This year, USA fleet members and their emergency preparedness organizations are undertaking a new endeavor. Several members are conducting hostile action based (HAB) drills this year to test their response to a possible security threat at their station. To prepare for these unique drills, the USA Emergency Preparedness Core Peer Team is supporting these drills in a number of ways.

According to USA EP CPT Lead John Callahan from Xcel Energy, the team members are participating in pre-inspection self-assessments as well as observations during practice table tops with offsite response organizations and during the full scale drills and exercises. In addition, the team is participating in post-exercise critiques and sharing templates for developing and implementing their drills.

“There have been challenges with the HAB drills,” explained Callahan. “These are the most complex drills we have ever developed and we need to provide opportunities for everyone onsite and offsite to demonstrate their required objectives.”

So far this year, USA fleet members PSEG Nuclear, Fermi, Prairie Island and Columbia have conducted a HAB drill. STP is scheduled to conduct their HAB drill in early November.

“Each HAB drill has provided us with a great learning opportunity,” said Callahan. “There has been a positive step change in creating positive relationships with our offsite response organizations. If a real security event were to occur, they would be key in neutralizing the threat and protecting our plants from harm.”

The New Jersey State Police Technical Emergency and Mission Specialists (TEAMS) unit arrived in an armored bearcat vehicle as part of PSEG Nuclear’s hostile action based drill.