Luzerne County’s Emergency Management Agency command center on Water Street in Wilkes-Barre was recently activated for a simulation of a nuclear power plant disaster.
Submitted photo
No deficiencies were found in a recent regional simulation of a nuclear power plant disaster, said Luzerne County Emergency Management Agency Director Lucy Morgan.
“The whole drill was successful. They feel we could protect the health and safety of our residents if anything ever did happen at the nuclear energy plant in Salem Township,” Morgan said.
Completed the week of Oct. 17, the “Radiological Emergency Preparedness Exercise” is federally required every two years for the Susquehanna Steam Electric Station in Salem Township, Morgan said.
During the exercise, the Federal Emergency Management Agency evaluated the ability of the state, counties, municipalities and school districts within a 10-mile radius of the plant to respond to a radiological emergency, Morgan said.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission also reviewed the capabilities of nuclear plant operators to recognize, classify and communicate simulated emergency conditions related to the exercise, she said.
Luzerne and Columbia Counties are considered “risk counties,” while the others surrounding them are deemed “support counties” that would provide reception centers for evacuees, Morgan said.
Evaluators from FEMA and other federal agencies were stationed at multiple sites, including the county’s EMA command center on Water Street in Wilkes-Barre, to observe and assess, Morgan said. The Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency also assisted in the review.
“We fully activate our emergency operations center as if there is a real disaster,” Morgan said.
The state issues scenarios to test evacuation plans and other adherence to emergency protocols in place, she said.
Morgan said her department had to produce paperwork that radiation detectors and other metering equipment were properly calibrated and maintained.
An amateur radio group also participated because these volunteers in each community could be needed to convey messages through ham radios if service through the county 911 center is interrupted or responders in a municipality are unable to be reached, Morgan said.
“It’s a redundant system in case communication ever went down,” Morgan said.
School districts also must demonstrate readiness in drills on a rotating basis, including the ability to bus all students to a relocation site and alert parents, she said.
Adrenaline is high during the hours of practice involving many agencies and responders scrambling to correctly complete tasks as fast as possible, Morgan said.
“It is an exhausting experience, pretty fast and hectic,” she said.
FEMA evaluators were surprised they had to park far away from the county’s EMA center for the exercise due to the number of engaged volunteers participating, she said.
“They do this all around the country, and some places don’t get such a good response. They’re very thankful we have so many people actively involved,” she said.
In 2023, a practice exercise will be held, with the next formal evaluation set for 2024, she said.
Even though there were no deficiencies, Morgan said her agency and others involved in the response always discuss ways to improve procedures after every evaluation.
Information on the evacuation routes and emergency plan is posted under the emergency management section at luzernecounty.org.
Talen Energy also tests its emergency sirens for three minutes every August, and these sirens were all properly working in the latest test, Morgan said.
County Manager Randy Robertson congratulated EMA staff and others involved in the recent review at the state, county and municipal level. He said EMA is an example of a county-funded department that provides crucial services worthy of public acknowledgement.
“Kudos to our EMA team and everyone participating. It shows they’re prepared for this for this kind of event,” Robertson said.
Reach Jennifer Learn-Andes at 570-991-6388 or on Twitter @TLJenLearnAndes.
