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launched to recovery
the you
are
at a wall
the a
though
this is a record of people who have settled in unprecedented disaster
in this episode we visit the town
me how did in Fukushima Prefecture after the accident at a nuclear power plant
the tailgate its citizens medication to protect them from mediation
rules nestled in the foothills west at the
up in the mountains
me how to use a small town with a population of 18,000
it this castle town has flourished over the centuries since medieval times
the chain is famous for its huge weeping cherry tree
said to be one thousand years old
it
that resistance fourteen years till K every spring
300,000 people flock to me hoping to be we Energies
lights light LED wall
all
the most beautiful season in the heidi was about to begin
with near weights
low
we'll
me how do we shaken by intense training is the destroyed will's and houses
and through the town into confusion the disaster at the nuclear power plant 50
kilometers
East me how did plunge the tune in to 30k miles
midst
Enlil we had to obtain iodine tablets to protect its citizens from mediation
it official government authorization to administer the tablets
was not forthcoming this unit
you we didn't trust that we were being given the information
you really want it'll so the only choice we had
was to try and protect the townspeople or school
knowing do a little the new with the residency
to use its top priority the town took matters into its own hands
and instructed people to take the tablets
this issue we were kissing nurses and so we don't usually administered medication
elderly initiative me wait
the so we knew that if anything happened
interactions were questioned it spill into their careers in public
bill and as midwives and nurses what's that
the
need confusion and in certain records
the tongue and its own standing reached its residents to take the medication
this is the story of the struggle to reach that decision
the
1
the day after the earthquake
Tokyo Electric Power company's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant
was in a dire situation you'll
at 5:34 a.m. the government order the evacuation at fifty thousand citizens
you the the people candidate ID
not what I want to bomb the orchestra pit date with I'm uploading
as a litany what do you think your seat
place you'll see that I could've you through the what the
Ortiz the evacuation zone was expanded from three kilometers
210 kilometers at this point
a crucial evacuation route was the road stretching from the plant
towards me how did would 288
world
yes numbers at residence from towns like local
situated near the planned headed over the local mountains to me hooded
way
the
to march 12 the Town Hall became the emergency response headquarters at me
the
at the headquarters support was being provided to residents affected by the
disaster
funny how did she know till who was heading up the operation
received a call it was a request for me
to taking evacuees he
lying on a call from the police on the morning of March 12 saying that people
were being evacuated
the and asking how many people me how did
taking he already had our hands full
looking after the residence me when I asked how many people
the police for said 700 and we felt we could handle
so you members by step started preparations
but in reality
five thousand evacuees descended upon the town
nine
relationship to stick in two thousand people but that was the limit
good afternoon
in a hydrogen explosion hit me up to one it was plain to see that the crisis was
worsening
the 10-kilometer that you Asian zone that was supposedly an extra caution
was no white in 220 kilometers all
meanwhile town officials were making the rounds at the shelter is dotted around
me
ideal
she said taking no Chi public countenance
was giving advice to evacuees way
the from here to there nearly 30 trucks from the self-defense forces were
stretched all the way till
and they were also nearly twenty big tourist buses in the open space over the
hill
the town's gymnasium was overflowing with people who had fled with only the
clothes on their backs
taking lucci went from one person to the next
listening to their health problems a pregnant women from the town near the
power plant
had a question about some tablets she'd gotten hold
it was the first time taking in which he had ever seen these round tablets in a
yellow packet
hostage in question neither I nor the
other nurse on duty head ever seen established the
so we were asking where did you get these
what were you told when you don't then Houston
she was told before leaving that it was
are you doing for the thyroid and to take it before being exposed to
radiation
the New York State Google
she'd been told it was up to her whether or not to take it
still she asked us what she should do so
he couldn't sit there and there's still we ask you to wait until we went back
and did some research
in she said it's okay
turkey no cheese which aim to the public health and welfare division
and explained what happened at the shelter that
she consulted in in the field division director he do you keep cool
he was in charge at the town's people's health management all
she also has public health news the local circle
meeting you know about the tablets all
PP in place simply didn't have a clue what it was in
even when I its name I was still
didn't know anything about it so I needed to do some research to find out
more
a low the next to me
who deal in his public health and wealth 13 he can there be surgeon earnest
all
all the templates was stable iodine all
an important route they can protect against exposure to radiation
all stable
design templates work in the following me the radioactive iodine is admitted in
a nuclear accident
tends to be absorbed by the thyroid located in the neck
this can lead to cancer
the militantly
taking million radioactive stable iodine tablets
fluid it is possible to block the radioactive iodine
all the new for all
laundry asians there said analogy to my dying can cause a range sure if even
all the distribution at the tap it requires
authorization for the national or provincial government in the presence of
a medical professional
while
the cheeky side is willing to take the tablets
the new intake in 24 hours before radiation exposure
loaded ninety-three percent protected
that as time passes their
witness diminishes the taking
eight hours after the explosion all the forty percent effective
than 24 hours after it's down to just seven percent
all its you sure that that its be taken at the right time
way
take a new chief became aware the invisible dangers
radiation crystal
but situation I refuse to literature then I started getting really scared
we wandered if we're even actually say fears in thinking about my own exposure
to radiation as well
the
all I started getting really worried
this'll it was then I realized for the first time
the gravity of the situation world
the results if the public health teams research was sent to the town's
headquarters
it
all the information was reported to she can do for KL
the head at the Emergency Response expertise he had never even thought
about nuclear accidents people
well little in terms of understanding nuclear power
we just started was other people's business to know
those beyond the mountains in the Costa Regional
that's what we thought at the time you'll
that day tell official arrived in the Hudson
Oakland with the power plant is situated gene
Ishida dealt with disaster prevention O'Connell
and was will do it's definitely an agency's
he should have helped evacuate the
local residents and seem to react to explode before his very eyes
he realized the full scale of the disaster all
all reactor one exploded then
from just above the pine trees well or rather reddish brown smoke shop
said you hear it yes it is
well is it like just when see the Oakley I was surprised he she has extensive
knowledge about nuclear emergencies
he decided to its issued for advice on
all suspected nuclear disaster management low she did join the team at
the Town Hall headquarters
and immediately set about soothing the contamination levels
are he showed for Kia and his team a simulation a dispirited radiation
produced by Austrian researchers world
are calculated the flow the atmosphere and
tension the direction in 10 innings spending law
the whole what level of contaminants were coming in
however the spreading seeing without these facts
there's no way of knowing how to protect the residents see I told them the
situation
all for example the concentration is unknown
but it's possible a radiation plume me so this way soon
all or a high concentration might be coming
this we discuss these things looking at the simulation settle
should does in fact have its own diffusion prediction system called
speedy the government developed it to calculate contamination accurately
am or that
to the earthly or I'll outages meant who showed a definition sources were missing
and contamination levels could not be calculated
the decision on whether to administer a leading
depended on the system law the government had stumbled it
mister dole
law
one able to obtain admission so stated
the nuclear safety technology center need calculations
using estimated figures after the accident
on the 13 good mediation diffusion and concentration
were estimated based on the assumption that one at the realities was completely
ruined
the only misty line indicates the area where I don't consumption was he quieted
immediately after the disaster the government produce diffusion politicians
based on various scenarios everyday me but such data never reached me
did official
the diffusion radiation jim Dale Anges
so much the human body was being affected by slowly deal
he's with the things we wanted to know about Citadel
this unit when you this would determine we destroy the townspeople
and how we deal with the situation little soul
this was the most critical thing in this disaster Sony
dole she we did contact the prefecture
to request the information we wanted little still
lights unfortunately the answer we got was
I'd we don't know word
at 11 a.m. on March 14th second hydrogen explosion occurred
this time in reactor 3 doing the plant into an even more critical situation
or
this
with no wait for the pizza chain he said
gathering information himself he decided to monitor wind direction using Ustream
this is where the wind stream it was installed
plastic streets were attached to the end of the world
he monitored with directional
by attaching a streamer at the end of the road
about four meters long here is the plant
from here that will
beyond the PSP that's real
me
well he installed the streamer on the rooftop pencils
I instructed his still to gather more information
the
we only had TV and the Internet as news sources
he light told my step
they must use imagination and resourcefulness
in order to make decisions will and that's what we all set out to do
war
on the afternoon at the 14
keno cheered her colleagues headed to Fukushima city to visit the potential
continental
Nate found out that the prefetching had stopped supplying
will
or
in addition to the existing stockpiles for the 16 surrounding
the prefetch it was procuring tablets that could be distributed the
he was a room at the headquarters
in the corridor in front if it was filled with reporters and other people
centrist amidst the chaos there were boxes so
iodine tablets carelessly stead
it was quite taken aback at this site said
anyone could have just taken get secret
I told the person in Church Hill many we wanted he came to the mall quite
carelessly
and I wondered if this was okay world school
Akino chief security
tablets but the 7200 48 residence
aged under forty who needed to take the medication
she sought the advice that they expect Ishida
on when the tab that should be taken he warned her that the next day
the 15 would be the most dangerous state yet
warnings
he said at that point was hit by further explosions
we will lose their home till so
I remember that he repeatedly it
sticky unit that was when it first hit me that our lives really were in danger
little
the wind direction: in the timing the easterly wind worky
he said he was just praying that the mountains would drop the radioactive
contaminants
it she kept a record it everything
Ishida told good
he shoulda seen particularly concerned with the direction at the weekend
passing over the nuclear plant the weather forecast predicted that the next
to me
the 15 the wind direction which Egypt its bpm
to in easterly wind blowing from the plant of
for the more rain was also forecast in the afternoon
mean combined with the easterly wind
raised the possibility that spot supply mediation we did
are
eliminated the forty who with information that danger they had the
next 18 to
details disaster response headquarters called an emergency meeting
all on the chin all the distribution of
iodine tablets law
all between division directors recently the meeting
cool to understand what ordinary citizens 19
the meeting called upon those who knew little about my dad
leads to hear their views all
the Whitley to police incisions the
that in the norplant
exploded soul I was aware that radio activity was likely to be leaking
he skewl life at that point
we still hadn't heard from the government's the power company
or the media wall there had been no contact
no reports still
I killed we should ascertain the radiation levels
and make our own decisions just
all if we were to handle the tablets or it would give the impression that the
situation in me
was already is that is in the areas near the plant
tools all get any the townspeople would think
that was what respectively telling them this saying it's been a little
additional
that was the more immediate concerns me
looking at the school in
normal situation never faced its ally you want to give a clear answer
they just had to search for the best solution
GATT good
after the 11 it wasn't feasible to conduct discussions with the prefecture
like we usually do it
and in a way as the prefecture had given us the templates
to distribute them without their authorization was
unavoidable in such an emergency you'll
history losses we could handle the tablets without instructions to take
them
and find out radiation levels were high it
in or we could ask people to take them just in case
realize levels were by after all
which would have more serious consequences all
I'll we thought there was a greater risk of being exposed to high levels in
realizing too late to do anything about it
so we should have the model
it was after 11 at night when the mir was informed that the meeting's
conclusion
to distribute the tablets as quickly as possible
it
a all world public health nurses had
found in their research that there were some known side effects
he anymore they weren't life-threatening
and so we decided to go ahead wiesenthal
if that was the conclusion that the director meeting
we should do it whatever happened
we were prepared to assume full responsibility
the and that was what we decided the EU
me the same time preparations for the distribution were already underway
law the public health and welfare division had organized the listing above
the seven thousand townspeople
the weight to be given the journal they'll still listed as hell
30 town hall-style to label the envelopes you
you
they divided up the challenge envelopes for each sold according to the number of
people
and their age
me for distribution the public health nurses
faced a difficult decision you
this is the government issued manual regarding iodine administration law that
requires the presence of a medical professional in distributing the Titans
it was decided don't use with focus on dealing with victims of the disaster the
distribution in the late nineteen its
would be handled by public illnesses for
at-home is this basically a powerful tool good
any medication can only be given out and administered with the doctor's
prescription
this is your cart we work as nurses Ixia in so we don't usually administered
medication
your own initiative always that
so we knew that if anything happened interactions were questioned
it could spell the end for careers in public health
singing in dis need why it's in the nurses what's that
it
around 6 a.m. on March 15 to the plant's reactor buildings suffered explosions
there was considering the containment vessel it reacted to
in March 8 this would lead to particularly high levels of
contamination
it
at this time the wind in the plant facility was blowing toward the single
we did the extensive spirited the contamination
this to reach me heart is through the early morning news on TV
imports me Lisa G
200 smoking tokens idid kim looked a touch that
junior poses and you're not there yet so so stable that
him updated against
posing using you its 30 you want a
let you know that michael c beautiful socialist coverage
your place mister T list according to the report
significant radiation contamination had already reached
a bulky 1.5 times for the from the plant and the hunted
it
etienne
as soon as the mayor arrived the tell made its decision
on iodine distributional
to love it you know it was predicted the northerly wind
with turns southerly you and then easterly
and we get rain or sleet here by the afternoon
15 sweet also so we knew the danger
a radiation plume being hit by the rain would be great is that
geopolitical little
given the situation with reactors 2&4
that morning all we were convinced that the timing
had become critical so we inform the mare
as soon as he arrived that we saw today
would be the right time to administer the tablets
the old playing believable that was what we tall
with an alternate reality to
radiation levels in the area whilst at 11 a.m.
the government instituted those living within a 30-kilometer radius to stay
indoors
way on the room for the Town Hall
oakley is windstream could not take accurate recordings as intended
what since the surrounding hills political voice in the wind
way
hoping to find a more suitable location to call you consulted
because he is so calm down the town council channel
who had a good knowledge in the Eastern approaches at Calle
conder suggested a hill in the northern part of me how did
it was open to the east which would allow the flow of the win to be
monitored
said it was a spy
the top of the hill way there was no danger to the fullest sparking the lean
the
this working at this bar in volunteering at a soup kitchen there since the day
after the earthquake
was understanding she handle
safety receiving the weekly special
she hard headed to the storage shed with
she found a teenager long-planned all and some plastic States
both
the women's team she made at the time is still here C
please she installed it on this tree there was a strong me
Sep which direction was the win
glowing with health theory
she hears yes them all
so that last text yes to the tell or flowing directly to the lowest
the its
the wind was blowing from the direction at the nuclear plant
inflaming the worst here's jihadi took it flew to the Town Hall
you also they look at
heaving OT I was a great movie
because it was unprecedented
a
cutting which so buying new we needed some proof
the wind was blowing this way we must
in the form of a photo day the could be taken
and brought here to keep his day to each other stay
ok a little which was why I faster to take the full
to educate residents about the iodine
the town enlisted the help of the board members at seven residents associations
it was
whose time the drug was being distributed in a town beyond the
immediate vicinity of the nuclear plant
people over 40 had to be in full and
that they did not need to take the tablets while children require lotus's
the residents associations were enlisted
to inform people love you said the idea and tablets
and the possibility of radiation contamination way the net and produced
it
only about taking on a diet that listed in detail the target age group
those who shouldn't take tablets the precautions
when it
instructions for taking the journal which he explained when the tablets were
given out
the No
are
the emergency PA system was also utilized to make sure the message got
real
they are each also Danny Hart is equipped with the wireless receiving
the instruction to take the tablets as soon as they were received was brought
against picketing
low the
all
instead she's relying on TV or the internet
town officials did their my own research before deciding to administer the i'd
that 1 p.m. who three days after
facing the Titans they began handing them out
the wall
all
this is a quote from that game woohoo
the supervision at Nueces
the distribution centers were set up around the low it was a decision that my
own ties the president's safety over everything else
waldholtz
if you look more nervous than usual and there were lots of questions like
me is it really better to take the tablets
nunc please make sure you take them
see I told them of course they're not a miracle pill
but they limit the absorption of dietary so it was important to take them
especially children says all
most at the residence took the drink immediately
in this household with a four year old bowling
the family discussed whether now was the best timing
before deciding to take the tablets is all
its chip cookie sheet
seen them all to manage to hand out the Capulets amidst all that confusion
they had to do so much in such a short time
told me about the United I didn't think they would go out of their way to
endanger the townspeople it's such a difficult time
much she traditional the time was much closer to our daily lives than the
national government
he much in Austin I'll
Chile trust the people who run the tales so that's why I decided to take the
tablets
you know what do you know on this models along with the usual
all day wouldn't want anyone else to go see what we did
well p.m. the distribution at the tablets was nearly complete
Kudo the Director of Public Health received a call from a potential
government official
Paul he owns on whose authority
we were acting and I told him the town was taking responsibility to act under
the mayor's direction
he took a he said we needed authorization from the government
or the prefecture's disaster headquarters most
your and the tablets were to be distributed under the supervision of a
doctor
so what we doing opposed to that
the government's decision making was a mess but we should he said we needed a
daughter
you but if you read carefully it says you need medical professionals already
cheap valuations and your
she and not necessarily doctors should
I pointed this out to him and challenged what he said will
the he said in a forceful tone
despite order you to recall the tablets she must
he was an official from the Regional Medical Affairs Division e
I argued that he needed the authority of the governor to give out such an order
people and he said as it's an emergency situation which is
I'm assuming that responsibility over all during the recall is the tablets
you mustn't so I said I can follow your orders and
this places we argued back and forth we call them
no we can't he said we call them one last time and hung up
soul we just carried on with our plane souls
watched
the distribution ended 6 p.m. in the end
ninety-five percent at the 3300 in three households
Missy it at least
as forecast if he can meaning that any me
it there was some residents who decided against taking the cabinets
when discussing it with her three daughters this month it was told by her
eldest college-age daughter and
that she didn't want to take them
tissue all she said I'm not taking them
because there's a risk of side effects day
hit I couldn't closer to take girls
its loaded in the middle child said
she wouldn't take them either hint that to me
suddenly became too wondered wasn't right to make
only the youngest take them we decided not to take them
immediately total and we chase can stand for the time being
its me will win a
think about it I really regret it you regretted
all he s kill
distributed the template time him
and a really should have been taken immediately
civil to
reading and hearing your information
later on stay so I realized that was the right
timing to guess apparent
the fact that I didn't help them take the tablets
right away he is something I really regret
civil since I realized that he's still looking for ways to prevent any further
radiation
exposure cool
after distributing the iodine tablets the time record it to pieces have side
effects
needed in Sydney's 1
all in May 2012
14 months after the nuclear incident Tokyo Electric Power Company
released radioactive emissions a case for the first time
the
according to this document the emission figures for radioactive iodine 131
split at one point in time under the total
500 Apple's 200
rules released it is
the pool
the contamination was concentrated on March 15th and 16th
this was precisely when the I don't and it's taken by the beholder residence
women's difficult
using it fellini in terms well what we were being told by the government's
or the powers that be he didn't trust that we were being given the information
you
all we really won't mystical
this for me still the only choice we had
was to try and protect it tells people ourselves
so the user that was the priority which kills
you little
communicate if we had waited for instructions from the government you
it would have been too late for the fifty issuing
think it turned out that was predictable
penny Hill at that time
this list best option school
there was no information Prefecture
for the government to help us with that decision that
deal people will include say we were all
they missed at nearly blameless
*** this is a simulation
dispirited radioactive material P did the new window into this
in the morning at the 15 case you don't let me hold you in the afternoon
leading to significant changes in the eating area
in the end the contamination in me do was deemed
lower than the government initially administering iodine
he'll with the wind direction: the timing of the rain that day
people they still feel than us
was just engines
lawful that's what I think
just by chance heater day was hit by a train
all just happened to be that time that day while
depending on that movement the wind and the rain will
it could have been us or any other till
it was just a matter of luck
all the luck might be more appropriate word
but think that's what it boils down to
for the sake of the residents the team with me considered what he could do
with already
swiftly took action
decisions to states million who and in its conflicting information
can we believe and should we ask
these are questions with the news loans
law
all
low