福島県支部に到着したものの、他県支部の動向や線量値から、救護活動をせず撤退を判断した救護第2班の救護班要員からの寄稿です。
救護班全員がヨウ素カリウムを飲み、放射線量測定器の使い方を確認した上で、福島へ向け出発しました。線量値を測定しながら向かいましたが、測定器からの警告音がものすごく、恐怖感で押しつぶされそうになりました。先行して福島に入っていた山形県支部は、線量値の高さから撤退を決めました。ここで撤退することは福島県の方を裏切る選択になると思いましたが、救護班メンバーで話し合い、撤退を決定しました。救護班は、放射能汚染の中で活動するための訓練を受けておく必要があると感じました。
This content is about an essay contributed by one of the second relief team members from the Japanese Red Cross Nagahama Hospital. The team arrived at the JRC Fukushima Chapter but made a decision to leave Fukushima without providing relief activities. They made the decision by referring to other chapters' decision and the air radiation levels in the affected area:
"All of our relief team members took potassium iodine tablets and learned how to use radiation measuring devices before leaving for Fukushima. We traveled to the affected area by measuring air radiation doses. The warning beeper of the device was so loud that the feeling of fear was overwhelming. A relief team from the JRC Yamagata Chapter was already in Fukushima before us. They decided to leave Fukushima due to high radiation levels. We thought that a choice to leave Fukushima would betray people of Fukushima but made a decision to leave there after having a discussion among the relief team members. I felt that relief team members should need to receive training if they provide activities in an environment contaminated by radiation.