 The mission of the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission is to license and regulate the nation's commercial nuclear power plants, the use of radioactive materials, and the storage and disposal of nuclear waste, including the decommissioning of nuclear facilities. Hi, I'm Jeff Gwalsik, an emergency response coordinator in the NRC's Office of Nuclear Security and Incident Response. I'm here to give you an idea of how our agency responds to an emergency related to any of the facilities or materials that we regulate. If one of our licensees experiences a natural disaster, such as an earthquake or hurricane, or a safety or security emergency, the NRC will respond out of one of its response centers. I'm here at our Headquarters Operations Center, where we perform some of our response functions. We also have a similar incident response center at each of the four regional offices across the United States. We may also dispatch some of our responders to the licensees emergency centers to ensure that their experts are taking the proper steps to resolve an emergency. We coordinate with other federal agencies under the National Response Framework, part of the National Strategy for Homeland Security. This framework offers guiding principles for how the federal government and its partners respond to disasters and emergencies. If an emergency occurs at one of our licensees, for example a commercial nuclear power plant, the NRC focuses on ensuring the licensee restores the plant to a safe condition. The NRC assesses the situation and supports licensee response activities as needed. We also support state and local response organization if there are any technical issues or questions. Operations officers work here 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, maintaining communications with the plant and other licensees. When an emergency occurs, or when we participate in an exercise, as you can see here, the Operations Center comes to life. Dozens of agency experts in nuclear reactors, radiation safety, security, and communications gather to carry out the agency's response to the emergency and ensure the public's safety. Here are the reactor safety experts. They study the data, applying their hands-on knowledge about the type of reactor involved and what amounts to hundreds of years of experience in nuclear power to hone in on the problem. They will coordinate with plant operators on how to restore the plant to a safe condition. Here are the experts in protective measures related to radiation exposure. They analyze data from a different perspective. If significant radiation has the potential to or actually goes beyond the plant boundaries into surrounding communities, they assess how it might affect nearby people and the environment. They model potential radiation doses to the public based on the area's geography, weather patterns, and our understanding of how the incident is unfolding. They also work closely with state and local officials who are responsible for issuing protective actions, such as evacuations or sheltering in place. Our security experts are located in a secure room nearby to deal with security-related matters and to coordinate with local law enforcement in the intelligence community. Communications are also a vital part of our emergency response. Our liaisons ensure Congress, state and tribal governments, other countries, and the International Atomic Energy Agency are always kept in the loop. These team members also stay in touch with other federal agencies that may be responding as well, such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency or the Department of Energy. Communication with the public is also crucial. Our public affairs staff write news releases and other products to keep the public informed and respond to media inquiries. They also post information on social media platforms, such as Twitter and Facebook, and monitor social media to keep track of rumors and misinformation. Federal additional personnel are in charge of planning and logistics support during an emergency. They track event information and anticipate what actions may be needed in the near future, and they make sure the technology is working to display the necessary updates and facilitate effective communication and action. All of the technical teams, as well as the coordination, liaison, and communication teams report to NRC senior leaders who coordinate the response effort. They are in regular contact with the plant operators who are dealing with the emergency, as well as with NRC experts sent to assist the licensee. The NRC regularly participates in exercises like we've shown you here, so we can practice and be ready in case a real event occurs. After each exercise, we make improvements, then do it all over again. I hope that this short visit gives you a good idea of how the NRC's response program works. Thanks for watching.