A nuclear power plant emergency response team (ERT) is an
incident response team composed of plant personnel and civil authority personnel specifically trained to respond to the occurrence of an
accident at a
nuclear power plant
A nuclear power plant (NPP) is a thermal power station in which the heat source is a nuclear reactor. As is typical of thermal power stations, heat is used to generate steam that drives a steam turbine connected to a electric generator, generato ...
.
Each nuclear power plant is required to have a detailed emergency plan. In the event of a potential accident (as defined by the
International Nuclear Event Scale), the ERT personnel are notified by beeper and have a set time limit for reporting to their duty station.
Potential duty stations include:
* The nuclear power plant's
control room
* The nuclear power plant's Emergency Operations Facility
* An offsite (i.e., not near the nuclear plant) operations facility
* A news center
* Roving teams of
health physicist
Health physics, also referred to as the science of radiation protection, is the profession devoted to protecting people and their environment from potential radiation hazards, while making it possible to enjoy the beneficial uses of radiation. He ...
s who scan for possible
radiation
In physics, radiation is the emission or transmission of energy in the form of waves or particles through space or through a material medium. This includes:
* ''electromagnetic radiation'', such as radio waves, microwaves, infrared, visi ...
* Police traffic direction
In the United States, ERT personnel are required to train twice a year and typically train four times. The
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) (with support from the
Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and other agencies) grades some of the drills.
Annual Update on the Status of Emergency Preparedness Activities
/ref> The drills normally are not announced in advance so as to simulate "surprise" conditions.
See also
* List of nuclear power stations
* List of nuclear reactors
*Nuclear Emergency Support Team
The Nuclear Emergency Support Team (NEST), formerly known as the Nuclear Emergency Search Team, is a team of scientists, technicians, and engineers operating under the United States Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration ...
(NEST) - different from ERTs here
* Nuclear reactor technology
References
External links
Federal Radiological Emergency Response Plan (FRERP)--Operational PlanFederal Radiological Preparedness Coordinating Committee (FEMA)Illinois Emergency Management Agency FAQs
Nuclear power
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