Community Reception Center Simulation Program for Leveraging and Evaluating Resources (CRC SimPLER)
Population monitoring at Community Reception Centers (CRCs) is one of the most challenging activities that the local and state health departments will be involved in during response to a radiological event. Setting up and staffing CRCs requires extensive planning. This includes determining staffing and equipment needs and estimating throughput and processing times. Previous capacity predictions are based on detector response times, simplified throughput equations or estimates from subject matter experts. This method of calculating throughput does not account for the human factor or both staff and individuals arriving at the CRC as well as impact of stations beyond the initial screening process. It is important to incorporate real timing data so that estimates are realistic and as accurate as possible. CRC SimPLER integrates real processing times from CRCs across the country and provides a more empirical estimate of throughput capacity.
CRC SimPLER helps radiation emergency planners understand their current capacity, potential bottlenecks, and additional resource needs when planning for population monitoring during response to a radiation emergency. It focuses on typical or anticipated activities that are needed to conduct population monitoring, which include but are not limited to providing services such as: basic first aid, contamination screening, decontamination, registration, and mental health counseling. This program helps planners assess their current population monitoring capacity and plan for potential needs in a way that is simple to understand, quick to interpret, and can be taken or presented to decision makers if/when they need to ask for additional resources. This software can also be used as a training tool for locations that are beginning to form population monitoring plans and those who have not yet conducted CRC full-scale exercises. CRC SimPLER was developed using modelling software and incorporates real timing data collected from CRC exercises across the country.
Disclaimer
These instructions and the corresponding software, the CRC SimPLER (Community Reception Center Simulation Program for Leveraging and Evaluating Resources), are based on information obtained from real exercises and calculational models. Reasonable efforts have been made to present accurate and reliable information. The user, however, assumes responsibility for the consequences of using this information. Neither the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nor any of their employees, make any warranty, express or implied, or assume any legal responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of the information and instructions contained on this website and the CRC SimPLER software. Use of specific trade names and commercial sources does not constitute an endorsement by the authors or by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Go to CRC SimPLER
Contact simpler@cdc.gov for more information.