ArmInfo. Former Deputy Director of the Rescue Service of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Armenia Nikolay Grigoryan presented an algorithm of actions against the backdrop of the US and Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities and the possible consequences for Armenia and the country's population in the event of a leak of radioactive substances.
In a publication on his Facebook page, he recalled that on June 22, the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) reported that it had not received any information about an increase in radiation levels outside Iran's nuclear facilities after the American strikes. Grigoryan added that this did not happen, and an emergency meeting of the IAEA Board of Governors was convened for June 23. "If I had to coordinate the crisis communication and public information system in our country, first of all, I would put on the tables of state and local authorities the National Plan for the Protection of the Population in Case of Nuclear and Radiation Accidents at the Armenian NPP, adopted back in 2005 - https://www.arlis.am/ru/acts/93029. In addition, the Law on Civil Defense, adopted back in 2002 - https://www.arlis.am/hy/acts/51923 and the draft amendments that have been lying in the National Assembly since 2022 - https://www.edraft.am/projects/7155/justification, which not only clearly defined the competence of local governments, but also planned to form a permanent system for monitoring the radiation, chemical and biological situation," Grigoryan noted.
Secondly, according to him, he would instruct the State Committee for Nuclear Safety Regulation under the Government of Armenia, the Department of Radiation, Chemical and Biological Protection of the Armed Forces of Armenia and the Department for Control of Radiation, Chemical and Biological Situation of the Rescue Service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, as well as the Hydrometeorological Service to conduct monitoring from the border of Syunik to the border with Georgia and inform the IAEA, as well as the governing bodies and the population of the country about it.
Thirdly, according to him, including in order to strengthen trust in the governing bodies, it is necessary to convene a press conference at which the chairman of the state committee will report on his correspondence with the IAEA: what they talked about, what concerns he expressed, what demands he made. Grigoryan believes that in turn, the Minister of Internal Affairs will have to report on what preventive measures were taken, what plans were implemented, and the Ministers of Health and the Environment will have to report on their preventive steps.
"On behalf of the government, I would appeal to the IAEA, the European Union, NATO, the CSTO, and various countries, expressing my concern, even with a deep and specific list of requests for assistance, primarily iodide and potassium.
I would distribute a press release through the general network of emergency messages in the media and bloggers and announce the time and place of the next press conference. And, if the radiation hazard were confirmed, present an algorithm of actions for the population," the former Emergencies Ministry official added.
He expressed confidence that today's responsible people can prepare more reliable posters, since in such situations, open and honest, compassionate and caring communication with the population is the cornerstone of effective crisis management. Grigoryan then presented the approximate content of these posters.
It should be noted that on Saturday night, the United States struck Iran's nuclear facilities.