Information Notice No. 85-04: Inadequate Management of Security Response Drills

                                                            SSINS No.: 6835 
                                                            IN 85-04       

                                UNITED STATES
                        NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
                    OFFICE OF INSPECTION AND ENFORCEMENT
                           WASHINGTON, D.C. 20555

                              January 17, 1985

Information Notice No. 85-04:   INADEQUATE MANAGEMENT OF SECURITY 
                                   RESPONSE DRILLS 

Addresses: 

All nuclear power reactor facilities holding an operating license (OL) or 
construction permit (CP), and fuel fabrication and processing facilities 
using or processing a formula quantity of special nuclear material. 

Purpose: 

This Information Notice is provided to inform addressees of: (1) a potential
danger in conducting security response drills without properly notifying 
participants; and (2) the need to ensure, through proper management control,
that such drills do not decrease the overall effectiveness of the security 
program. It is expected that recipients will review the information for 
applicability to their facilities and consider actions, if appropriate, to 
preclude a similar problem occurring at their facilities. However, 
suggestions contained in this information notice do not constitute NRC 
requirements; therefore, no specific action or written response is required.

Description of Circumstances: 

During a recent test of response force capabilities at an operating nuclear 
power facility, the following occurred. A security shift supervisor 
announced during a pre-shift briefing of security officers arriving for duty 
that a drill would be conducted that evening. However, not all shift 
personnel attended the briefing . Less than one hour into the midnight 
shift, a security officer posted in a guard tower challenged an unidentified
individual who was attempting to unlock a nearby vehicle gate at the 
protected area perimeter. Ignoring the challenge, the individual opened the 
gate, entered the protected area in his privately owned vehicle, leaving the
vehicle gate open, and proceeded toward the nearest vital area. At the time 
of the intrusion, the central alarm station was notified of the unauthorized
entry and the armed response force was immediately dispatched. Apprehended 
by the response force at the boundary of a vital area as he attempted to 
climb a chain link fence, the intruder was identified as the security shift 
supervisor responsible for conducting response drills. 




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                                                          January 17, 1985 
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Discussion: 

A review of applicable records and interviews with response force 
participants determined that the security officer in the guard tower had 
seriously considered the use of small arms fire when his warning was ignored
by the intruder. Another security officer, who responded to the alert from 
his post outside the protected area, also considered the use of his weapon 
as he arrived at the open protected area gate. Neither officer was present 
for the pre-shift briefing. Violations of several aspects of access control,
as well as the failure to announce that a drill was in progress as required 
by procedure, created a doubt in the minds of other responders as to whether
the event was a drill or an actual intrusion. 

The NRC strongly supports the use of drills as a valuable method of 
assessing the security force training program. However, it is imperative 
that security requirements are strictly followed and that drills are 
adequately managed to preclude danger to plant employees and degradation of 
site security controls. 

No specific action or written response is required by this information 
notice. If you have any questions about this matter, please contact the 
Regional Administrator of the appropriate NRC Regional Office or this 
office. 


                                   Edward L. Jordan Director 
                                   Division of Emergency Preparedness 
                                     and Engineering Response 
                                   Office of Inspection and Enforcement 

Technical Contact:  Loren L. Bush, IE
                    (301) 492-8080

                    John J. Davidson, NMSS
                    (301) 427-4709

Attachment: List of Recently Issued IE Information Notices
 

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