Emergency

Preparedness 

& Incident

Response

NUREG/BR-0342, Rev. 2

January 2011

A Multi-Tiered Approach

The NRC has a multi-tiered approach to 

carrying out its mission to protect the public 

and the environment. Headquarters operations officers are on duty 24 hours a day, 7 

days a week, 365 days a year to maintain 

contact with licensees and to initiate the 

NRC response to any incident. The NRC has 

four regional offices (see the back panel for 

details) that cultivate key stakeholder relationships in each region, maintain oversight of 

each licensee through inspection, and respond 

to incidents as appropriate. NRC resident 

inspectors who are stationed at (and live near) 

each nuclear power plant provide daily oversight and inspection of licensees. Licensees 

are subject to random and formal inspection 

of plant activities and equipment at any time, 

24 hours a day. The NRC periodically inspects 

licensees’ plans, procedures, equipment, operating records, maintenance records, training 

programs, and corrective action programs.

U.S. NRC Headquarters

Office of Nuclear Security and Incident Response

Division of Preparedness and Response

11555 Rockville Pike

Rockville, MD 20852-2738

301-415-7000

U.S. NRC Region I

475 Allendale Road

King of Prussia, PA 19406-1415

610-337-5000

800-432-1156

U.S. NRC Region II

245 Peachtree Center Avenue N.E., Suite 1200

Atlanta, GA 30303-1257

404-997-4000

800-577-8510

U.S. NRC Region III

2443 Warrenville Road, Suite 210

Lisle, IL 60532-4352

630-829-9500

800-522-3025

U.S. NRC Region IV

612 E. Lamar Blvd., Suite 400

Arlington, TX 76011-4125

817-860-8100

800-952-9677

Web Site

www.nrc.gov

http://www.nrc.gov/about-nrc/emerg-preparedness.html

For Citizen Preparedness

www.ready.gov 

E-Mail Us

EmergencyPreparedness.Resource@nrc.gov
Mission

The mission of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory 

Commission (NRC) is to license and regulate 

the Nation’s civilian use of nuclear materials 

to ensure adequate protection of public health 

and safety, promote the common defense and 

security, and protect the environment.

Key Partnerships

The NRC coordinates with other Federal 

response partners and State and local entities 

to ensure that preparedness and response 

capabilities are in place to protect the public 

in the event of an incident. The NRC provides 

oversight of emergency planning for nuclear 

power plants and their surrounding communi-

ties. The Federal Emergency Management 

Agency (FEMA) provides oversight for the 

“offsite” State, local, and Tribal response 

organizations and evaluates the effectiveness 

of the emergency plans and exercises. The 

NRC uses FEMA’s findings and recommenda-

tions when making the final determination of 

the adequacy of licensees’ plans. The 

public also plays a key role in this program 

by making a plan for themselves and their 

families, staying informed, and following the 

directions of public safety officials. 

Division of Preparedness 

and Response

The Division of Preparedness and Response 

within the Office of Nuclear Safety and Incident 

Response in Rockville, MD, provides technical 

expertise for emergency preparedness issues and 

coordinates the agency’s response to incidents 

involving NRC-licensed facilities and materials.

Emergency

Preparedness

The emergency preparedness staff members 

coordinate comprehensive oversight of the 

emergency preparedness program in coopera-

tion with the NRC regional offices and in 

cooperation with FEMA. Examples of 

emergency preparedness responsibilities 

include the following: • developing inspection program guidance 

and inspecting licensee response 

capabilities and performance

• reviewing new reactor license applications 

and revisions to existing licenses

• updating and clarifying regulations through 

rulemaking and guidance

• partnering with stakeholders in emergency 

preparedness and response, including State 

and local governments

• coordinating preparedness activities with 

DHS, FEMA, FBI, and other Federal agencies

Incident Response

The incident response staff ensures that the 

NRC is in a constant state of readiness to 

respond to an incident at a licensee’s facility 

or involving licensed material. To accom-

plish this, the NRC regularly participates in 

emergency drills and exercises. Examples of 

NRC’s responsibilities for incident response 

include the following: • providing incident response capability 24 

hours a day, 7 days a week

• maintaining the NRC Headquarters 

Operations Center

• maintaining the Regional Incident 

Response Centers

• independently assessing facility conditions 

and monitoring licensee response activities

• monitoring plant protective actions and 

mitigation strategies

• maintaining qualifications of NRC incident 

responders

• coordinating response activities with DHS, 

FEMA, FBI, and other Federal agencies

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Protecting People and the Environment