Division of Emergency Planning and Preparedness

Division of Emergency Planning and Preparedness is part of the Department of Radiation Protection and Emergency Preparedness. The Division assisted the Chairman of the NRA carrying out managerial functions for crisis management and its regulatory and inspection functions in respect of emergency planning, maintenance of emergency preparedness and response in case of incidents and accidents, including physical protection of sites with performing activities wit sources of ionising radiation (SIR).

Main tasks of the division:

• implement control functions in nuclear facilities and sites with SIR, plans and conduct inspections;
• analyse the operating and emergency events and evaluate the operational data and radiation indicators in nuclear facilities and sites with SIR;
• take necessary measures to ensure the safety, alone and in interaction with other specialised and control authorities, in case of detection of unknown or abandoned radioactive sources or nuclear materials, as well as in cases of their seizure by the specialised bodies of the Ministry of Interior or the National Investigation Service;
• maintains a specialized database for emergency related to nuclear safety and radiation protection;
• carry out the interaction between the NRA and national and international organisations in the filed of emergency planning and preparedness;
• participate in the development of the legislation on emergency planning and preparedness, jointly with ministries and agencies;
• organised in case of nuclear or radiation emergency the interaction and exchange of information at the national level and with other countries - in accordance with signed conventions and bilateral agreements;
• organise and participate in the conduction of national and international scientists for action in an emergency;
• maintain the dosimetric equipment, including NRA mobile laboratory and make the necessary radiation measurements;
• participate in the development of the national emergency plan and emergency plan of the NRA and maintain a system of procedures and instructions to ensure the work of the emergency team of the agency and etc.
• organize and maintain automated information infrastructure of the agency - local networks, communications equipment, computer equipment;
• examine and implement information and communication technologies, provides protection of information from unauthorized access;
• implement and operate specialized automated systems to support the activities of the emergency team to the chairman of the agency.

The division performs the functions of a National Contact Point (point of connection) under the Convention on Early Notification of a Nuclear Accident, the Convention on Assistance in the Case of a Nuclear Accident or Radiological Emergency and ECURIE.

The division supports the operation of NRA Emergency Center. The Emergency center is equipped with modern communications and technical resources: satellite communications (telephone, fax and telex) with NRA on-site inspectors located at the Kozloduy NPP, direct phone channel with General Directorate “National Service Civil Protection” – Ministy of Emergency Situations (and hence with its territorial structures and Kozloduy NPP), telephone and fax and e-mail links with national institutions, Kozloduy NPP, the sites, working with sources of ionising radiation, the IAEA, the EU and emergency centers in other countries, mobile phones to receive emergency notifications during off time and holiday and weekends. The division maintain diesel generator for emergency power supply.

In the NRA Emergency center operates one of the emergency stations of the National Automated System for Continuous Monitoring of radiation gamma - background (RaMo system) in the country.

The Emergency center is equipped with software to calculate the doses in a nuclear or radiation accident with release of radioactive substances into the environment.