Project STORRM

Exercise Summary

The exercise was designed around three core objectives:

1. Raise awareness and improve familiarity with FEMA and federal guidance documents (e.g., Planning Guidance for Response to a Nuclear Detonation, Nuclear/Radiological Incident Annex) to strengthen future agency-specific plans, procedures, and training.

2. Examine EOC and incident management capacity to establish operational priorities, coordinate logistics, and sustain situational awareness over a prolonged, multi-day response.

3. Assess field radiological monitoring and the ability of participating agencies to integrate collected data into operational decision-making for public safety, evacuation, and resource allocation.

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Over five days, participants coordinated across time zones and disciplines to test decision-making, information sharing, field monitoring, and protective action strategies in the earliest and most difficult hours of a nuclear detonation response. Each day focused on key elements of the response:

• Day 1 – Orientation and scenario review

• Day 2 – Detonation, fallout, initial Monitoring, and immediate protective actions

• Day 3 – Ground data assessment, continued field monitoring, and additional early protective actions

• Day 4 – Dose assessment refinement, continued field monitoring, public messaging, and incident management

• Day 5 – After-Action Review and Hotwash

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Tools & Simulation Technology

Participants used a suite of tools in a secure Microsoft Teams–based environment:

• RadTeamSim.Route – Real-time field monitoring simulation, rolled out for the first time as a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) platform with 42 dedicated kiosks deployed across the country

• RadTeamSim.Flight – Aerial radiation survey simulation module

• CBRNResponder – FEMA-supported data coordination platform used as the primary common operating picture for geospatial layers, plume predictions, and field readings

• Mission Edge – Decision support and geospatial visualization

• Microsoft Teams – Interagency collaboration hub for scenario injects, briefings, and coordination​

Who Participated?

Over 200 participants from 18 U.S. states took part in Operation First Light, including exercise support staff and active players from:

Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, Wisconsin, Nebraska, Minnesota, Texas, Wyoming, California, Alaska, Iowa, Nevada, and Virginia.

 

Participants represented a wide range of disciplines — emergency management, public health, EMS, firefighters, Civil Support Teams, EOC leadership, and radiological response specialists. There was no U.S. federal play or participation; DOE/NNSA provided a simulation file set at the request of CRCPD, but all maps, KMZ visuals, and data products were developed independently by RES.

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What's Next

Operation First Light was just the beginning. The lessons learned are directly informing future planning, training, and capability development — not only for radiation emergencies, but for the broader field of consequence management.

 

Project STORRM is building toward future iterations with expanded participation, enhanced tools, and deeper integration of simulation, doctrine, and technology. Interested agencies, businesses, and international partners are welcome to reach out about future opportunities.

 

Simulate. Coordinate. Decide.​

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About the Organizers

Radiation Emergency Services (RES) and Quantum Radiation Solutions (QRS) bring decades of real-world radiological response experience — from Fukushima support to consequence management planning at the state and national levels. Together, we are committed to helping agencies train smarter, collaborate better, and protect communities.

 

For questions or to express interest in future Project STORRM events, contact: info@RadiationEmergencyServices.com | 702-509-9967