RICHLAND, Wash. - With hurricane season underway, emergency crews around the world are ready to respond should a storm strike.
As an active member of Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) disaster recovery response, the team at the Hanford Site ’s Volpentest Hazardous Materials Management and Emergency Response (HAMMER) Federal Training Center is gearing up to support recovery if needed.
Last year, HAMMER staff worked more than 120 consecutive days supporting areas affected by hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria, and even in California for those affected by wildfires last year.
HAMMER has been part of the DOE Emergency Support Function energy response team since 2003 and plays a critical role in hurricane disaster recovery efforts. The team focuses on restoring damaged energy systems and components in affected areas.
“The staff at HAMMER has been an amazing resource, and their contribution during these critical times is a credit to their hard work and dedication," EM Richland Operations Office HAMMER Program Manager Jill Conrad said.
DOE’s Infrastructure Security and Energy Restoration division leads the team and deploys a group of highly skilled energy experts to the FEMA response centers to help with disaster relief efforts.
When disaster strikes, HAMMER responds, deploying team members to affected areas and supporting logistical efforts with reporting, action-tracking, and financial support for response efforts.
“HAMMER is proud to be part of preparing for and responding to energy emergencies," said Nicole Zawadzki, with HAMMER Emergency Services Training & Programs.
To prepare for the hurricane season, HAMMER recently participated in several preparedness exercises, including the recent Clear Path VI, DOE’s flagship annual emergency response exercise. Objectives included examining response processes and challenges, and reinforcing relationships across the energy sector.
In May, HAMMER also participated in the National Level Exercise, which brought together more than 12,000 individuals across the country to examine the ability to protect against, respond to, and recover from a major Mid-Atlantic hurricane.
“Having the opportunity to participate in the National Level Exercise and the Clear Path series play a critical role in giving the response community a chance to discuss challenges and lessons learned," said Zawadzki. “Years of experience are shared from the different organizations and together we go farther, and are stronger to help our nation during a time of need."
Source: U.S. Dept. of Energy, Office of Environmental Management
