Nuclear Incident Team
Personnel from the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) respond as part of the Nuclear Incident Team (NIT) in the event a nuclear or radiological incident requires the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) emergency response assets to respond. The Nuclear Incident Team is DOE's National Nuclear Security Administration's operational cell that helps coordinate the response by:
- Deploying specialized teams to resolve the incident
- Tracking the status, location, and progress of the response teams
- Surging nationwide resources including personnel, equipment, and aircraft to best resolve the incident
- Conducting planning for future contingencies while managing the initial response
- Advising senior executives on the status of the incident and possible courses of action
- Liaise with other government agencies to ensure the federal response is coordinated, timely, and effective.
Two personnel from ORISE are on call 24 hours per day. They are required to respond to DOE Headquarters within two hours of notification.
NIT watch-standers are trained to specific requirements including refined knowledge of DOE’s capabilities and on the use of unique communications systems.
ORISE developed the operational procedures for the NIT. Through a program of exercises and no-notice drills, ORISE continues to improve the NIT’s ability to operate.
