Lt. Ronnie Johnson of the K-9 unit of Wackenhut holds on to Rocky as he attacks during a demonstration. The K-9 force is one of the many weapons the security company uses to protect Savannah River Site. Dogs and their handlers are trained at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas. CHRIS THELEN/STAFF

Guarding secrets

Skilled security firm keeps SRS safe

Web posted Friday, November 24, 2000

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By Johnny Edwards
Staff Writer

It might be the only security force in the Augusta area with officers trained to fire machine guns while wearing rubber gloves.

It's also the only agency spending millions on equipment, manpower and drilling, yet hardly ever called to action in real emergencies.

But for the staff and officers at Wackenhut Services Inc., which holds the $60 million contract to guard and patrol Savannah River Site, that's the way they like it. Should something go wrong at the site, it could mean a terrorist strike, nuclear sabotage or a breach of national security.

To date, the high-tech paramilitary organization has never dealt with anything of the sort, according to company officials.

``We're armed and prepared, so hopefully that serves as a deterrent,'' said Arthur Graves, vice president and deputy general manager. ``Even though it hasn't happened, if it does happen the consequences would be grave.

``That drives you to a higher level of protection.''

Part of an international security company based in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., Wackenhut was awarded its first contact at SRS on Aug. 23, 1983. Before then, security was handled in-house by DuPont.

Wackenhut also protects the Rocky Flats Environmental Technology Site in Colorado, the Nevada Test Site near Las Vegas and the Energy Department's headquarters facility in Washington.

The five-year SRS contract was renewed in 1988, 1993 and 1999. The current deal has an option for an extension to 10 years.

Should whistles and bells sound anywhere on the site's 310 square miles, Wackenhut's Special Response Team - similar to a SWAT team - can storm the area within seconds, either by ground, air or both.

Members are armed with M-16 rifles or M-60 machine guns, stun grenades and 9 mm Glock sidearms, according to Ernest Tussey, director of operations. A BK-117 jet helicopter is equipped with a mounted M-60 machine gun with a laser sight and a 30 million candlepower spotlight.

The chopper also carries an infrared luminating system, which when activated from above allows team members wearing night vision goggles to hone in on heat sources in the dark.

Wackenhut has two helicopters parked at SRS, along with a jet boat used to patrol a stretch of the Savannah River.

Most security offices are hired out of the military or law enforcement. They must pass a background check for security clearance and survive an eight-week training course focusing on marksmanship, physical fitness and rules of engagement.

Including staff members, Wackenhut is a 790-person force, scaled down from its peak of 1,141 employees in 1992. About 35 are assigned to law enforcement, which includes patrolling SRS roadways and a section of South Carolina Highway 125. As state constables, they're authorized to write tickets and make arrests.

There's also the drug- and bomb-sniffing canine handlers, who receive training at the Department of Defense Military Working Dog School at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas.

But the vast majority are charged with protecting nuclear materials from theft and tampering, Mr. Graves said. The farther a person goes into the site, the more guards, checkpoints, fences, alarms and vaults he sees.

In the event of a reactor leak, response teams are trained to charge into contaminated areas with bioweapons suits, oxygen tanks and protective boots and gloves, Special Response Team Commander Walter Smith said.

To keep the team on its toes, members are put through constant training, surprise emergency drills and force-on-force exercises.

To reinforce site security, Wackenhut personnel use a special jet boat to patrol the areas of the Savannah River that are closest to the plant. SPECIAL

``We train to the greatest threat,'' Commander Smith said, referring to an attack by terrorists or anti-nuclear extremists. ``But the threat we would most likely get hit with would be a disgruntled employee or an insider, somebody doing something he shouldn't be doing.''

Along with constantly upgrading its state-of-the-art equipment, in the early 1990s, Wackenhut began a drive to conform its policies to national law enforcement standards. In 1995, it became the first private security contractor to receive accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies.

Even though they don't fall under the Federal Aviation Administration's purview, helicopter pilots are FAA-certified and must have Airline Transport Pilot ratings to fly, Mr. Tussey said.

``The standards by which we operate have evolved on a steady, upward climb,'' he said.

Wackenhut's bosses aren't complaining. Earlier this year, the firm earned a $1.46 million bonus from the Energy Department for its performance during a six-month period.

Among other things, it was commended by the department for its successful execution of a security plan for the site's storage facility for weapons-grade plutonium, its sponsorship of the 10th annual U.S. Police Canine Association Tracking Trials and its performance in the site's annual ``downed aircraft'' exercise.

In that drill, Wackenhut's ability to handle a plane crash at SRS was tested.

But the firm also was admonished for its handling of an incident where seven site employees were contaminated with plutonium, allowing an unauthorized employee to enter a secured area and hiring 16 unneeded employees.

``I think we are an organization that puts a lot of importance into learning,'' Mr. Graves said.

``We're also fortunate to have people that are dedicated and committed to giving a quality service, and we're a customer-oriented organization.''

Reach Johnny Edwards at (706) 823-3225 or jedwards92@hotmail.com.

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