Koeberg Exercise Completed Successfully | Western Cape Government

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Koeberg Exercise Completed Successfully

12 June 2015

The Western Cape Disaster Management (WCDM) annual Koeberg Emergency Exercise was concluded successfully on Thursday afternoon.

The WCDM partakes in an annual drill regarding nuclear-based scenarios involving Koeberg. The drill that is done in real time includes officials from Eskom, the City of Cape Town (CoCT) Disaster Management and other stakeholders. 

Anton Bredell, Provincial Minister of Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning, says the exercise is based upon aspects of a potential nuclear emergency involving Koeberg.

“Every year the particulars change and role-players like WCDM must adapt to the particular situation. The exercise considers disaster entities’ operational readiness and response times as well as their ability to act and react to dynamic changes under pressure.”

The latest exercise was run from the CoCT’s Disaster Operations Centre in Goodwood and was guided by a sequence of unforeseen promptings and events. Role-players had to respond to each event in real-time, under conditions similar to an actual emergency.

Colin Deiner, head of WCDM says the centre’s readiness and systems were tested again on Thursday and the outcome was satisfactory.

“No one wants to see any sort of incident involving Koeberg, but it would be remiss not to prepare for every eventuality. This is what the WCDM and our stakeholders do on a continuous basis. The outcome of this year’s test will be analysed for future reference.”

Bredell says the WCDM plans for the possibility of a nuclear incident involving Koeberg much like it plans for other eventualities including earthquakes, floods and more recently, severe power shortages.

“Planning, drilling and exercising speak to good preparation. And that’s what we do at WCDM.”

Media Enquiries: 

James-Brent Styan
Media Liaison Officer
Telephone:  021 483 2820
E-mail:          James-Brent.Styan@westerncape.gov.za