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Searchers

30 Comments

Fukushima police officers, wearing suits to protect them from radiation, search for victims in Minami-Soma, inside the deserted evacuation zone established for the 20-kilometer radius around the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear complex, on Friday.

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30 Comments
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Dirty, sad job, but somebody has got to do it.

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Funny (and not). My friends ex-wife is teaching inside the 30km evacuation zone. School is delayed only 2 days. Wasnt it last week when the government was encouraging people in the 20-30km zone to leave? But schools are open and students are expected to return. What message, exactly, is the govt sending to people?? It seems as though 2 years ago many schools were closed due to the flu epidemic. But they wont close the schools due to radiation??!!?? I have lived in Japan 15 years and still cant figure this country out. So my point is,are all these students dressed like these guys? How about the teachers?

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What do searchers for dead bodies have to do with schools, etc.

Sounds like just more scare-mongering from another uninformed party to me.

The area within 20km and 20-30km is very different. Doubt it read OVERSEAS expert opinions.

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The news this morning was talking about the first convienent store to open back up within the 30 but like you say kori, last week there was talk on the local news about the government suggesting it might be a good idea to leave.

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These "suits", rubber gloves and boots will NOT PROTECT them from anything except than alpha type radiation. Beta, gamma, X-rays and neutrons will pass through those paper, nylon or cotton suits straight into the body. It is one of the biggest myths being propagated that these "suits" are for PROTECTION. They just prevent the wearer from becoming CONTAMINATED; any radioactive material on the suit will just penetrate the body, as long as it is in close proximity. If the wearer does become contaminated, they should discard the suit/ undergo DECONTAMINATION process and leave the area. They will still have absorbed a dose of radiation, which can be calculated later.

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They are all heroes

No they are doing their job. Heroes rise above and beyond the call of duty.

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I wonder if they chant a cadence, walking along...

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they are doing what they are told to do, wearing a paper mask or suit will not protect you, there is no-one left to save just bodies to find. I am sure they think they are safe. I would not let any of my family within 80km of the place. A hero in Japan is someone who prevents these things from happening (and goes to jail) these people find comfort in doing the daily grind, It makes them feel comfortable. Good luck to them.

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How does that "suit" project anything... these peoples lives are at risk and it seems tepco and the government doesn't care about these workers.

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The suit can prevent radioactive particles from touching the body and/or entering through the mouth, nose, eyes, etc. They are discarded on the border of the restricted zone and the personnel undergo a two stage decontaminatio. The suits, however, do not protect against gamma or beta radiation and the workers will recieve whatever radiation is in the environment. 0.0018 millisieverts per hour @15km from the plant as of this morning. Yearly dose in Tokyo is 3.8 millisieverts. WHO limit for emergency workers is 28.0 millisieverts.

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They are all risking their lifes to save people,

They are looking for bodies, saving them from what? Cops get paid to do dangerous jobs, there is little heroism in earning your pay. Volunteers doing stuff like this are heroes, cops are just doing their duty.

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How dare any of you say that these police 'are just doing their job'...

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"the 20-km radius"

Unless I was a Fukushima Daiichi plant or rescue worker with full radiation-protective gear,I wouldn't be within 80 km of that nuke plant.

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Unless I was a Fukushima Daiichi plant or rescue worker with full radiation-protective gear,I wouldn't be within 80 km of that nuke plant.

If you are the prime minister, your comment will scare all Japanese people and make a chaos in Japan. There are more reasons to stay or move south ... There are more scientific reports for safety and information to inform people where to live, work and do social works.

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80km? You may as well wear a lead lined CBRNE suit around Tokyo. Just be informed that the suits weigh upwards of 70lbs and still can't block neutron beams. Even specially trained military specialists can't wear them for more than 2ー3 hours without passing out from heat exhaustion. And, you have to wear a diaper.

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"Some of us have family to care for"

If you really care about your family, you won't have them being within 80 km of that out-of-control nuke plant. You don't think dangerous levels of radiation can travel 80 km, or that the U.S. government doesn't know what it be talking about when it comes to stuff like this?

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And, you have to wear a diaper.

With your statement, I believe you are from the moon ... How many foreigners, including diplomats are living in ... less than 80km radius or in Tokyo, what are they thinking and feeling ... ?

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Kentaro75, you can check at WHO website

Possibility and scientific reports are not final facts in reality, but you can check with other resources for your safety concerns.

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@lovejapan9. You really do have to wear a diaper in a full antiーradiation suit. Unless you want to soil a $20,000 suit, as you can't take it off without leaving the containment zone and going through a twoーstage decontamination process. (usually takes 1 hour)

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Moderators of Japan Today, Wanderlust is quite correct, so please correct the caption of the picture. The suits are to protect from contamination NOT radiation.

Thank you.

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Yes, I agree full heartedly. "Just doing their job" does not begin to state what these brave police are doing. I hope somebody thinks about covering up their eyes and facial skin. Protect these people, they are so very hard to find and what a national treasure they are.

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I agree that the cops are going above and beyond. The suits will help them keep radioactive dust from contaminating them but any radioactive energy will go right through. There are a lot of selfless people who are doing nasty jobs under dangerous circumstances. Thank you to all of them.

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Normal police job is law enforcement, searching for bodies in radiation contaminated environment is not "normal job" for them. Yes these brave policemen are doing something "beyond the call of duty" and they deserve the title of "national heroes".

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...there is no-one left to save just bodies to find.

Just read an AP article bout the reporters finding a 75 year old man, Kunio Shiga, stranded alone at his home within the evacuation zone of Fukushima since the earthquake/tsunami. He is out of water and short on food and unable to get his car started to leave the area. I guess not everyone is dead in the area.

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Normal police job is law enforcement,

no it includes law enforcement, it actually is the protection of citizens and the maintenance of order. Heroes would have actually gone ahead and searched the area thoroughly before waiting for it all to calm down, typical cops playing it up for the masses.

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They are all heroes.

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

No they are doing their job. Heroes rise above and beyond the call of duty.

They are all risking their lifes to save people, they surely must be the greatest heroes of Japan.

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

Unless I was a Fukushima Daiichi plant or rescue worker with full radiation-protective gear,I wouldn't be within 80 km of that nuke plant.

You and all other American, Sarge. Maybe all you Americans over-cautious. Some of us have family to care for, jobs etc and won't be leaving.

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

So, Sarge - all us 1.5 - 2 million Japanese should move out of the American 80km zone? Where to? When will the Americans tell us it is safe to move back? We Japanese are not happy about the power plant, but we are strong and will keep fighting.Never give up!

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

Thanks LoveJapan!

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

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