Rapid Response Registry

At a glance

  • The Rapid Response Registry (RRR) helps to swiftly establish exposure registries for local and state public health and disaster response agencies.
  • Data collected for registries can be useful for learning about environmental exposures, disease characteristics, and risk factors.
  • The RRR survey helps to register those exposed to chemical, biological, or nuclear agents during a disaster.
Aerial view of a building in a city on fire with firetrucks putting out the fire.

What it is

ATSDR's RRR survey instrument gives local and state entities a registration tool. The survey registers responders and other persons exposed to chemical, biological, or nuclear agents from a disaster.

Definition‎

A registry is a database of information on specific individuals, maintained over time. It's useful for understanding environmental exposures, disease traits, and risk factors. This data aids registrants, health professionals, and the scientific community

The survey was developed and revised based on extensive input from federal agencies, state and local health officials, and emergency responders. The RRR was developed using experience gained after the following events:

  • Oklahoma City bombing
  • World Trade Center response
  • Three-mile Island nuclear accident
  • Chernobyl nuclear accident

It was tested and further revised during 10 field exercises and national TOPOFF exercises and National Level Exercises (NLE).

Impact

ATSDR widely disseminated the RRR survey instrument. It is currently used by at least 22 state health departments in their state-wide disaster preparedness plans.

The information collected can be used to:

  1. Support real-time needs assessments during a public health emergency.
  2. Assess future needs for:
    1. Medical assistance.
    2. Health interventions.
    3. Health education for public health planning purposes.
  3. Contact enrolled individuals with information regarding:
    1. Potential exposures and adverse health impacts
    2. Health updates
    3. Available educational materials
    4. Follow-up services.

The RRR survey instrument was also acknowledged in the Report To Congressional Requestors (U.S. Government Accountability Office, 2008).

Our approach

The two-page form can be distributed on paper or electronically. It can be implemented quickly to collect information to identify and locate victims and people displaced or affected by a disaster. It requires five minutes or less to collect information.

For mass casualty events, ATSDR identified four critical fields sufficient to establish an official registry record. They only require about 90 seconds to complete for each registrant. The critical fields are:

  1. Name
  2. Sex
  3. Home address
  4. Telephone number(s)

Other basic information includes:

  • Demographics (ie. age and status and place of employment)
  • Health information
  • Exposure information
  • Exposure-related health effects
  • Immediate health and safety needs
  • Health insurance

Resources

RRR survey instrument

Supporting documents

Related links

The RRR was developed using experience gained after the following events:

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Content Source:
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry