Multi-agency collaboration was recently achieved with the completion of the May 1 “MAVERICK-25” full-scale exercise at the Nevada National Security Sites (NNSS).
Led by NNSS Security & Emergency Service’s Performance Testing team, MAVERICK-25 was developed to demonstrate response capabilities in accordance with Department of Energy and National Nuclear Security Administration Nevada Field Office orders, policies and procedures. While numerous exercises are coordinated year-round, MAVERICK-25 was unique in incorporating the North Las Vegas Police Department, North Las Vegas Fire Department and Las Vegas Fire & Rescue as response agencies to the NNSS’ North Las Vegas Facility.
Full-scale exercises are categorized as the most complex and resource-intensive type of performance testing event, as they involve multiple organizations and players unifying under the Incident Command System (ICS) structure. ICS is a standardized approach that establishes common processes for incident-level planning and resource management and allows for the integration of resources, such as facilities, equipment and personnel) within a common organizational structure.
“Any large-scale interagency exercise like MAVERICK-25 is challenging,” said NNSS Principal Emergency Response Specialist Chet Barnes. “Each organization will enter an emergency with specific goals and expectations, sometimes conflicting with other responding agencies. The goal with MAVERICK-25 was to identify gaps and assumptions that would lead to delays. Overall, the impact of executing MAVERICK-25 makes life-safety operations more efficient and effective for our employees.”
Preparation for the exercise began months in advance, with the NNSS Performance Testing exercise team crafting the objectives and scenario and coordinating dozens of external and internal stakeholders spanning Fire & Rescue, Protective Force, Facilities, Logistics, Radiological Control, Security Planning and Analysis, Operations Command Center, Emergency Operations Center and Communications.
Preceded by detailed staging in and around the NNSS’ North Las Vegas Facility, the multi-hour exercise entailed extensive role play by NNSS, City of North Las Vegas Police and Fire Departments, and Las Vegas Fire & Rescue to measure safety and security responses. Following every exercise, actions are assessed and evaluated and then used to further advance training, lessons learned and best practices for everyone involved.
“The exercise was fantastic,” said North Las Vegas Police Department Lieutenant Alex Ochoa. “Working under a unified command is not something that we do often. We all learned something from each other and had the opportunity to learn from each other in a controlled environment. This relationship and rapport building is crucial in the event we have a critical incident to this level. We were able to stand side by side, make decisions together and understand why we were making certain decisions.”