NEI Nuclear Notes

The following guest post comes from Elizabeth McAndrew-Benavides, senior manager of workforce policy and programs at NEI: Anne Shatara is a single, working mother who in addition to her regular job at a nuclear energy facility has an intriguing third job. She is part of the facility’s emergency response organization (ERO). "I hold the position of dose assessor," said Anne. "In the event of an emergency, this position is responsible for gathering data and determining if radiation is leaking from the facility." Elizabeth McAndrew-Benavides Many wonder who is eligible to serve on an emergency response team.  The answer is almost any nuclear power plant employee.  Once eligible, employees receive specialized qualification training; they participate in numerous drills and annual re-qualify for their assigned position. Anne's position requires her to report to her assigned emergency response facility within 60 minutes of a declared emergency. She said she he...

The Federal Emergency Management Agency needs your help in spreading the message that it will be conducting a first-of-a-kind nationwide test of its Emergency Alert System next Wednesday, November 9, at 2 P.M. EST. The alert and warning system serves as a tool the President could use, if ever needed, to provide information and communicate to Americans during an emergency. FEMA’s website provides the skinny on what to expect during the test: The test will be approximately 30 seconds long and will look and sound very similar to the frequent local tests of the Emergency Alert System; It will be transmitted via television and radio stations within the U.S., including Alaska, Hawaii, the territories of Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and American Samoa; An audio message will interrupt television and radio programming indicating: “This is only a test,” though text may not indicate this same message on the screen on every television channel; Organizations that serve people wit...