08:03:21 PM Avagene Moore:Hello, welcome to the EIIP Round Table! ... 08:03:32 PM Avagene Moore:We are happy to have Jon Juette, Product Line Manager for Occupational Safety and Health at the HAMMER Volpentest Training and Education Center. ... 08:03:59 PM Avagene Moore:This is an informal session and courtesy reigns when we open up for questions.... 08:04:10 PM Avagene Moore:Jon, thanks for being here tonight. Please explain some of the programs at HAMMER and give our audience an overview of the facility. 08:04:28 PM Jon Juette:Thank you Avagene... 08:04:47 PM Jon Juette:I am pleased to be with you tonight. I am here to talk to you about one of the premier "hands-on" training facilities in the nation... 08:05:01 PM Jon Juette:Our credo is "Training at HAMMER is as real as it gets!"... 08:05:16 PM Jon Juette:We are a government owned, contractor operated facility located on 120 acres of the 560 square mile DOE Hanford site in the southeast part of Washington state... 08:05:32 PM Jon Juette:HAMMER used to be an acronym for Hazardous Materials Management and Emergency Response... 08:05:44 PM Jon Juette:When Hazel O'Leary became Secretary of Energy, she implemented a fun policy of charging her staff a quarter each time they used an acronym... 08:05:58 PM Jon Juette:When she got tired of referring to the "Hazardous Materials Management and Emergency Response" Training and Education Center, she officially renamed us. HAMMER :) ... 08:06:11 PM Jon Juette:HAMMER began in 1986 as a community-based initiative geared to improving training for hazardous materials workers and incident responders... 08:06:27 PM Jon Juette:In 1993 the U.S. Department of Energy began activities to design and construct a permanent facility at the Hanford Site... 08:06:43 PM Jon Juette:Since its inception, HAMMER has been dedicated to maintaining a partnership for solving training issues, improving productivity, and seeking innovative methods to cut training costs... 08:06:58 PM Jon Juette:I will talk about that partnership later on this evening... 08:07:12 PM Jon Juette:The guiding concern for all HAMMER activities is improving worker health and safety across our beautiful nation... 08:07:27 PM Jon Juette:The principal purpose of HAMMER is to join a wide array of resources and expertise to meet the everchanging needs of the environmental restoration and waste management workforce which really does include general industry and construction... 08:07:45 PM Jon Juette:Along with training and education, the HAMMER program includes medical surveillance, risk analysis, performance and proficiency monitoring through levels of evaluation... 08:08:01 PM Jon Juette:We have divided our program into product lines. They include Emergency Operations, Fire Operations, Occupational Safety and Health (OSH), Environmental Management, Law Enforcement, and technology supported Learning... 08:08:18 PM Jon Juette:It is hard to explain a facility such as ours on a chat line, but I will do my best... 08:08:32 PM Jon Juette:We have several life size props that are specially designed to offer the student realistic experiences without putting them in harms way. I will explain a few... 08:08:46 PM Jon Juette:We have Burn buildings (for firefighter training) that are computer controlled while using propane as the firing agent. Propane is environmentally acceptable... 08:09:00 PM Jon Juette:This allows the student to "feel the heat" under realistic and stressful conditions while performing learned skills. The computer and the instructor evaluates the competancy of the student under these conditions... 08:09:15 PM Jon Juette:We have a six story training tower, a three story Self Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) Building that we can fill with a non-toxic theater smoke... 08:09:29 PM Jon Juette:We have a 150 meter square concrete pad with drainage that is used for several training scenarios (fork lift training, hoisting and rigging, haz materials management, jaws of life, to name a few)... 08:09:43 PM Jon Juette:HAMMER has overturned railroad cars, a geophysical test bed, fall protection props with engineered attachment points, full sized radiation zones with several props within... 08:09:58 PM Jon Juette:Our Semi-trailers are plumbed with different liquid leaks and tankers with vapor leaks. We have a boarder patrol station, confined spaces, above ground tanks, and a full mock-up of one of the million gallon underground storage tanks will soon be completed... 08:10:19 PM Jon Juette:We have a 1.3 million gallon pond that not only provide water to the fire props, but is also used for spill mitigation, dive/rescue training, and underwater confined space training. I haven't seen any fish in it yet... 08:10:43 PM Jon Juette:Safety reviews have been performed along with risk assessments on all of our props with a separate focus on risks associated with training on the props... 08:10:58 PM Jon Juette:We use no hazardous materials during our training exercises, and require all training providers to participate in a safety orientation before we allow them to use our props... 08:11:11 PM Jon Juette:By the way, we have no instructors on staff. Our role is to provide the best facility and find the best instructors to provide the training... 08:11:25 PM Jon Juette:In the administration building, we have 10 classrooms, a distance learning center that utilizes a multi-point hookup. In fact, we are currently providing a MSPH with emphasis on IH to our Richland, WA people through a Tulane University curriculum... 08:11:41 PM Jon Juette:The students are here and see and speak directly with professors in New Orleans. What tremendous opportunities this affords us... 08:11:53 PM Jon Juette:Our Learning Resource Center is stocked with over $750,000 worth of publications, videos, and software for our students' and visiting instructors' use... 08:12:07 PM Jon Juette:We have a full service restaurant that has a very good breakfast and lunch menu. This helps cut the lunch period to a managable time. They even cater right in the classroom, if requested... 08:12:17 PM Jon Juette:Well, there it is. A whirlwind tour of our training facility... 08:12:29 PM Jon Juette:I would be remiss if I did not speak of our national steering committee... 08:12:41 PM Jon Juette:This committee meets two times each year. It is comprised of representatives from DOE-Headquarters, DOE-Richland Operations, several federal agencies... 08:12:53 PM Jon Juette:Native American Tribal leaders, eight international unions including six general presidents, Educational institutions, and state and local governments... 08:13:04 PM Jon Juette:This committee is a central element in the partnering strategy to develop and sustain HAMMER in all of its dimensions. As an example... 08:13:18 PM Jon Juette:The steering committee will help achieve the goal of creating and maintaining a national forum to promote the discussion and resolution of issues as identified by the product line subcommittee's. 08:13:31 PM Jon Juette:We have currently trained over 3,000 students in classes such as hazardous waste worker, respiratory protection, fall protection, confined spaces, ergonomics, waste designation, waste management, hazardous materials shipper certification... 08:13:44 PM Jon Juette:Firefighter I & II programs, lead abatement, asbestos removal, first aid, suspect counterfeit parts, forklift qualification, scaffolding, to name a few... 08:13:57 PM Jon Juette:We have sponsored emergency drills that included two states, FEMA, U.S. Corps of Engineers, Coast Guard, Native American tribes, state, county and local emergency responders, and the Department of Energy (there were others)... 08:14:11 PM Jon Juette:our latest SCENERIO was staged on the Columbia River between Washington and Oregon. A radioactive shipment was lost when the driver of a semi suffered a heart attack... 08:14:26 PM Jon Juette:The truck fell 100 ft off the bridge onto a family picnicing below. Barrells of low level radioactive waste ended up on both sides of the river, thereby involving both states... 08:14:52 PM Jon Juette:and some containers remained in the river which created opportunities to involve many organizations, local, state, and federal. Victims were transported to two regional hospitals, one in Washington and the other in Oregon... 08:15:08 PM Jon Juette:After the exercise was completed, parties evaluated each accident scene to reinforce strengths and determine weaknesses. Information was captured on needs assessment sheets and given to affected agencies and local governments... 08:15:20 PM Jon Juette:Events such as these strengthen the surrounding communities and gives citizens some sense of confidence that there emergency responders are effective in their service... 08:15:33 PM Jon Juette:HAMMER continues to work with local, state, and federal government agencies, as well as the private sector to improve emergency response and worker health and safety... 08:15:47 PM Jon Juette:A last note. I would be happy to supply any of you with information or direct you to the proper product line manager to help answer any of your questions about our facility... 08:15:57 PM Jon Juette:It truely is a diamond in the rough when looking at the issues our nations workers and emergency responders face in their every day life... 08:16:11 PM Jon Juette:We are proud to be there for them and proud that our government recognizes the value performance based, hands-on training provides... 08:16:23 PM Jon Juette:Confucious stated long ago, "What I hear, I forget. What I see, I remember. What I DO, I understand."... 08:16:32 PM Jon Juette:Thank You. 08:16:38 PM Kevin Farrell:? 08:17:02 PM Avagene Moore:Yes, Kevin. With this small group, don't have to ask permission to speak. 08:17:13 PM Kevin Farrell:Do you have a web site? 08:17:22 PM Kevin Farrell:for more info... 08:17:27 PM Jon Juette:Yes we do... 08:17:45 PM Jon Juette:it is www.hammertraining.org 08:18:00 PM Kevin Farrell:thanks 08:18:07 PM Avagene Moore:Jon, I am impressed. I knew a little about HAMMER but not much. Is training open to anyone? What's the criteria? 08:18:25 PM Jon Juette:Yes it is open Avagene... 08:18:46 PM Jon Juette:We are federally funded to provide training... 08:19:03 PM Jon Juette:to workers involved in the cleanup of this large site... 08:19:14 PM randy jackson:Jon, it seems like we are seeing an increasing number of hazardous material highway inicidents. How is training addressing that. 08:19:35 PM Jon Juette:but the government sees the value in extending this facility to the public also. 08:19:53 PM Jon Juette:Randy, good question... 08:20:03 PM Jon Juette:We are teamed up with DOT... 08:20:26 PM Jon Juette:In fact, they are one of the feds I mentioned that is on our steering committee... 08:20:48 PM Jon Juette:They are working hard to provide training using several media... 08:21:11 PM Jon Juette:Distance learning is one, computer based is another... 08:21:29 PM Jon Juette:and web based training is getting more and more attention. 08:21:45 PM randy jackson:I too am impessed. I wish I could ask more , but I have to head back to the office. Thanks Jon, and talk to you all later. 08:21:58 PM Jon Juette:Thank you Randy. 08:22:03 PM Avagene Moore:Jon, one more things about access to the training at HAMMER: Is there a fee for the training? An application process? (Bye Randy, thanks.) 08:22:27 PM Jon Juette:Avagene... 08:22:45 PM Jon Juette:There are fees, because nothing is free as you know... 08:22:56 PM Avagene Moore:Of course. 08:23:04 PM Jon Juette:however, we do have funding sources that come from several agencies... 08:23:35 PM Jon Juette:we are either reducing costs or eliminating them to the student completely through grants, etc. 08:24:10 PM Avagene Moore:Other questions, Kevin, Annmarie? 08:24:12 PM annmarie:Are you responsible for the distance learning and web based training also? 08:24:25 PM Jon Juette:Yes... 08:24:25 PM Kevin Farrell:How long have you been in operation? I'm sorry to say I haven't heard of HAMMER. 08:24:51 PM Jon Juette:However I work closely with Dan Ollero of our group for the technical details. 08:25:04 PM Jon Juette:Hello Lori 08:25:06 PM Avagene Moore:(Hi, Lori. We are in Q&A with Jon Juette.) 08:25:52 PM Jon Juette:Are there any more questions I can answer? 08:25:55 PM Avagene Moore:Jon, did you see Kevin's question? 08:26:09 PM Jon Juette:No I didn't ... 08:26:27 PM Jon Juette:We have been in operation since Sept 97. 08:26:45 PM Kevin Farrell:Does DoD participate? (sorry Ava... there is lag time tonite with my connection) 08:26:51 PM Jon Juette:We are one of the best kept secrets in the US... 08:27:04 PM Jon Juette:yes the DOD was here just this week... 08:27:16 PM Jon Juette:we are working with them and the state department... 08:27:25 PM Jon Juette:on weapons of mass destruction. 08:27:29 PM Avagene Moore:Jon, do individuals apply or departments from various locations? 08:27:50 PM Jon Juette:Avagene... 08:27:56 PM Jon Juette:it works either way... 08:28:19 PM Jon Juette:we have individuals contact us from a student perspective... 08:28:34 PM Jon Juette:or from an instructional offering perspective... 08:28:56 PM Jon Juette:I am always looking for excellent hands on training providers across the nation... 08:29:21 PM Jon Juette:I am also working closely with the department of Labor and OSHA training institute... 08:29:33 PM Jon Juette:we are looking at providing mastery programs... 08:29:59 PM Jon Juette:for professionals responsible for programs in their companies... 08:30:25 PM Jon Juette:Lori, hello again. 08:30:36 PM Lori Wieber:Hello 08:30:54 PM Avagene Moore:I like your statement about 'best kept secret in the US'. I think this once again illustrates how we have tunnel vision and don't talk to each other. 08:30:57 PM Jon Juette:Avagene, did I miss any questions? 08:31:18 PM Avagene Moore:Don't think so. Everyone please feel free to speak up. 08:31:19 PM Kevin Farrell:Sounds like some marketing is needed.... 08:31:35 PM annmarie:You mentioned technical training, what type of software do you train? 08:31:38 PM Jon Juette:you are right about that. I look forward to being involved with this forum from now on! 08:31:53 PM Avagene Moore:Great, Jon! 08:31:55 PM Jon Juette:annmarie... 08:32:07 PM Jon Juette:I am not sure of the nature of your question. 08:33:08 PM annmarie:You mentioned classroom training in software as one are covered by the institute. 08:33:23 PM Jon Juette:OK... 08:33:48 PM Jon Juette:We do have courses in several software applications... 08:34:04 PM Jon Juette:we do not encourage this type of training at our facility... 08:34:35 PM Jon Juette:the reason is because you can pretty well get that type of training in any classroom setting. 08:34:56 PM Avagene Moore:Jon, you mentioned an acronym I am unfamiliar with --- MSPH --- I know IH is Industrial Hygiene. Please clarify MSPH. 08:35:07 PM annmarie:Do you use scenarios? 08:35:16 PM Jon Juette:annmarie... 08:35:47 PM Jon Juette:yes we do. In fact this is one of the best ways to reach adults, as you are aware. 08:35:55 PM Jon Juette:avagene... 08:36:12 PM Jon Juette:this is a masters program. I hit the wrong key. 08:36:38 PM Jon Juette:annmarie... 08:36:56 PM Jon Juette:We are working with the state of Oregon ... 08:37:20 PM Jon Juette:the focus is on emergency response in pulp and paper mills... 08:37:36 PM Jon Juette:Oregon and Washington has several pulp and paper mills... 08:38:02 PM Jon Juette:they have some specific hazards that emergency responders need to know and understand... 08:38:36 PM Jon Juette:we are helping them develop scenarios that will help them assess their strengths and weaknesses... 08:38:54 PM Jon Juette:this way they can adjust, or ask for help in meeting those needs. 08:39:09 PM Avagene Moore:What is the average number of students at HAMMER each week? 08:39:22 PM Jon Juette:It really varies... 08:40:15 PM Jon Juette:I would say on the average of 300 per week 08:40:26 PM Avagene Moore:Good average! 08:40:34 PM Kevin Farrell:My organization could benefit from your center.... I know our environmental folks would. 08:40:45 PM Kevin Farrell:I need to give them your URL 08:40:56 PM Avagene Moore:Is housing provided on site or in hotels nearby? 08:40:58 PM Jon Juette:I hear what you are saying, Kevin... 08:41:41 PM Jon Juette:when we have people visit our facility, they say we did not tell the half of it!!! 08:41:46 PM Jon Juette:Avagene, 08:42:02 PM Jon Juette:One of the good things about our location is the housing... 08:42:19 PM Jon Juette:we are a little difficult to fly into some say... 08:42:41 PM Jon Juette:I haven't noticed that. We have a stop in SLC with Delta... 08:42:55 PM Jon Juette:but it is a direct flight from there... 08:43:39 PM Jon Juette:we have made special arrangements for dormitory type housing, our hotels are from $60 up... 08:44:05 PM Jon Juette:and we have an organization looking to build housing across the street from us in the next year or so. 08:44:31 PM Avagene Moore:Is there a waiting list to get into your classes? 08:44:40 PM Jon Juette:Sometimes... 08:45:22 PM Jon Juette:our most sought after courses seem to be HAZWOPER and respiratory protection at this time. 08:45:22 PM annmarie:Is there a lists of available classes on your web site? 08:45:43 PM Jon Juette:annmarie... 08:45:53 PM Avagene Moore:(Hi, David. We are in Q&A with Jon Juette.) 08:46:01 PM Jon Juette:we are working on providing our course listings on our web site... 08:46:09 PM Kevin Farrell:I'm assuming the schedule is on the web site? 08:46:16 PM David Seabrook:greetings, sorry I'm late... 08:46:35 PM Jon Juette:we should have this site in better shape in the next two months... 08:46:55 PM Kevin Farrell:sorry... my connection tonite is slow....... 08:47:00 PM Jon Juette:I would be very interested in any comments you have for the site and how it could be improved. 08:47:13 PM Lori Wieber:My apologies for logging in late... would you briefly cover how HAMMER came to be? 08:47:53 PM Jon Juette:Hi Lori... 08:48:01 PM David Seabrook:I also should apologize for not checking out the preliminary info first. I'm assuming that the HAMMER program is something that would be of interest to a fire department HAZMAT team member from Vancouver, WA. 08:48:21 PM Jon Juette:Lori and David... 08:49:11 PM Jon Juette:The HAMMER Training facility is in Richland, WA... 08:49:38 PM Jon Juette:We are a federal facility (DOE) but is designated a user facility... 08:49:51 PM Jon Juette:which opens it up to non-feds... 08:50:03 PM Jon Juette:Thank You. 08:50:10 PM Avagene Moore:Jon, you mentioned the exercise with 2 states and local governments; does HAMMER work closely with the states and locals on a regular basis? Do the they get training at Hammer? 08:50:41 PM Jon Juette:yes... 08:50:59 PM Jon Juette:we have both states represented on our national steering committee... 08:51:23 PM Jon Juette:we also have agencies within those states on our individual subcommittees. 08:51:44 PM Jon Juette:David and Lori... 08:51:53 PM Jon Juette:We are a government owned, contractor operated facility located on 120 acres of the 560 square mile DOE Hanford site in the southeast part of Washington state... 08:52:08 PM Jon Juette:HAMMER began in 1986 as a community-based initiative geared to improving training for hazardous materials workers and incident responders... 08:52:33 PM Jon Juette:The principal purpose of HAMMER is to join a wide array of resources and expertise to meet the everchanging needs of the environmental restoration and waste management workforce which really does include general industry and construction... 08:52:50 PM Jon Juette:hopes this helps a bit. 08:52:54 PM David Seabrook:Do you do any work with the WA State Patrol's Hazmat training people? 08:53:16 PM Jon Juette:yes... 08:53:42 PM Jon Juette:we have worked with the patrol in many areas... 08:54:14 PM Jon Juette:they are interested in utilizing our facility for the hands on portion of their courses. 08:55:30 PM Jon Juette:hello isabel 08:55:47 PM Isabel McCurdy:Hi, sorry I'm late. 08:56:06 PM Avagene Moore:Well folks, it is about time to close down for tonight .... 08:56:08 PM David Seabrook:We (Vancouver Fire Dept.) interact with the State Patrol mainly in clandestine lab operations. Do you have specialized training for community clean up of these type of problems, especially when they're mobile and contamination is not confined to one house or location.? 08:56:42 PM Jon Juette:yes, david, we have a clandestine lab at our facility... 08:56:49 PM Avagene Moore:(I will let you answer this last question.) 08:57:11 PM Jon Juette:we had US Customs here to train boarder patrol agents... 08:57:20 PM David Seabrook:Thanks for a great program, AM. I'll try to be more prompt next time. 08:57:36 PM Jon Juette:from Hungary, Slovokia, Russia and a few other eastern nations... 08:57:54 PM Jon Juette:this is gaining real interest. 08:58:04 PM Avagene Moore:Jon, you did a fabulous job. HAMMER is a fabulous facility. I know I would like to tour it one of these days. Let's hear applause for Jon! clap, clap, clap, clap 08:58:22 PM Isabel McCurdy: 08:58:27 PM Lori Wieber:clap clap clap clap..... 08:58:34 PM Jon Juette:I would like to thank everyone for being here with us tonight. 08:58:38 PM annmarie:Clap Clap! Very nice! 08:58:42 PM Kevin Farrell: 08:58:46 PM David Seabrook:thank you! 08:58:51 PM AK Miller:clap- envy- clap 08:59:00 PM Avagene Moore:Excellent, Jon. Thanks so much. Thanks to the audience also! Hear that applause, Jon? They love you! 08:59:15 PM Jon Juette:Thanks again...Goodnight. 08:59:32 PM Avagene Moore:Jon, we may have to do something else on this later and get more people in here. Bye. Thanks again. 08:59:46 PM Jon Juette:My pleasure. 08:59:50 PM Lori Wieber:Thank you for sharing , Jon. Good night all. 08:59:51 PM Avagene Moore:Will make a most informative transcript. 09:00:00 PM Kevin Farrell:I've gotta go check out the web pag 09:00:08 PM Kevin Farrell:e 09:00:19 PM Avagene Moore:Good night. Stay in touch, Jon. Can we get HAMMER signed up as a Partner? 09:00:38 PM Kevin Farrell:cya! 09:00:38 PM Jon Juette:Let's talk tomorrow... 09:00:51 PM Jon Juette:No. Monday. 09:01:04 PM annmarie:Good night 09:01:10 PM Avagene Moore:OK. I will give you a call. OK. Monday. 09:01:11 PM Jon Juette:I will get the information from you to see how to make that happen. 09:01:37 PM Avagene Moore:OK. We can help spread the word. That's what we are all about. 09:01:41 PM Avagene Moore:Night all! 09:01:49 PM Jon Juette:Good Night! 09:01:59 PM Isabel McCurdy:Night Avagene. 09:02:34 PM AK Miller:nite Isabel 09:02:47 PM Isabel McCurdy:Night Andy.