Davis-Besse Nuclear Power Station completes new emergency operations facility

AKRON, Ohio - Construction of the emergency operations facility for FirstEnergy's Davis-Besse Nuclear Power Station has been completed.

Located in Lindsey, Ohio, the new 12,000-square-foot facility supports overall management of activities related to maintaining public health and safety during the unlikely event of an emergency at the plant.

The facility also will be used by Davis-Besse's emergency response organization during quarterly training drills and bi-annual exercises evaluated by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the Federal Emergency Management Agency to ensure preparedness to respond to an emergency.

The facility replaces an existing emergency operations facility located on site at Davis-Besse.

"The new Emergency Operations Facility plays a critical role in protecting the health and safety of the public by supporting timely, efficient communications with emergency responders in the event of an urgent situation at the plant," said Ray Lieb, site vice president of Davis-Besse in a news release. "The state-of-the-art facility reflects our commitment to safety and strong sense of responsibility to the community."

Features of the new, state-of-the-art Emergency Operations Facility include:

- enhanced technologies that aid in timely monitoring and collection of environmental data
- secured, online database for sharing plant conditions and other event information in real time between company, local, county and state emergency responders
- updated computer equipment; and diverse telecommunications technology to enhance communications capabilities.

In addition, multiple power supplies ensure the facility will not be affected by a power failure.