastas@eeg.org and indicate which briefing you would like to attend. We will get back with you with additional details.

Representatives of the Chapters that are already participating in the joint HDER Program are welcome to attend these sessions.

Thanks for your help. HDER is a good program and will provide continuing benefits to the nation’s emergency responders!

George Anastas