Following the Chernobyl incident in April 1986 the Northern Ireland Emergency Committee set up a specialised group, the Northern Ireland Technical Advice Group (NITAG). Civil Contingencies Policy Branch (CCPB) ensure that the most efficient and effective response can be made to assist the public during, and in the aftermath of a civil emergency.
NITAG operates under the Chairmanship of the Chief Radiochemical Inspector with professional membership of the group drawn from the Industrial Pollution and Radiochemical Inspectorate (IPRI) and those Northern Departments likely to be involved in an overseas peacetime nuclear emergency. Under the National Response Plan, the Radiation Incident Monitoring Network (RIMNET) is in place throughout the UK. There are 92 monitoring stations continuously measuring gamma radiation dose rates throughout the UK with five stations in Northern Ireland. The five stations are at
1. Ballypatrick
2. Aldergrove
3. Glenanne
4. St Angelo
5. Carnmoney
IPRI plays a major role in NITAG activities locally, participates in the Radiation Incident Monitoring Coordinating Committee (RIMCC) and also takes part in various exercises using the RIMNET system to test its reaction capability and effectiveness.