Response Modes

The NRC's response to an event may range from routine follow-up activities to a complete activation of both the Regional Incident Response Center and the Headquarters Operations Center. The NRC uses the following formal modes for responding to events at its licensed facilities:

Monitoring - A heightened state of readiness for incident information acquisition and assessment.

Activation - The NRC staffs its Headquarters Operations Center and Regional Incident Response Centers and declares the agency "Activated" for incident response. The regional office may prepare a team of specialists to rapidly travel to the site if needed.

Expanded Activation - Headquarters Operations Center and Regional Incident Response Centers are fully staffed. If the situation warrants, an NRC site team has been dispatched to and arrived at the incident site to interact with the licensee and other Federal entities.

The NRC may sometimes enter a response mode for a non-emergency event or in response to a non-reportable event. Examples would be when NRC is in response to a hurricane that threatens one or more facilities, or in response to a specific terrorist threat.