Drill

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Drill Exercise Evaluation Respond Right or
Respond Right Now

• Bill Elliott
• Savannah River Site
• May 7

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Here are the facts

• A trend of losing command and control during
  drills and actual occurrences was obvious.
• The FD was doing their own thing
• RCO was during their own thing
• Facility was doing something completely different
• Result Complete Disaster and the utter feeling
  of shame.

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Human Performance Indicators

• During an evaluated exercise when a contaminated
  container was burning, the RCO coordinator
  refused to allow the firefighters to extinguish
  the fire until they donned lab coats and shoe
  covers.
• Whose issue was this?
• All of them, ISC, FDIC and RCO.maybe the EPC
• Causes
• Not sure of making a correct decision
• Training

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Winds from what degree?

• ERO personnel didnt check the wind sock and came
  in from two different directions
• Of course all were contaminated
• Swirling winds around buildings
• How we corrected the problem
• Mandated that responders approached the incident
  from a upwind position no less than 100 meters
  away (This has been adopted by other federal
  agencies including DOT)

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Lost in Translation

• Confusion between the definition of a
• Ruptured container
• Breached container
• Deflagration
• Explosion
• Fire in the same room as containers
• Radiological fires in the incipient phaseReally?

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NIMS

• Although useful, NIMS removed the Common Sense
  response approach from Facility ERO Personnel
• By not understanding who was in command
• Not understanding when command was to be turned
  over
• Not understanding roles and responsibilities
• Not understanding the difference between Incident
  Command and Unified Command
• Reason???

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Reason

• We asked folks with only minimal emergency
  response (Fire/EMS/Security) training to be a
  part of a Unified Command system.

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Cause and effect makes perfect sense

• Sometimes its a Cant Do
• Sometimes its a Wont Do
• Not wanting to make a decision
• Redundancy (Same drill time after time)
• Allowing free play during drills
• Failing a drill is more beneficial than passing a
  drill with subjective comments

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What we did to correct these issues

• Totally changed emergency response techniques
• Relocated 100m from the incident
• Compartmentalized the problem
• Ensured that an appropriate Command staff was
  established
• Realized that contamination WILL be spread
  (contamination control will never be perfect)
• Produced a Command and Control video
• Produced a contaminated firefighter
• bunker gear removal video

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Sometimes you just cant make this stuff up????

• Realized firefighter bunker gear was more than
  enough protection for 99 of radiological
  facilities
• That 1 being Tritium
• Utilized Fire Hazard Analysis and Fire Pre Plans
  during drills and actual events
• Developed Corrective Action Plan and informed all
  site ERO personnel
• Discontinued being Drill Conductors and became
  Emergency Preparedness Specialist

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Play time! You Guess. Is this response Right or
Right now?

• Interactive game
• Tell me what you see
• Problems
• Yeah? What kind of problem
• Shout it out RIGHT or RIGHT NOW
• My boss is in here so act like your having a good
  time.

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Right or Right Now
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Right or Right NowMinutes after the accident
occurred
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Right or Right Now
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Right or Right Now
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Right or Right NowLets all study this spill,
PPE? I dont need no stinkin PPE, Im the safety
officer
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Right or Right Now
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Right or Right Now
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No need to respond
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Right or Right Now
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Right or Right Now
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Right or Right Now
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Right or Right Now
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Discontinue the practice of simulating PPE
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If this were me, you better say RIGHT NOW!
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The All Clear has been given
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Integrate or Alienate?VERY EASY TO DO.

• Remove the word just from your vocabulary
• Hes just a firemen
• Shes just a Rad Con inspector
• Hes just an EPC
• Shes just a truck driver
• By saying this or your actions literally kills a
  EP program

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Tell the Truth

• Dont allow your ERO staff to act professional
• They must be true professionals
• Ex Conducting the same drill over and over makes
  your ERO actors instead of responders
• Dont be afraid to critique managers or higher
  pay grades

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Everybody Practices

• EP is like taking a bath - you miss a couple of
  days and you start to smell.
• Dont take key players and let them be
  controllers for every drill

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Consistently Lead

• BE CONSISTENT
• Failure to be a consistent leader will
  contaminate an ERO staff
• Leadership Setting the tone of how things are
  accomplished, by not showing favoritism to one
  group
• Consistent by treating everyone the same
  regardless of their rank or pay grade

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Why are we Emergency Professionals

• For the money????
• For the Glory????
• For the excitement????
• Cause you dont know how to do anything
  elseWell
• NO, NO, NO!
• Keeping everyone safe
• Going to sleep at night with a clear conscious

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My new office

• Questions?
• Contact me
• Bill Elliott
• 803-725-6834
• william.elliott_at_srs.gov
• Did I mention I am a motivational speaker????