National Response System (NRS)
Regional Response Teams (RRTs)
Regional Response Teams (RRTs)
- Develop Regional Contingency Plans (RCPs);
- Coordinate regional oil and chemical incident preparedness activities;
- Coordinate assistance and advice to the Federal On-Scene Coordinator (OSC) and state and local partners during response actions;
- Conduct and participate in training and exercises;
- Serve as a resource to Area Committees, State Emergency Response Commissions (SERCs) and Local Emergency Planning Committees (LEPCs); and
- Participate in planning and coordination activities along borders shared with other RRTs or other nations (i.e., Canada, Mexico, and Arctic Nations).
There are 13 RRTs, each representing a particular geographic region (including Alaska, the Caribbean, and Oceania). Each RRT is co-chaired by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), depending on the location of the incident—inland or coastal. The team includes representatives from other federal agencies, as well as state and tribal governments, who work together to develop response plans, conduct training and exercises, and provide technical guidance to On-Scene Coordinators (OSCs) during emergencies.
RRTs function in two ways: as a standing team and as an incident-specific team.
- Standing RRTs participate in planning, preparedness, and training year-round, and are co-chaired by the EPA and the USCG. Standing RRTs may establish collaborative working groups and assign work as deemed appropriate, such as committees, workgroups or task forces.
- Incident-Specific RRTs provide assistance to Federal OSCs and responding agencies during an incident. Activation of an incident-specific RRT usually occurs at the request of a Federal OSC. Standing RRTs can also activate an incident-specific RRT if it is evident that the Federal OSC needs additional support, or a discharge transects state boundaries, may pose a substantial threat to the public or environment, or is a worst-case discharge. An incident-specific RRT is chaired by the federal agency providing the Federal OSC.
Knowledge Check Choose the best answer for the question.
1-3. What is one primary responsibility of Regional Response Teams (RRTs)?
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