According to the BBC, there is a radiation alert in an Edinburgh school...
"Emergency services were called to the Regent Language Training School in Chester Street at about 1900 GMT after the discovery."
So, it's a school... I suspect it may have been a school before it was a "languages school", whatever in the hell that is...
"The packages were found inside a cupboard, which was being cleaned. They had markings indicating they contained radioactive materials."
Riiiiiight. So we have clearly marked containers of something radioactive. What's the problem? Pop out yer Geiger counter, and see if there's an increase in background radiation, if it's safe, get it signed over to someone who can use it or dispose of it.
"The fire service and police have launched a procedure called National Arrangements for Incidents Involving Radiation.
Eight fire engines and 28 fire service personnel were attending the incident. "
We're paying for this, and they are taking the piss. Again. It's not a full scale radioactive (booga booga booga) incident, it's likely a couple of old physics related sources for showing kids Alpha, Beta and Gamma radiation in the lab. If it was something untoward, do you think they'd be clearly marked as radioactive? How the hell did this become a full scale newsworthy incident? Who are these people?
2 comments:
Indeed, what use are _eight_ fire engines needed for. They needed one guy (possibly in protective clothing, a geiger counter and a couple of police cars to cordon the area off.
A couple of them seem quite sufficient.
Some pictures of the precautions here:
http://www.24dash.com/news/Communities/2008-02-28-All-clear-after-Edinburgh-radiation-alert
Oh and if you google for 'Regent Language Training School, I have to ask what is 'Fox News' doing covering a non-story in Edinburgh?
Of course for the police and fire service I suppose all of this is good practice for a real chemical, nuclear or biological incident. If they treat it as a full scale incident, they everyone gets a good work through of their emergency procedures.
Even still: eight fire engines? Were there no other emergencies in Edinburgh during the evening?
It's security theatre. Obviously it only fools the stupid and credulous but that's good enough for government work.
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