A wide range of employees recently contributed to the success of an emergency response exercise on the Hanford Site, reacting to a scenario that included contamination and a take-cover alert.
Office of Environmental Management
June 8, 2021
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RICHLAND, Wash. – A wide range of employees recently contributed to the success of an emergency response exercise on the Hanford Site, reacting to a scenario that included contamination and a take-cover alert.
EM Richland Operations Office (RL) contractor Hanford Mission Integration Solutions (HMIS) emergency management professionals planned the exercise, ensuring COVID-19 safety protocols were met while using Hanford’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC).
Employees from EM and all contractors at the site participated. They had no prior knowledge of the scenario, allowing them to make decisions with the same limited reaction time posed in an actual emergency.
Exercises of this kind typically happen annually on the Hanford Site to keep response skills sharp and ensure the swiftest reaction to keep people, property, and the environment safe.
“Practicing our response to disaster scenarios serves as an important tool in the safety toolbox on the Hanford Site, preparing our workforce for potential emergencies,” RL Security, Emergency Services, and Information Management Division Director Tim Haddick said. “An annual exercise builds our proficiency, and helps us assess our performance and identify opportunities for improvement.”
This year’s scenario simulated a vehicle hitting a facility that stores radioactive filters. This resulted in a hazardous material operational emergency in which exercise participants responded to a mock release of contamination.
Hanford’s fire department triaged the staged accident and treated the vehicle occupants, transporting one actor to a medical facility for simulated treatment and decontamination.
At the EOC, local, regional, and state emergency operations professionals, and other organizations, joined the exercise. All who took part maintained COVID-19 safety protocols while serving in varying roles related to the emergency response, including keeping the public informed of potential danger.
“You never want to wait until the real thing to have your emergency response preparedness put to the test,” said Lorie Blehm, HMIS deputy vice president for safeguards, security and emergency response. “This yearly exercise builds confidence in our ability to react to a wide range of potential occurrences on the Hanford Site.”
In addition to the annual sitewide exercise, HMIS conducts limited exercises and training throughout the year for various response teams and situations.
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