Oak Ridge Reservation Emergency Preparedness

The Tennessee Emergency Management Authority (TEMA), the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), and local emergency management agencies work together to prepare for the unlikely event of an emergency at Oak Ridge National Laboratory or the Y-12 National Security Complex.

Both facilities are located within the Oak Ridge Reservation and have emergency planning areas that extend into nearby communities. People who live, work, attend school, or regularly travel near the reservation should know how they would receive emergency information, understand their planning sector, and be prepared to follow official instructions.

About the Oak Ridge Reservation

The Oak Ridge Reservation is a federally owned site located primarily in Anderson and Roane counties. It includes three major facilities:

Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the Y-12 National Security Complex are the two facilities that currently have the potential for an emergency requiring protective actions by the public.

Emergency Planning Area

TEMA, DOE, and local governments maintain an emergency planning area around Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the Y-12 National Security Complex.

The area extends includes portions of:

  • Anderson County
  • Knox County
  • Loudon County
  • Roane County
  • City of Oak Ridge

The emergency planning area is divided into sectors. These sectors help emergency officials identify specific areas that may be affected, provide protective action instructions, and direct emergency resources where they are needed.

During an emergency, official alerts may identify one or more sectors that should take protective action. Knowing your sector before an emergency will help you understand whether instructions apply to your location.

How You Will Be Warned

Outdoor warning sirens near Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the Y-12 National Security Complex are designed to alert people to seek additional information. Hearing a siren does not automatically mean you should evacuate.

Sirens are located within approximately two miles of Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the Y-12 National Security Complex. Sirens are no longer used around the East Tennessee Technology Park because hazardous materials at that site do not require protective actions by the public.

If protective actions are required beyond the two-mile range of the sirens, people in affected planning sectors will be notified through Emergency Alert System messages, social media, local notification systems, or other official information sources.

Regular siren tests are generally conducted on the first Wednesday of each month between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.

If you hear a siren outside a scheduled test:

  • Go indoors or get inside a vehicle.
  • Tune to a local Emergency Alert System radio or television station.
  • Monitor official local and state information sources.
  • Do not call 911 for information.
  • Follow instructions from emergency officials.

If you are on a lake or river, move away from the sound of the sirens and tune to a local Emergency Alert System station for instructions.

WJXB-FM 97.5 is the primary Emergency Alert System radio station for the Oak Ridge and Knoxville area. Emergency information may also be shared through WIVK-FM 107.7, local television, NOAA Weather Radio, official websites, social media, and local notification systems.

Local television stations that provide Emergency Alert System information include:

  • WATE Channel 6
  • WVLT Channel 8
  • WBIR Channel 10
  • WTNZ Channel 43

Sign Up for Local Emergency Alerts

Anderson, Knox, Loudon, and Roane counties and the City of Oak Ridge maintain local notification systems that can send emergency information to smartphones and other digital devices.

Sign up for alerts in the communities where you live, work, or attend school. Local alerts supplement outdoor warning sirens and Emergency Alert System messages and may provide additional information about affected areas and protective actions.

If you hear an outdoor warning siren, do not wait to receive a phone notification. Go indoors or get inside a vehicle, tune to a local Emergency Alert System station, and follow instructions from emergency officials.

What to Do During an Emergency

Emergency officials will provide instructions based on the type of emergency, affected location, and conditions at the time.

Instructions may apply only to certain planning sectors. Continue listening to Emergency Alert System stations and monitoring official information until emergency officials announce that the emergency has ended.Do not evacuate simply because you hear a siren. Wait for official instructions and follow the directions provided for your planning sector.

Depending on conditions, you may be told to:

Sheltering in place can protect you from hazardous materials that may be present in the outdoor air or deposited in the surrounding area.

If you are told to shelter in place:

  • Bring everyone indoors, including pets.
  • Close and lock exterior doors and windows.
  • Turn off fans, air conditioners, furnaces, and other systems that bring outside air indoors.
  • Close fireplace dampers.
  • Move to an interior room when possible.
  • Keep a phone, radio, emergency supplies, and necessary medications nearby.
  • Determine which planning sector you are in.
  • Continue sheltering in place and listening to an Emergency Alert System station for instructions.
  • Do not go outside or leave the area until emergency officials announce that it is safe.

Officials will provide instructions when it is safe to stop sheltering in place. Continue monitoring Emergency Alert System stations and official information sources until the protective action has been lifted.

If emergency officials direct your sector to evacuate:

  • Follow the routes and instructions provided in official alerts.
  • Take necessary medications, identification, important documents, and emergency supplies.
  • Bring supplies and carriers for pets.
  • Close your vehicle’s windows and turn off systems that bring outside air into the vehicle.
  • Listen to local radio stations while traveling.
  • Do not take shortcuts or enter closed areas.
  • Continue monitoring official information for changes in routes or destinations.

Emergency instructions will identify the affected sectors and provide information about evacuation routes, reception centers, shelters, or other destinations.

If you do not have transportation or may need help evacuating, contact your local emergency management agency before an emergency to learn what assistance may be available.

Do not call 911 for transportation or general information unless you are experiencing an immediate emergency.

 

Schools and child care facilities within the emergency planning area maintain emergency procedures and coordinate with local officials.

During an emergency, children may be sheltered at their school or relocated to a safe location outside the affected area.

Parents and guardians should not go to a school or attempt to pick up children unless officials announce that it is safe to do so. Going to the school before receiving instructions could place you in danger and interfere with protective actions already underway.

Schools and local officials will provide reunification instructions when needed.

Before an emergency, ask your child’s school or child care provider:

  • How families will be notified
  • Whether children may be relocated
  • Where children may be taken
  • How reunification information will be shared

Below are the schools that are within the 5-mile of the plant and the sector the school is located in.

What Schools are in the Five-Mile EPZ?

School Name

Sector (School District)

Linden Elementary

Sector H (Oak Ridge)

Willow Brook Elementary

Sector H (Oak Ridge)

Norwood Elementary

Sector J (Anderson County)

Norwood Middle School

Sector J (Anderson County)

Oliver Springs High School

Sector J (Roane County)

Oliver Springs Middle School

Sector J (Roane County)

Dyllis Springs Elementary

Sector J (Roane County)

Grand Oaks Elementary

Sector M (Anderson County)

Oak Ridge Glenwood Elementary

Sector M (Oak Ridge)

Preschool

Sector M (Oak Ridge)

Christian Academy of Oak Ridge

Sector N (Private)

Jefferson Middle School

Sector N (Oak Ridge)

Hardin Valley Academy

Sector Q (Knox County)

Hardin Valley Elementary

Sector Q (Knox County)

Hardin Valley Middle

Sector Q (Knox County)

Eaton Elementary

Sector S (Loudon County)

North Middle School

Sector S (Loudon County)

St Mary's School

Sector Y (Private)

Oak Ridge High School

Sector Y (Oak Ridge)

Robertsville Middle School

Sector Y (Oak Ridge)

Woodland Elementary School

Sector Y (Oak Ridge)

Businesses, government offices, health care facilities, and other organizations within the emergency planning area should maintain procedures for sheltering in place, evacuating, and communicating with employees and visitors.

Before an emergency, learn:

  • How your workplace will notify employees
  • Where you should shelter inside the building
  • What evacuation procedures you should follow
  • How your workplace will account for employees and visitors
  • Whether you should remain at work or leave when protective actions are announced

During an emergency, follow the instructions provided by your employer and emergency officials.

Local Emergency Management Agency Information

Local emergency management agencies work with TEMA and DOE to plan for emergencies, provide public information, and coordinate protective actions.

The emergency planning area is served by:

Contact the emergency management agency serving the community where you live, work, or attend school for information about:

  • Local emergency alerts
  • Preparedness resources
  • Planning sectors
  • Transportation or evacuation assistance
  • Access and functional needs
  • Local sheltering and evacuation procedures

Additional Resources