NUCLEAR INCIDENTSTraining for Nuclear Incidents and Preparing WMD Responses

By Justin S. Griffin

Published 9 June 2023

“Radiological material can end up in almost any location or any place and take on almost any shape and form,” an expert told participants a few weeks ago at the first Sandia Lab’s Weapons of Mass Destruction Counterterrorism and Incident Response Showcase. Preparing for nuclear incidents is not dealing with hypotheticals. “It is not practice. It is not an exercise. It is real life stuff,” he said.

On a warm spring day in Albuquerque, more than 270 people from across the Labs came through Steve Schiff Auditorium for the first Weapons of Mass Destruction Counterterrorism and Incident Response Showcase.

Attendees learned about myriad opportunities to serve as a responder for the Nuclear Emergency Support Team and participate in training drills and exercises in response to incidents involving WMDs and radiological materials. A call was also made to collaborate on research and development to keep pace with rapidly evolving threats.

Representatives from Sandia’s Joint Technical Operations Team, the Consequence Management Program, Accident Response Group, Radiological Assistance Program, Stabilization Program and many more were on-hand to educate on their important role as part of Sandia’s Nuclear Counterterrorism and Incident Response program. The program includes the Nuclear Emergency Support Team mission, as well as numerous technology development efforts and training programs that comprise Sandia’s nuclear incident response resources.

As explained by Mike Enghauser, Radiological Triage skillset lead, “Radiological material can end up in almost any location or any place and take on almost any shape and form.” The incident response program focus on detecting, evaluating, responding to and mitigating threats is not purely hypothetical work. “It is not practice. It is not an exercise. It is real life stuff,” he said.

Visitors to the showcase were also shown virtual reality and haptics technology demonstrations and sat down for lunch from a local food truck.

Art Shanks, senior manager in WMD Counterterrorism and Response, was thrilled with the success of the showcase. “I hope this event brought broader awareness across the Labs’ leadership for those already supporting the mission so their management — and management all the way up the Sandia chain — will understand the importance and significance of the Nuclear Counterterrorism and Incident Response mission. I also hope that staff from around the Labs that are interested in this very important mission area learned about opportunities where they could help support as either a responder or as part of the cutting edge research that supports the programs,” Art said.