Fire Drill at the Reactor

Dec 7, 2022 | News

On Tuesday, 6 December, a fire drill was conducted at the Reactor Centre of the Jožef Stefan Institute. In addition to the Institute staff, the exercise involved teams from the Ljubljana Professional Fire Brigade, the Ecological Laboratory with Mobile Unit (ELME), and the volunteer fire brigades of Podgorica Šentjakob and Vižmarje–Brod.

The exercise scenario involved a large-scale fire in a facility intended for handling radioactive materials. Several trapped persons and a strong radiation source were located inside the smoke-filled building. Firefighters had to rescue the injured while monitoring radiation levels during their intervention. Institute staff assisted the firefighters and ELME team with contamination control and guidance on operating within the affected facility. During the exercise, ELME also carried out environmental radiation measurements.

The purpose of the drill was to test the cooperation between firefighters, ELME, and JSI personnel in the event of a severe emergency situation, while also dispelling some myths about the dangers and harmful effects of radiation on people.