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Radiological Emergency Preparedness Program

About the REP Program

The Indiana Department of Homeland Security’s (IDHS) Radiological Emergency Preparedness (REP) Program coordinates efforts to protect and respond to incidents involving commercial nuclear power plants. The REP Program provides the state of Indiana and local communities with plans, training and guidance related to nuclear energy incidents. The program follows federal guidance and policies to ensure capabilities exist to prevent, protect against, mitigate the effects of and respond to and recover from incidents involving nuclear power plants.

Radiation staff smile in classroom

News/Updates

Radiation staff smile in classroom
IDHS Radiation Staff Gain Additional ROSS Expertise, Experience

In March 2024, IDHS Radiation staff Daisy Coffman, Kevin Stahl and Leksi King completed their Radiological Operational Support Specalist (ROSS) training through FEMA. They join four other IDHS Radiation staff members to give the state seven ROSS-level experts.

ROSS personnel are subject matter experts who can assist emergency managers and first responders during radiological/nuclear incidents. They gather and analyze technical information, interpret and share that information, make recommendations and help connect to federal radiation assets.

The ROSS program helps radiation safety professionals integrate within the Incident Command System (ICS) to provide emergency-specific radiological/nuclear information to the incident commander. Learn more about ROSS

Photo collage of Radiation Director Eckstein and Iowa exercise participants
Photo collage of Radiation Director Eckstein and Iowa exercise participants
Iowa Exercise

In February, Radiation Program Director Courtney Eckstein spent a week in Iowa serving as a ROSS for Clinton County’s Hostile Based Action Exercise (HAB) graded by FEMA. The scenario was of an airplane crash at a power-generating station. The situation escalated from site-area emergency to general emergency as a reactor began losing its cooling water.

She worked specifically with Clinton County, offering subject matter expertise to their local responders and policy officials on what to do during the exercise with Quad Cities Nuclear Power Station. She assisted with a dose assessment team and with improving communication between local school districts and law enforcement.

"All the locals found it useful to have a radiation subject matter expert in the room with them, but specifically policymakers who do not work in the radiation field all the time. I was able to offer them that extra knowledge of the different isotopes and response recommendation," Eckstein said. "The exercise showed me that we could use more ROSS in Indiana, including at the local level. It always helps me going to other states' radiation-based exercises since we are currently rewriting many of our REP plans to improve them."

Ingestion Pathway Preparation and Planning

Map of ingestion pathways
*Currently closed
Map of ingestion pathways
*Currently closed

Eleven Indiana counties are within the Ingestion Pathway Zone of three commercial nuclear power plants (one in Michigan and two in Illinois). Note: The Palisades nuclear plant in Covert, Mich., was decommissioned in 2022 and is currently closed.

Each nuclear power plant’s Ingestion Pathway Zone is a 50-mile radius. This 50-mile radius requires specialized emergency planning. IDHS provides guidance and policies to ensure state, local and tribal governments have adequate capabilities to protect, respond to and recover from incidents involving commercial licensed nuclear power plants. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is responsible for the on-site emergency preparedness at all U.S. nuclear power plants. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has the lead role with off-site emergency planning and preparedness.

Four different nuclear power plants

Radiation Awareness

Nuclear Plants and Radiation Basics

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Radiation Awareness

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Radiation Preparedness

Radiation Emergency Safety Tips

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Radiation Preparedness

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Resources

View the IDHS schedule of fines and civil penalties for violations of laws, rules and requirements of federal programs administered by the agency.