I’m going to use your post to add some real information on NUCLEAR plants, although this just as easily applies to gas, coal and solar plants.
1) Force on Force exercises are conducted every 3 years. These are exercises designed to cover all contingencies, from disease to war.
2) All operators have contingency plans including redundancy and crosstraining sister plants. These are reviewed on annual or special-event basis.
3) No, nuke plants aren’t all staffed with ex-military. Military nuclear experience gives you 6months credit per year towards experience. It can give you points, but so can other occupations, military and non military. Examples: Air Traffic Controller. Transportation Routing and Dispatch. Mechanical occupations.
4) A high school diploma is required to work at a plant. Your up-training starts after six months or so probation. In a few years of auxiliary operator you can apply for exam as operator thru the NRC, and a few more years you can apply for exam as a senior operator through the NERC. That is, with the right aptitude, maturity of spirit, intelligence, and additional education through college or specialized training coursework, you can achieve Sr. Operator within 10 years.
sources:
Electricity Subsector Coordinating Council, Assessing and Mitigating the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19), A Resource Guide:
US-NRC, Frequently Asked Questions About Force-on-Force Security Exercises at Nuclear Power Plants
https://www.nrc.gov/security/faq-force-on-force.html
US-NRC, Reactor Operators: What it Takes To Do This Important Job
Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, PowerPlant Operators, Distributors and Dispatchers
https://www.bls.gov/ooh/production/power-plant-operators-distributors-and-dispatchers.htm#tab-4
ibid, Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2018
51-8013 Power Plant Operators (with maps)
https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes518013.htm
Thank you!! Some common sense!
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