Emergency Preparedness Exercises
Support for TOPOFF 4, Full-Scale Exercise (FSE)
The TOPOFF (Top Officials) 4 full-scale exercise tested the Nation’s ability to respond to simultaneous “dirty bomb” attacks at multiple locations both within the continental United States and abroad. Sponsored by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the exercise involved more than 15,000 participants representing federal, state, territorial, and local entities in the United States and the U.S. territory in Guam.
The TOPOFF 4 FSE scenario involved simulated detonations of radiological dispersal devices in Guam, followed by similar attacks in Portland, Oreg., and Phoenix, Ariz.
As the coordinating agency for nuclear and radiological response, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) played a leadership role in the exercise. ORISE national security experts provided extensive assistance to DOE in the response to the incident.
ORISE team members were present at all three venues as well as several emergency operations centers in Washington, D.C. and at U.S. Northern Command in Colorado Springs, Colo. ORISE staff also participated in the Portland-based Incident Management Team (IMAT). This exercise marked DOE’s first test of the IMAT, which is a multidisciplinary team supporting DOE’s senior energy official on-site at an incident. ORISE personnel also supported DOE’s senior federal officials at each of the multiagency Joint Field Offices, which were temporary facilities established during the incident to coordinate resources at the scene in Guam, Phoenix, and Colorado Springs.
The exercise also tested the first-ever “Paperless FRMAC” (Federal Radiological Monitoring and Assessment Center). FRMAC supports event response by gathering and assessing radiation monitoring data for key decision makers. With the paperless FRMAC, developed by ORISE and Chainbridge, Inc. for the U.S. Department of Energy, data was seamlessly assessed and transferred to Portland responders throughout the exercise, thus ensuring a coordinated response. The system was deemed a huge success by public health officials involved in the exercise.
Through the TOPOFF 4 exercise, ORISE demonstrated its broad knowledge and experience in national security capabilities. As a result of this exercise, lessons will be learned and insight gained about the preparedness of our nation in the event of a terrorist attack.