Federal Radiological Monitoring and Assessment Center | National Nuclear Security Administration

The Federal Radiological Monitoring and Assessment Center (FRMAC) is a federal asset available on request by the Department of Homeland Security   (DHS) and state and local agencies to respond to a nuclear or radiological incident. The FRMAC is an interagency organization with representation from the NNSA, the Department of Defense   (DOD), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Department of Health and Human Services   (HHS), Federal Bureau of Investigations   (FBI), and other federal agencies.

NNSA has the responsibility to maintain the operational readiness and to deploy the FRMAC upon request.

Mission

The mission of the FRMAC is to coordinate and manage all federal radiological environmental monitoring and assessment activities during a nuclear or radiological incident, within the United States in support of state, local, tribal governments, DHS, and the federal coordinating agency.

Steps in the FRMAC Emergency Response

NNSA will respond to a coordinating agency or state and local request for assistance by deploying the Consequence Management Response Team (CMRT), and its Command and Control element for FRMAC operations.

• A Phase I CMRT, consisting of technical and management personnel will depart within four hours of notification, and can reach any location in the United States within 6-10 hours.
• The Phase I CMRT initiates all technical components of a FRMAC response, and is supported soon after by the Phase II CMRT, and interagency personnel.
• The complete FRMAC, is fully operational in 24-36 hours after the initial request for assistance.
• The FRMAC will integrate into the unified command with the coordinating agency, state, and local responders and establish priorities to develop a monitoring and assessment plan for FRMAC response.

At a mutually agreed upon time, the NNSA will transfer control of the FRMAC to the EPA to continue long-term monitoring activities.  The NNSA and other federal agencies will continue to provide resources.

Capabilities

Radiological emergency response professionals within the Department of Energy's national laboratories support the Radiological Assistance Program (RAP), National Atmospheric Release Advisory Center (NARAC), Aerial Measuring System (AMS), and the Radiation Emergency Assistance Center/Training Site (REAC/TS) . These teams supplement the FRMAC to provide:

• atmospheric transport modeling;
• radiation monitoring;
• radiological analysis and data assessments; and
• medical advice for radiation injuries.

In support of field operations the FRMAC provides geographic information systems, communications, mechanical, electrical, logistics and administrative support.  The size of the FRMAC is tailored to the incident and may consist of as few as 60 or as many as 500 professionals from state and local emergency response teams, and across the federal government.