Oak Ridge Associated Universities 2006 Annual Report

ORISE Helps Strengthen National Security Through Participation
in Emergency Preparedness Exercises
Whether a disaster is caused by natural or manmade
events, an effective response requires planning and a
systematic approach to the evaluation of the nation’s
security and emergency response assets.
In 2006, ORISE worked with the National Nuclear
Security Administration’s (NNSA) Office of
Emergency Response (NA-42) to plan, coordinate,
and participate in a series of exercises to enhance the
nation’s emergency preparedness. As a precursor to
the 2007 congressionally mandated, full-scale Top
Officials 4 (T4) exercise, ORISE participated in the
U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) T4
Command Post Exercise (CPX). ORISE personnel were
among more than 4,000 federal, state, and local senior
officials and private sector managers who took part in
the exercise, intended to strengthen the nation’s ability
to more effectively prevent and respond to a simulated
terrorist attack involving weapons of mass destruction.
T4 CPX focused on the imaginary city of Landport
and involved a simulated nuclear explosion triggered
by a fictitious terrorist group. Facing the threat of a
similar explosion in Washington, D.C., participants
were evaluated on their ability to make the best
decisions under pressure. In support of the U.S.
Department of Energy (DOE), ORISE developed
training materials and provided 24-hour support
throughout the exercise. ORISE also established an offsite
emergency operations center for DOE’s Nuclear
Incident Team—which deploys assets and works with
other federal agencies during a coordinated response—
as well as a simulation cell that allowed NNSA
personnel to evaluate DOE’s response to the detonation
of an improvised nuclear device. In anticipation of the
full-scale T4 field exercise, ORISE is assisting DOE’s
evaluation efforts by identifying opportunities for
improvement and incorporating lessons learned into its
NA-42 Events Tracking System.
“Exercises such as T4 CPX offer a great opportunity
for officials to test the nation’s ability to respond to
radiological incidents and other emergencies,” said
Andy Page, director of ORISE’s National Security
and Emergency Management Program (NSEMP).
“Executing comprehensive exercises is a critical part of
national security and emergency preparedness.”
In addition to T4 CPX, ORISE maintained a lead role
in the NNSA’s Southern Crossing exercise, the California
Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation
Program’s Exercise Golden Guardian 06, and the
Bureau of Reclamation’s Exercise Watchful Sentinel.
ORISE provided planning support for these exercises to
enhance the agencies’ abilities to manage an emergency
response to a natural disaster or terrorist incident.
Image Information:
ORISE assists DOE and DHS in carrying out emergency
preparedness exercises, such as the one pictured here, to help
strengthen the abilities of federal, state, and local agencies to
respond to natural and manmade disasters, including terrorist
attacks involving weapons of mass destruction. Photo courtesy
of the U.S. Department of Defense.
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