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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IN 85-04
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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