NSPS finishes first year as DOE’s security contractor in Oak Ridge

National Strategic Protective Services LLC on Monday said it has completed the first year of its protective force services contract with the U.S. Department of Energy in Oak Ridge.

“Congratulations to everyone at NSPS for a job well done,” NSPS President Ignacio Balderas said in a press release. “A lot of hard work went into winning and transitioning this critical infrastructure contract in early 2013. During the course of the past 12 months, we have built a solid relationship with DOE, established high morale within our employee base, fostered productive labor relations and above all, engaged proactively with the Oak Ridge community.

NSPS is a joint venture of Triple Canopy Inc. and Securiguard Inc. The company provides protective force services to the East Tennessee Technology Park, the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and the Joe L. Evins Federal Building. NSPS replaced former longtime security contractor WSI Oak Ridge in 2013 following an unprecedented security breach at the Y-12 National Security Complex in July 2012.

The press release said much of NSPS’ success in the past year is attributed to its protective force, 100 percent of whom joined NSPS in March 2013, thereby facilitating a seamless contract transition. According to the site chief for the Oak Ridge National Laboratory Protective Force, Jon Justice: “NSPS is the fifth contractor I’ve worked for during the course of my 40-year career on this project. I have witnessed a very positive relationship develop amongst the NSPS leadership, employees, and our customer. Morale is high and this is due specifically to the responsibility and accountability NSPS entrusts to its employees. I am proud to be a part of NSPS.” Together with Justice at ORNL, the NSPS protective force is effectively managed by Chief Barry Collins, Oak Ridge Protective Force, and Chief Mike Tillery, East Tennessee Technology Park.

The culmination of hard work at NSPS paid off late last year when the company received a commendable performance rating on its protective force services at DOE’s Oak Ridge facilities, the press release said. “The ‘Very Good’ rating and the 96 performance score earned by NSPS was one of the highest received by a DOE contractor,” Balderas said.

Working in collaboration with NSPS, the SPFPA (International Union, Security, Police and Fire Professionals of America) Local No. 109 won the Tennessee Labor Management Foundation’s Pioneer Award at the 26th Annual Tennessee Labor Management Summer Conference in August 2013 in Nashville. The project submitted for the award was a union initiative to control costs, improve morale, decrease absenteeism, and reduce turnover. This collaborative effort underscores NSPS’ dedication to maintaining a quality workforce and an environment that promotes positive labor management relations with both SPFPA and the International Guards Union of America.

NSPS has assembled an experienced team to manage protective force operations on the Oak Ridge Reservation, the press release said. Led by nuclear security management expert, General Manager Michael Voce, the team has leveraged its industry knowledge and government contracting experience to ensure the highest quality protective force services at Oak Ridge.

The NSPS contract with the DOE at Oak Ridge has a five-year performance period; a three-year base period and a two-year option that became effective March 24, 2013.

In January 2013, the DOE Oak Ridge Office announced that NSPS had been awarded a $182 million, five-year contract to protect U.S. Department of Energy sites in Oak Ridge, including ETTP, ORNL, the Federal Building, and the rest of the Oak Ridge Reservation, not including the Y-12 National Security Complex.

WSI Oak Ridge had provided protective force services in Oak Ridge since 2000, but the company lost that contract as well as a contract to guard Y-12 National Security Complex after three anti-nuclear weapons activists broke into Y-12 on July 28, cut through three fences in a high-security Protected Area, and vandalized a uranium storage building.

To learn more about NSPS, visit nspsllc.com.