Author Description

This federal emergency action document provides communications guidance for domestic nuclear power plant (NPP) incidents, including sample text and suggested answers to anticipated public and media questions. This document also provides background information explaining roles and responsibilities across all levels of government during an NPP incident. While primarily created for Federal leaders who will speak to the public, this document should also complement the routinely exercised communication materials used by State, local, and tribal officials.The Principal Level Exercise 3-10, a cabinet level exercise with a NPP incident as the focus, highlighted the importance of communicating timely and accurate information to people potentially at risk from an NPP incident. Providing information on avoiding radiation, saving lives, protecting property, or calming fears requires the delivery of coordinated, prompt, reliable, and actionable information to the whole community through the use of clear, consistent, accessible, and culturally and linguistically appropriate methods that will increase public understanding and encourage people to take practical steps to protect themselves.In the United States, Federal, State, local, and tribal officials share responsibility for coordinating and communicating information to the public for a NPP incident. State, local, and tribal authorities possess the primary responsibility for making protective action decisions and communicating health and safety instructions to their affected populations. As laid out in the National Response Framework (NRF), a number of Federal agencies also play an important role in responding as well as communicating and coordinating emergency public information with State, local, and tribal agencies. This guidance document serves as a resource for communicators who provide information to the public, the news media, and other stakeholders during and after a NPP incident.Public officials, incident managers, and