Remote Evaluation of Emergency Preparedness Drills

Abstract

Ontario Power Generation’s Emergency Preparedness (EP) Department oversees the Emergency Response Organization (ERO) responsible for protecting public health in the event of a nuclear emergency. EP organizes and executes full-scale nuclear drills and exercises every year to train the ERO and ensure their preparedness. In response to COVID-19 restrictions, EP had to re-evaluate how to continue their drills program while still accurately qualifying ERO members. A novel method was successfully developed and termed ‘Remote Evaluation’, which physically separates evaluators from those participating in the drills while still capturing audio and visual oversight. The separation between the two roles is beneficial as it also enhances the realism participants feel during a drill, comparable to that of a real event. ‘Remote Evaluation’ is an industry-leading method of executing drills and has prepared the ERO more than ever to respond to a nuclear emergency.