The course prepares emergency response personnel to respond to an incident involving a radiological or nuclear weapon of mass destruction (WMD), such as a radiological dispersal device (RDD or “dirty bomb”) or and improvised nuclear device (IND). The course begins by giving the participants a conscious awareness of the fundamentals of radiation, health effects, recognition and terrorist use of radiation and radiological material. Participants are given hands-on experience with radiation fields while learning the basic operation of radiation detectors and dosimeters.