Reception Area Construction Complete...

Construction is now complete on the monitoring and decon area of the reception area. It is now housed in the Rex Baxter Building on the fairgrounds and we are in the process of moving all the supplies and the equipment over to the new facilities.

The Reception Center was developed in order to provide a place to receive and assist citizens who have been displaced by a radiological emergency at Pantex, a nuclear assembly and disassembly facility near Amarillo. In the event of a radiological incident or accident, emergency response personnel will monitor potentially radiologically contaminated individuals and, when necessary, decontaminate those individuals in the Rex Baxter building.

If you live or work within the 10-mile Pantex Emergency Planning Zone, local officials will use the Emergency Alerting System (EAS), NOAA All-Hazards radios, and outdoor warning sirens to inform you of problems at the Pantex Plant that may affect you. Problems at Pantex are unlikely, but you should be prepared to follow instructions and take protective actions that may include sheltering-in-place or evacuating.

If you are advised to shelter-in-place:

• Stay inside.
• Close all doors and windows.
• Turn off all heating and air conditioning units.
• Turn off all outside exhaust fans or units.
• Cover mouth and nose with damp cloth.
• Listen to radio or television for additional instructions and updated evacuation notices.
  

If you are advised to evacuate:

• Go directly to the Reception Center located at the Tri-State Fairgrounds at Grand Avenue and East 3rd Avenue in Amarillo.
• Take any medications, baby items, and important documents that you may need with you.
• Do not eat, drink, or smoke until advised that it is safe to do so.