Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
Notice with request for comments.
Pursuant to the Radiological Emergency Preparedness (REP) Program Strategic Review initiative 1.6, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is proposing to implement a policy for granting REP exercise credit to offsite response organizations (ORO) for participation in an actual incident or in a non-REP exercise. The subject notice contains the activities eligible for consideration for credit, guidelines for submitting a request, and documentation required.
FEMA must receive comments on or before July 5, 2002.
You may submit your comments to the Rules Docket Clerk, Office of the General Counsel, Federal Emergency Management Agency, 500 C Street, SW., room 840, Washington, DC 20472, or send them by e-mail to
Vanessa E. Quinn, Chief, Radiological Emergency Preparedness Branch, Technological Services Division, Federal Emergency Management Agency, 500 C Street, SW., Washington, DC 20472; (202) 646–3664; vanessa.quinn@fema.gov.
Pursuant to the REP Program Strategic Review initiative 1.6, FEMA is proposing to implement a policy for granting REP exercise credit to offsite response organizations for participation in an actual incident or in a non-REP exercise. The subject notice contains the activities eligible for consideration for credit, guidelines for submitting a request, and documentation required.
A radiological emergency response plan is developed and exercised in order to have reasonable assurance that adequate protective measures can be taken in the event of a radiological emergency. FEMA evaluates the exercises to ensure that the OROs have the capability to respond to a radiological emergency. An ORO's response to man-made or natural events or participation in a non-REP exercise may also test all or part of the plan. For those areas that were tested, it may be appropriate to give credit in place of certain aspects of an evaluated REP exercise.
When an ORO responds to an actual incident involving radioactive materials, FEMA can consider granting exercise credit for such response activities as environmental monitoring; monitoring for contamination of persons and equipment and/or other activities, if these activities were successfully performed according to the applicable plan and procedures. FEMA may also consider granting credit for generic response activities, such as mobilization of personnel and facilities,
When an ORO responds to an actual incident that does not involve radioactive materials, the ORO may qualify for credit for generic response functions and activities, such as mobilization, facilities
When requesting exercise credit for a response to an actual emergency, an ORO should ensure that the response included the following four elements:
• A prompt and timely mobilization of key State and local government staff and providers responsible for REP emergency functions;
• An actual reporting of the key REP staff who, in accordance with the plans, would report to the facility;
• Activation of the facility(ies) of the responding jurisdiction(s); and
• Establishment of communication links among responding organizations.
The ORO should then provide the following documentation to FEMA:
1. Type and nature of the emergency;
2. Timeline, to include time of response and time State and local REP staff arrived at the facility;
3. Sign in-out sheet with name, function, date and time;
4. List of involved REP personnel and organizations and their connection to a REP response;
5. Communications log showing the establishment of communication links with other organizations;
6. List of involved jurisdictions;
7. Emergency decisions made and implemented;
8. Resources (facilities, equipment, etc.) used; and
9. List of corrective actions or improvement items identified in the after-action report.
ORO(s) may request REP exercise credit for demonstrating preparedness capabilities in FEMA exercises other than REP. These capabilities could include congregate care, facilities,
ORO credit requests for participating in non-REP exercises must specify the exercise and document the ORO's participation, including the activities it performed and a list of corrective actions or improvement items identified in the exercise after-action report. If credit is granted, the ORO must also include its exercise participation in the Annual Letter of Certification.
An ORO submits its application for credit to the appropriate FEMA Region.
The ORO requesting credit for responding to an actual radiological or non-radiological emergency should submit the request to the appropriate FEMA Regional Office within 90 days following the event. The ORO requesting credit for participation in a non-REP exercise should submit the initial information 60 days in advance of the non-REP exercise and follow-up documentation within 90 days after the non-REP exercise. Any credit that is granted must be completed in time to allow inclusion in the extent-of-play discussions 90 days prior to the REP exercise for which credit is granted. FEMA will grant exemption from evaluation of a specific exercise criterion only once during the six-year cycle for the applicable REP exercise. In addition, FEMA will not consider exemption from evaluation if the emergency response activity for which credit would be sought occurred more than two years before the date of the next scheduled REP exercise.
Table 1, Federal Evaluation Process Matrix, reads as follows: