The West Valley Demonstration Project’s system operations hub serves as an incident command center in the event of an emergency.
The West Valley Demonstration Project’s system operations hub serves as an incident command center in the event of an emergency.

WEST VALLEY, N.Y. – EM and its cleanup contractor at the West Valley Demonstration Project (WVDP) recently conducted a full-scale exercise with local emergency response personnel.

WVDP’s environmental and radiological controls departments, and the site’s emergency medical response, security, and other teams joined with West Valley Fire & Rescue and Cattaraugus County’s sheriff’s department, special response team, and emergency services personnel for the training, which tested the skills and response of participants in a mock emergency involving intruders to the site intending to cause damage. The Cattaraugus-Chautauqua Bomb Squad also took part in the exercise.

Participants in a simulated emergency response exercise at the West Valley Demonstration Project prepare to enter an office trailer that may contain a mock intruder.
Participants in a simulated emergency response exercise at the West Valley Demonstration Project prepare to enter an office trailer that may contain a mock intruder.
Employees gather in an area of the West Valley Demonstration Project for safety as part of an accountability drill.
Employees gather in an area of the West Valley Demonstration Project for safety as part of an accountability drill.

EM and CH2M HILL BWXT West Valley (CHBWV) employees at WVDP helped develop the simulated incident. Five DOE headquarters employees helped evaluate the response to the scenario. More than 25 law enforcement and 10 fire and emergency medical service personnel from agencies outside WVDP joined the event. Employees from DOE’s Argonne National Laboratory also delivered mock social media and news coverage.

“You can never over-plan for emergencies,” CHBWV Event and Emergency Management Manager Kevin Murray said. “To be prepared in our field, you must always be learning, training, and evaluating your performance. I know we can’t predict the future, but we can certainly be well prepared for whatever comes our way.”