The RadCon Primer For Kids
LESSON ONE
Bud And Sally Do Decon

Bud needs a control point area (CPA).
Bud needs a CPA that's not to big, not to small, not to short, not to tall.
Bud needs a CPA that will not expose him to massive doses of high energy ionizing radiation.
Bud and Sally can make a CPA with colorful signs and rope and tape.
What colors will they use? Red and Green? No. Blue and pink? No.
They will use yellow and magenta because these are bright, annoying colors that tend to make people worried.
Bud has tied Sally up. Cut that out Bud.

Now Bud and Sally have a CPA.
Now they can go into the high radiation area (HRA) and do their chores.
Bud must sweep up all the dirt and dust in the HRA.

"It's very dusty in here," says Bud.

"Don't breath in any of that dust Bud," says Sally.

Sally must pick up all the things left in the HRA.
Sally will pick up tools, radiometers, cigarette butts, candy wrappers and old magazines.
Do you know what a radiometer is? That's OK, neither does Sally.
Maybe Ted will come and get the radiometer later.
Look at all the stuff they picked up.
They will put it in a big yellow bag.
Now all that stuff is called RAM, or radioactive material.

Soon it will be dinner time.
Bud and Sally need to go home now.
But first Bud and Sally must "frisk" themselves out of the CPA.
Bud take your hands off of Sally.
They will be using a portable radiac with a shielded probe for detecting electron and alpha emitting particles of surface contamination.
Can you say surface contamination? That's OK, neither can Sally or Bud.

-Beeeeeeeeeep-

Uh-oh. It looks like Sally is contaminated.
Her arm is now emitting high energy particals.
Bud is hungry but he will stay and help decontaminate (decon) Sally.

"Thank you Bud.",says Sally.

First Bud will try to wipe off the contamination. But the radiac is still going beep.
Next Bud will try to wash it off. But that didn't work either.
Now Bud will try the tape press.
That's where Bud puts a piece of tape on Sally and then rips it off.
Not to hard now.

"Ouch!" says Sally.

Sally is now decontaminated to a level just slightly higher than background.
Bud thinks they should decon the rest of Sally just to be safe.

"That's OK" says Sally.

Now Bud and Sally can go home.

But wait. They have forgotten something.
They have forgotten the RAM.
Bud and Sally must find somewhere to put the yellow bag.
Bud and Sally roll dice to see who gets the bag.
Bud loses. What will Bud do now?

Should he put the bag in a dark place where no one will find it?
Maybe he could just drop it in a garbage can?
No that would be bad.
Should he notify the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency).
No, that also would be bad.
Bud will give the bag to the local RAM storage facility.
Bud is now late for dinner and Sally ate his piece of pie.

Lesson 2