Many people at the Lab were hired during the pandemic, and many more have a need to reacquaint themselves with the Lab sites and the new (and trusted) ways of keeping safe during an emergency. In this conversation with Lab Emergency Manager James Nuñez and Fire Marshal Todd LaBerge, we looked at some of the most apparent changes that people returning to a Lab site will notice.
Q: What are the three biggest changes that have occurred in Lab emergency preparedness since March 2020?
James Nuñez: One of the biggest changes is that everybody’s required to badge in to get into the Lab site and their building. And that’s not just a security enhancement, it’s also a tool we use during emergencies. Let me explain: When we have an incident on site, we can pull badge data, know how many folks are in a building, and make sure that we account for everybody in an emergency. It’s a safety factor.
The other aspect that will be new to a lot of people is the Building Emergency Team (BET) program that was halted during the pandemic but will be starting up again in March with monthly radio testing. We are taking a close look at the BET program and how it functions with reduced numbers on site in a hybrid work environment. Employees need to know what actions to take during an emergency even if BET-trained personnel aren’t available.
Q: What advice do you have for both longtime Lab employees and those who were hired during the pandemic?
Reacquaint yourself, or get to know, where emergency assembly areas, what zone you’re in, and where SAFE buildings are located. For those who aren’t familiar, Safety Areas For Emergencies (SAFE) are buildings structurally reinforced to help people survive a wildfire.
Also, ensure that all of your information is up to date in Lab Alert. That’s really critical because Lab Alert is our primary means for emergency communication followed by the Lab Status page. And if there’s a life safety issue call 911 first and, if it’s safe, alert site security as well by calling at 510-486-6999.
Q: Lastly, what is the Lab’s smoking policy and are there any changes to that policy?
Todd LaBerge: I would simply remind our Lab partners that the smoking policy at all Lab sites is a “no smoking” policy within buildings. You can only smoke in designated smoking areas, and there’s a good reason for that.
Anytime we walk around the lab we find cigarette butts on the ground, in the brush, or in shrubs — all things that catch fire easily and could lead to a wildfire that would destroy hundreds of homes and possibly kill people. Negligence and smoking can actually result in death; I cannot impress that enough upon our staff.
So, if you do smoke, please deposit your cigarette butts in the all-metal receptacles in the designated smoking areas.
More information
- Site Access Office 510-646-4551 or siteaccess@lbl.gov
- Site Operations Center (SOC) staffed 7/24 at 510-486-6299 or soc@lbl.gov
- Look at the map of assembly areas, zones and SAFE Buildings
- Learn more about Site Security
- Take the new Security and Emergency Services training
- Read about the Smoking Policy