AIKEN, S.C. - The Savannah River Site (SRS) conducted an emergency response exercise on active shooters this month that will yield important lessons learned.
More than 500 people participated as responders, controllers, and evaluators in the mock event, the culmination of nearly two years of planning and training led by the DOE-Savannah River Operations Office, management and operations contractor Savannah River Nuclear Solutions and protective force contractor Centerra-SRS.
“As difficult as it is to imagine such a scenario taking place, it’s important that SRS is prepared for events like this," Savannah River Operations Office Manager Jack Craig said. “The exercise was an important one, and I’m proud of how everyone performed. I’m certain our emergency response and security capabilities have taken a step forward, and I look forward to incorporating the lessons learned."
The scenario involved a disgruntled employee and her spouse entering the badge office for revenge. Mannequins were used to show 13 people killed, while 15 SRS volunteers acted as wounded employees.
After responders apprehended the first mock assailant, the recently formed Rescue Task Force teams, consisting of SRS Fire Department and Centerra personnel, entered to provide immediate medical attention to the victims. Responders took critically injured victims to local hospitals while site medical staff treated those with less serious injuries.
The newly formed Behavioral Response Team, staffed by personnel from SRS Workforce Services, provided psychological aid to employees who witnessed the attack.
SRS officials held a mock news conference to demonstrate how they would answer media questions in a real event. The site then developed a comprehensive plan to return SRS to normal operations, conduct the criminal investigation, and relocate badge office operations.
“One of the major goals of this was to ensure the right level of coordination with all the entities involved - and that includes all the offsite units like the FBI, ambulance support, and local hospitals," said Greg Hightower, head of drills and exercises in the SRNS Emergency Operations Group. “We’ve learned a lot in terms of communication and command and control."
James Hutton, EM Deputy Assistant Secretary for Safety, Security and Quality Assurance, attended the exercise and applauded SRS for making it a priority.
“This exercise was well worth the effort because the effectiveness of our response to events like this is measured in lives saved," Hutton said. “There will be lots to learn that we can incorporate in training and preparedness across the complex going forward."
Source: U.S. Dept. of Energy, Office of Environmental Management
