Pantex sends emergency vehicle to Perryton

Ambulance loaned to replace city’s tornado-damaged vehicle

Members of the Pantex Fire Department hand over the keys to the loaned ambulance to the City of Perryton.

AMARILLO, Texas – On June 15th, the town of Perryton was hit by an EF-3 tornado, killing three people, injuring more than 120 residents, and causing millions of dollars in damage to homes and local businesses, including the Perryton Fire Department/Emergency Medical Services (EMS) station.

That night, Pantex received a call from Carson County officials, asking if emergency assistance could be sent to Perryton.

“We received the request a few hours after the tornado had hit,” said Pantex Fire Chief Mike Brock. “Even though Perryton is not in our mutual aid area, the request came from one of our mutual aid partners, and we responded with an ambulance. If able, we are always happy to assist when needed in any of our Panhandle area communities.”

Recently, Pantex emergency officials learned that Perryton’s tornado-damaged ambulance, is considered unusable. So, Consolidated Nuclear Security (CNS) reached out to the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) Production Office (NPO), to determine if additional assistance for Perryton could be provided.

The Pantex ambulance dispatched to Perryton the night of the tornado had just replaced an older ambulance, which was scheduled to be excessed. CNS and NPO agreed to loan Perryton the excessed ambulance for up to a year through an Agreement in Principle with the state of Texas.

“Pantex began sending help the night of the tornado and continued by sending a damage assessment team to assist in the following days,” said Jason Armstrong, NNSA Production Office Pantex Manager. “When the question was raised about further assistance by getting an ambulance to them, everyone involved--from headquarters to the firefighters who dropped the ambulance off -- never wavered in their commitment to help out neighbors across the region.”

The formal paperwork was completed and transfer of the loaned ambulance took place on June 28.

A Pantex ambulance has been loaned to Perryton to assist its EMS team following the June 15 tornado.

Consolidated Nuclear Security, LLC operates the Pantex Plant, located in Amarillo, Texas, and the Y-12 National Security Complex, located in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, for the U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration. Bechtel National, Inc. is the lead member of CNS; minority members include Leidos, Inc.; ATK Launch Systems, LLC; and SOC LLC. Pantex and Y-12 are key facilities in the U.S. Nuclear Security Enterprise, and CNS performs its work with a focus on performance excellence and the imperatives of safety, security, zero defects, and delivery as promised.

For more information on each site, visit www.pantex.energy.gov or www.y12.doe.gov. Follow Pantex on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn. Follow Y-12 on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

CONTACT
Steve Myers
Communications
Office (806) 573.6032
Cell (806) 236.2826

Stephen.Myers@pxy12.doe.gov