Protective Action Dosage Reduction Estimator

PADRE is an interactive software program developed to simulate an emergency response to airborne releases of chemical agents. It was developed by Oak Ridge National Laboratory for FEMA. PADRE helps emergency planners evaluate protective actions for chemical emergencies. The program asks the user about accident parameters, the emergency response and the protective actions employed. PADRE then graphically presents the user with the results of the analysis, showing accumulated dosage received by someone with no protection versus someone implementing the chosen protective action (i.e., evacuation or sheltering).

Summary statistics include plume arrival time, plume departure time, percent of population protected when plume arrives, exposure to someone standing outside in the path of the plume, expected exposure reduction, and potential exposure reduction given perfect warnings and 100% response. PADRE allows the user to change scenarios (i.e., different size accidents, different protective actions) and analyze the resultant change in exposure to chemical agents. PADRE utilizes an atmospheric dispersion model developed by the U.S. Army.