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As spectators watch skiers schuss down slopes and skaters ace triple axels on the ice at the 2002 Winter Olympics, members of Argonne's Infrastructure Assurance Center (IAC) can be proud that their behind-the-scenes work will speed local responses to infrastructure disruptions if they occur, and rapidly restore vital services.
Seeking a safe and secure setting for the Salt Lake City games, the Utah Olympic Public Safety Command and the state's Division of Comprehensive Emergency Management turned to the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Critical Infrastructure Protection and Argonne's IAC to ensure disaster-resistant communities and to develop power disaster contingency plans for infrastructure disruptions.
"There's nothing like inviting the world over and then having weather or power problems bring the event to a standstill," explained IAC Director Jim Peerenboom (DIS).
"We take for granted our infrastructures such as roads, electric power, natural gas and communications and how they are interrelated," Peerenboom said. "The role of the IAC is to promote understanding of critical infrastructures and work with federal, state and local organizations to create plans before problems arise."
The IAC helped plan and run a day-long disaster exercise in November 2000 called Black Ice. The exercise simulated a major winter snowstorm hitting Utah during the Olympics, disrupting power, communications, transportation and other critical infrastructure and services.
More than 200 public and private sector participants learned first-hand about infrastructure interdependencies and how to develop and coordinate effective response and recovery plans during the exercise. The participants represented 65 organizations, including banks, water suppliers, food distributors, medical care providers and energy, communications and transportation companies. Federal, state and local government representatives were also involved.
The IAC studied the results of the exercise and recommended emergency action plans to the state.
Additionally, IAC specialists helped to develop a "Critical Infrastructure Protection Implementation Plan for 2002 Winter Olympic Games," an aggressive, action-oriented plan for comprehensively addressing critical infrastructure protection needs as they relate to the Winter Olympic Games and after the games.
"While the immediate goal of the state's public safety command is a crisis-free Olympics, it will also be prepared for future large-scale emergencies including power outages like its California neighbor experienced last spring," said Ron Fisher, deputy director of the IAC.
The IAC also provided training for Utah government agencies for developing emergency plans dealing with power outages. Based on a guide the IAC wrote for the Chicago area, the plan addresses actions that local governments can take to protect public health and safety before, during, and after electric power service disruptions.
"We want emergency workers to have everything at hand and to leave nothing to chance," said Dick Cirillo (DIS), who led the effort for the IAC.
During the Olympics, emergency planners will use Argonne-provided computerized Geographic Information Systems (GIS) data. These individual layers of geo-spatial data on roads, pipelines and other infrastructure will provide valuable information in emergencies.
Two DIS employees -- Kay Ingle, manager, risk communications program, and Linda Zander, deputy program manager, risk communications program -- will work at the Olympic Joint Information Center during the games.
The two will work in the center and also observe the effectiveness of the risk communications programs Argonne taught the workers as information is shared between information centers and with the more than 12,000 accredited media at the event.
Tom Baldwin, Karen Guziel and Julie Muzzarelli (all DIS) also worked on the Olympics preparation.
-- Evelyn Brown
The skill and professionalism of the emergency medical technicians at Fire Station No. 2 at Argonne-West prevented an employee's serious car accident from becoming a tragedy.
Argonne-West's Chris Anderson, an accountant for the Facilities Division, was critically injured Dec. 7, 2001, when her car rolled over on U.S. 20. Anderson was on her way to work after a doctor's appointment that morning.
"I just had a physical, so the day didn't start off as I would have liked, to say the least," Anderson said. She was about five miles from Argonne-West when her car hit a patch of ice and flipped over. Anderson received three fractures in her neck and was knocked unconscious when a can of Diet Coke hit her in the back of the head.
"Thank the good Lord, the deep snow off the road slowed me down," Anderson said, "or the accident could have been much worse."
INEEL employee Travis Covert, on his way to Idaho Falls to pick up payroll checks, saw the accident happen and called it in. Emergency medical technicians from INEEL Fire Station No. 2 at Argonne-West responded immediately, removing Anderson from the car, treating her at the scene and taking her to Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center. "All I remember was [emergency medical technicians] Steve and Jerry telling me not to move my head, keep my head still," Anderson said.
The medical staff of the hospital commented that even the slightest mistake during extrication could have significantly impaired Anderson's recovery -- or even left her paralyzed.
Anderson is wearing a neck brace, and may still require surgery, but she is already back at work due to the fast response and skilled care she received at the scene.
The responders from INEEL Fire Station No. 2 received an outstanding service commendation from Argonne Director Hermann Grunder and John Sackett, deputy associate laboratory director for Argonne-West.
-- Gaylene Flores
Gwendolyn Morrison has been appointed director of Argonne's Plant Facilities and Services Division. The division is responsible for the management, maintenance and repair of Argonne-East's buildings, roads and grounds, and many other services.
Morrison has worked in facilities management and operations in public universities, regional government agencies and public institutions.
She has more than 20 years of engineering and operational management experience. Previously, she was director of facilities planning and management at Chicago State University, with responsibility for construction, design and capital planning. Morrison also served as unit section head of facilities administration for the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago.
Morrison received her bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering technology from Purdue University and studied public administration at Ohio State University. She is a member of the Association of Physical Plant Administrators and the American Society for Public Administration.
The Peabody Trio, with narrator Walter Van Dyk, will perform at Argonne-East Sunday, Feb. 17, at 3 p.m. in the Advanced Photon Source Conference Center Auditorium.
Tickets are $20; call ext. 2-3751 to order. VISA and MasterCard are accepted. Remaining tickets will be sold in the lobby of the Building 213 Cafeteria the week of Feb. 11 from noon to 1 p.m. The Auditorium Box Office will be open on the day of the performance at 2:30 p.m.
The Peabody Trio serves as the resident faculty ensemble of the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore, a position it has held since 1989. The musicians spend their summers as ensemble-in-residence at the Yellow Barn Music School and Festival in Putney, Vermont.
The program includes "Fantasy Pieces in A minor, Op. 88," by Schumann; "The Four Seasons of Futuristic Cuisine," by Kernis; and "Trio in B flat major, Op. 97 (Archduke)" by Beethoven.
The concert is sponsored by Arts at Argonne, the laboratory's fine arts program.
Site access
All on-site special events open to the public require pre-registration of visitors and guests. A photo I.D., such as a driver's license or passport, is required for site access. Pre-registered patrons will be issued individual gate passes as they arrive at North Gate. Argonne and DOE employees do not need to pre-register, but will need their badges to gain access to the site. All vehicles entering the site are subject to search.
To pre-register, call ext. 2-3751, send a fax to ext. 2-6720, or e-mail smorss@anl.gov. Name and citizenship are required for every attendee. Visitors who are not U.S. citizens will need to provide their country of citizenship and date of birth. Detailed information on security procedures can be found on the Arts at Argonne Web site.
Special dinner
A special dinner prepared by Chef Chris Kaminsky will be served in the Argonne Guest House from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Cost is $23.45 per person. For reservations, call (630) 739-6000.
An estate planning seminar will be held Thursday, Feb. 21, from noon to 1 p.m. in Argonne-East's Building 402 Auditorium.
Mark Perkins, of Perkins & Zayed, P.C., will discuss how proper estate planning can help avoid probate and minimize estate taxes. He will cover topics such as wills, living trusts, power of attorney, joint tenancy and living and death probate.
The seminar is sponsored by Human Resources. For more information, call ext. 2-2992.
Presenters are wanted for "IPNS Lunch Talks," a serious but informal forum for researchers to talk about their past and present research experiences.
Any reasonable subject matter will be considered. Past talks have covered astronomy, geology, materials science and instrument engineering.
The 20- to 25-minute presentations are held on Thursdays and are a long-standing tradition at IPNS, held almost continuously for 20 years. The current schedule is online.
For more information, contact Evan Maxey (IPNS) at emaxy@anl. gov or ext. 2-7538.
Two new videoconferencing services are now available at Argonne-East from the Information and Publishing Division.
IPD can set up temporary Internet-based videoconferencing in any room at Argonne-East with Internet access. The division also offers the use of its small-group videoconferencing room in Building 222, which seats six.
For details, cost estimates and scheduling, call Jim Cullen (IPD) at 2-5600, or Gail Farmer (IPD) at ext. 2-7451.
3M and Swiderski will demonstrate their latest speaker projection systems during a two-day, hands-on display at the Argonne-East Guest House Feb. 12-13.
The display will be held in Conference Room 220 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 12, and from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 13.
Items on display will include the latest in overhead projectors, electronic projectors and a large wall display. Guidelines for effective meeting presentations will be available and light refreshments will be served.
Human Resources has scheduled a trio of professional development classes at Argonne-East in February.
To enroll, contact a Training Management System representative. Call Betty Iwan (HR) at ext. 2-3410 for more information, or see the HR Web site for complete description of each class.
"Myers-Briggs: Style and Strengths in
the Workplace" (HR258) gives employees an opportunity to learn about their
individual styles and strengths in the workplace through the most widely used instrument of its type in organizations,
Myers-Briggs Type Inventory. All results are confidential. Wednesday, Feb. 6, from 1-5 p.m.,
Building 201, Room 190. Register by Friday, Feb. 1.
"Fitness for Duty" (HR226) covers
supervisors' responsibilities and the support they can receive from other Argonne groups when
dealing with fitness for duty situations. It also sensitizes supervisors to the challenges of
dealing with the emotions and behaviors of employees when their fitness for duty is questioned.
Thursday, Feb. 21, from 1-5 p.m. in Building 401, Room E1100.
"Evelyn Wood Reading Dynamics for
Professionals" (HR262) can enhance the ability to listen, learn, study, research and write using
powerful techniques to process written and verbal information. Thursday, Feb. 28, from 8:30 a.m. to
5 p.m. in Building 201, Room 190.