Success Stories

ORAU Introduces Several “Firsts” to Nation’s Full-Scale TOPOFF 4 Terrorist Exercise

What if a "dirty bomb" hit the United States? Would our country be prepared to respond to such an attack?

This scenario was tested by the week-long Top Officials 4 (TOPOFF 4) full-scale exercise (FSE)—the nation’s fourth Congressionally-mandated, premier terrorism preparedness exercise.

Oak Ridge Associated Universities' (ORAU) national security experts were extensively involved in planning and assisting in the response to TOPOFF 4, which involved more than 15,000 participants from federal, state, territorial and local levels of government, as well as international and private sector representatives.

TOPOFF 4 took place in three different locations around the world, and ORAU team members were present at all three of these exercise venues—the U.S. Territory of Guam; Portland, Ore.; and Phoenix, Ariz.—and at several emergency operations centers in Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Northern Command’s Exercise Vigilant Shield ’08 in Colorado Springs, Colo.

Together, ORAU and Chainbridge Technologies, Inc. developed the first-ever test of a "Paperless FRMAC" (Federal Radiological Monitoring and Assessment Center), so data could be seamlessly assessed and transferred to Portland responders throughout TOPOFF 4, thus ensuring a coordinated response.

The Cytogenetic Biodosimetry Laboratory, part of the Radiation Emergency Assistance Center/Training Site (REAC/TS) also assessed its capabilities to collect and ship real blood samples, as well as to provide dose estimates—another first for the exercise.

Through TOPOFF 4 FSE, ORAU clearly demonstrated its broad knowledge and experience in national security planning and response capabilities.