Fitzpatrick

[Rennhack]

Don't forget to vote.  Keep your comments civil.

[Doc_REM]

Always have a good time there
Excellent place to work...GOOD people and they even feed you on Fridays!!!

[HouseSnake]

Had a great time there in the early 90's. Nice folks, treated us as mostly human, even fed us upon occasion. '

Now those bastages next door .........that's another story!

[gator-raider]

Fitz is a great plant to work. The house folks treat everyone well. Lead-tech Linda is awsome. Hope the coordinator there now is better than the dave smith inc. years.

[justme]

Just worked last outage.  Things have changed since Entergy took over (need I say more).  House techs and workers are still nice.  They are now in the lay off early mode. Laid off millwrights after 4 days (promised them 14).  Then laid off 3 hps after 1 1/2 weeks, all locals.  Then they wonder why locals won't come if there is a choice.  It was only a 3 week outage, and they promised only one lay off for the outage.    Oh, well such is the game.Site coordinator is great.  

[Melrose]

No contract company ever promises only ONE lay-off....anywhere. None on the board would ever fall for a line like that, nor could ever admit to hearing such a line from any recruiter, or coordinator.
I don't recall a tech being laid off, especially local, after 1 1/2 weeks.  Maybe the jr. that had attitude and threw a $45,000 piece of eq. across the line after being informed that it was a delicate part, I don't know of others, weren't many true "locals" there. One non-local that couldn't read ANY meter put in front him, SENIOR I might add was released after NUMANCO big dawgs made a special visit to offer him work elsewhere, or jr work at Fitzi, rather than being laid off. He couldn't hack the jr test so he went out.(PROOF OUR CRAFT NEEDS UNION TRAINING AND SUPPORT) The tech obviously sat doors for a living, just wanted to pick up a quick travel and diem check, or working an angle for a suit after being sent DFR.
Now that I remember, lay-offs did come early....BUT, they were taken voluntary so techs could jump into other outages w/out ending up short cashed mid-way through the season.
The only bad thing I can say about the place is the habit of hiring nonexperienced workers as house HPs when there are plenty of us out here with years of exp. Lots of union there. Lots of "eye-candy".
Would work there over others as house.
  I got a little off track, sorry.
  The outage was good, the co-ordinator worked his ass off for more $ for techs, unlike the company boys that most know about. The house techs are great to work with and for.
The supervisors are better than others elsewhere.
 

[deconjack]

Fitzpatrick use to be a great plant to work at. Since Entergy took over though, I have heard a lot of complaints about how they treat contractors. Worked there three times and won't go back.

[Bob]

I'm a local. Unfortunately, only worked there once and then went up to Canada. Treated very well. Loved working for Paul. Can't speak for Entergy being there.
I was always treated well at Waterford. But then Entergy had just been formed.

[oldtimer]

Worked their very first outage, a long time ago. Got the news Elvis had died when I turned on the radio after nidgtshift. It was a lot of fun in the old days. The house techs pooled their meal tickets and bought Chinese for us all, great bunch of folks.

[LoneWolf]

Those were the days! Will they ever return?

[Chelios]

I can remember working there when Syracuse was in the NCAA finals. It was outage and the reactor was in reassembly. They stopped work everywhere on site to watch the basketball game. Syracuse lost, but everyone went back to work and the work continued. The house techs got a generous meal allowance and the nightshift would always send out for dinner. Often they would pool their chits and order pizza for the whole shift including contractors. They treated the contractors well, but there seemed to be a bit of tension amongst the natives.

[HydroDave63]

Who is staffing this outage?



Power Reactor Event Number: 41815
Facility: FITZPATRICK
Region: 1 State: NY
Unit: [1] [ ] [ ]
RX Type: [1] GE-4
NRC Notified By: NICHOLAS AVRAKOTOS
HQ OPS Officer: JOHN KNOKE  Notification Date: 06/30/2005
Notification Time: 19:49 [ET]
Event Date: 06/30/2005
Event Time: 19:29 [EDT]
Last Update Date: 07/01/2005 
Emergency Class: UNUSUAL EVENT
10 CFR Section:
50.72(a) (1) (i) - EMERGENCY DECLARED
50.72(b)(2)(i) - PLANT S/D REQD BY TS
50.72(b)(2)(xi) - OFFSITE NOTIFICATION
50.72(b)(3)(ii)(A) - DEGRADED CONDITION
Person (Organization):
JOHN WHITE (R1DO)
CYNTHIA CARPENTER (NRR)
MELVYN LEACH (IRD)
STEINDURF (FEMA)
CRAIG (DHS)
B.HOLIAN (R1)


Unit SCRAM Code RX CRIT Initial PWR Initial RX Mode Current PWR Current RX Mode
1 N Y 100 Power Operation 100 Power Operation

Event Text

PRIMARY CONTAINMENT INOPERABLE DUE TO SMALL CRACK IN TORUS

The licensee has determined that the small weep hole crack in the torus (x in shape) is in a position which requires the plant to initiate a normal shutdown to cold shutdown conditions. The crack is located about 5 feet below the waterline and just below the HPCI exhaust pipe discharge. Due to the location of this crack the licensee's engineering staff showed via analysis that it would be prudent to restrict the number of thermal cycles the crack receives. The plant is in a 1 hour Technical Specification LCO shutdown action statement. At 19:50 the licensee commenced the Technical Specification shutdown to cold shutdown conditions.

As an additional item, one of the four Emergency Diesel Generators was deemed inoperable at the time of the event, and continues to be in a LCO action statement.

The licensee made notifications to the State and local agencies, and will notify the NRC Resident Inspector.

*** UPDATE ON 06/30/05 AT 22:24 EDT FROM T. PAGE TO J. KNOKE ***

"With the plant operating at 100% on June 27, 2005 during RCIC Torus Suction piping inspection per ST-24H, inspectors discovered a TORUS leak in the vicinity of a TORUS Support between Bays A and P. The leak was quantified as slight weepage with streaking and a small puddle below leak. This was captured in the plant corrective action program on CR-JAF-2005-02593. Subsequent non destructive examination determined that the leakage was from a small through wall crack. The condition was discussed with the NRC Staff at that time. Initial evaluation at that time determined that there was reasonable expectation of operability, an Operational Decision Making Instruction (ODMI) was prepared and implemented to monitor the leakage while further engineering evaluation was conducted. On June 30,2005 further engineering analysis determined that operability of the primary containment was not assured and at 19:29 on June 30, 2005 the Shift Manager declared Primary Containment Inoperable and entered Technical Specification LCO 3.6.1.1 Condition A, Primary Containment Inoperable, and declared an Unusual Event under EAL 9.1.2. Preparations were made for a reactor shutdown and the shutdown was commenced at 20:00.

"At the time of the event the A Train of EDGs was out of service for a planned maintenance LCO. At this time the NRC Resident has been informed."

The A Train EDG is not available nor operable if needed.

The R1DO (White) and NRR EO (Carpenter) have been notified.

**** UPDATE ON 07/01/05 AT 1720 EDT FROM N. AVRAKOTOS MACKINNON ***

An Unusual Event was terminated at 1716 EDT due to achieving cold shutdown. R1DO (John White), NRR EO (Cynthia Carpenter), IRD Manager (M. Leach), FEMA (Todd Kuzia) and DHS (Craig) notified.

NRC Resident Inspector, State and Local officials were notified by the licensee.

[RAD-GHOST]

The crack is located about 5 feet below the waterline and just below the HPCI exhaust pipe discharge. Due to the location of this crack the licensee's engineering staff showed via analysis that it would be prudent to restrict the number of thermal cycles the crack receives.

I may be Engineering Quality after all!

Crack in the Torus, 5 feet below the water line, leaking water.......    ...........My Analysis showed the same prudent results!

Who writes these things?   

 

[raymcginnis]

Ah yes, James A Fitzpatrick Nuclear Power Plant.  It has been years since I was there.  I really loved the people there.  I bought a T-Shirt there that said JAFNPP on it, since they could not fit the whole name on it.  I wore the T-Shirt at my next job and some who had not been there asked me what the Acronym stood for.  I was the one who coined the phrase "Just Another Flipping Nuclear Power Plant!"  We both laughed, and I did explain that I enjoyed working there.  It was just a joke, not reality.  I loved upstate New York people!  Their snow blower stories and photos of snow way above the roofs blew me away. 

When the County put 12 foot poles on top of the street signs, so the snow plows could find the road, I volunteered for early layoff.  It started snowing as I left town the next night.  I made it to Pennsylvania that night, and the news, the next morning, said that Oswego got 4 feet overnight.  Boy am I glad that I missed that.  I have fond memories of that job though.  The plant was not squeaky clean like some of the modern BWRs, but the trust that they gave me as a newer rent-a-tech back then was greatly appreciated.  I made my ANSI 3.1 there thanks to their support.  Now I am an Engineer. 

I wanted to share some funny, colloquial stories on this subject to counter-balance some of the technical stories that might be posted.  Take for info that my experience was from the 1970's.  Things could be different now but I, in general, found the people in the area to be great!  I would go back there (before the 12 foot posts get put up again, LOL).

[Rad Sponge]

Got a phone call from a headhunter looking to present me to Entegy for Operators class.

Its about an hour from Syracuse, NY.

Which plant is it? And how goes the operational experience with Entergy's management etc etc

Thanks, JMK

[M1Ark]

Fitzpatric (BWR).  It's in Oswego, NY.  Right next to Nine Mile Point Units 1 & 2.

[Fermi2]

Good luck. I know a Shift Manager from Fitz, his name is Dave Poulin. He's a hell of a nice guy and loves sailing.

Mike

[HousePuke]

So how is it to work at Fitz?  I'm considering a permanent position there?

[Melrose]

House position? with the terms rolling through?
Seems unlikely,
ask anyone that works here... miserable and getting worse

So how is it to work at Fitz?  I'm considering a permanent position there?

[tntplayer]

I was just offered a training position at Fitzpatrick.  The plant is a little old but eveyone there seems very nice.  I drove around the area some for a couple of days and it has a rural flavor with Syracuse within a few minutes drive.  I liked the area, housing seems reasonable.  I think that I will probably accept the offer.

Any comments!

[RDTroja]

I was just offered a training position at Fitzpatrick.  The plant is a little old but eveyone there seems very nice.  I drove around the area some for a couple of days and it has a rural flavor with Syracuse within a few minutes drive.  I liked the area, housing seems reasonable.  I think that I will probably accept the offer.

Any comments!

BRRR!!!!!

Best comment I could come up with for Fitzpatrick.

[Old HP]

Well the prior post was definitely the shortest (but accurate) by Mr. Troja that he has ever posted.
In regard to living @ Fitz. you want to have a VERY good snowblower.

[RDTroja]

Well the prior post was definitely the shortest (but accurate) by Mr. Troja that he has ever posted.
In regard to living @ Fitz. you want to have a VERY good snowblower.

Actually it is not my shortest by a good bit... but uncustomarily short, I agree. Unarguably accurate, as you said.

[RAD-GHOST]

..........and hopefully it's attached to a 350 or 3500 series 4X4, with a block heater!

RG   

[HousePuke]

My start date is 1/7/08.  Might as well jump right into the cold!  Glad my car has heated seats.

[RDTroja]

My start date is 1/7/08.  Might as well jump right into the cold!  Glad my car has heated seats.

Seems you can't stay too far away from Constellation. 

[HousePuke]

Not intentional, just coincidental.  It might be interesting if / when I run into some former co-workers at a grocery store or something.

[vikingfan]

mike ,

you'll need to pick up a good 4 wheel drive vehicle also to help you get through all that oswego snow 

[Hairbear]

Anyone know when the next round of NSO will be?

[HousePuke]

Security recently hired about 2 dozen new NSO's.  Don't know when / if they'll be looking for more.

[Hairbear]

Thank you- I can never find out on the companies website when they are hiring. Do they have a Security company they hire from or is it like Constellation- posting job openings and you apply that way? Just looking to change carriers! I know a few people in both plants and have been trying to get in at either one, for some time now.

[carr6433]

I saw on Entergy's website that JAF is hiring a new class of AOs.  Does anybody know the time-frame on that class?  I've already had interviews at other plants, but my top choice is JAF, and I really don't want to turn down a potential job offer just on the off-chance I could end up here.

[Benwah033]

I saw on Entergy's website that JAF is hiring a new class of AOs.  Does anybody know the time-frame on that class?  I've already had interviews at other plants, but my top choice is JAF, and I really don't want to turn down a potential job offer just on the off-chance I could end up here.

Fitz is looking for 12 AOs that they haven't been able to fill internally.  I'm not sure when the class will start because there is a class currently qualifying, but I know they need operators so they may run two concurrently. 

PM me if you want to know more details about this class, because I have some more info...

[Pman52]

I applied for the NLO class at JAF as well.  Is it likely they'll hire guys who aren't from the area?  Alot of utilities are advertising they are preferring to hire locals.

[Benwah033]

I applied for the NLO class at JAF as well.  Is it likely they'll hire guys who aren't from the area?  Alot of utilities are advertising they are preferring to hire locals.

I can't say for sure whether being from elsewhere would hurt.  I hired on last Sept and moved from MA, and it didn't affect me...

[Pman52]

That's good to hear.  The moving part won't be a big deal for me.  Hopefully they'll consider me for an interview.

Are you pretty happy with Entergy?  Is their hiring process pretty straightforward?

[Benwah033]

Its the same as any other plant/utility, they all have their ups and downs. I'm happy with where I'm at right now.

My experience with the hiring process was that I submitted my application online, and heard nothing for a month or two, then the hiring manager called me I interviewed and was made an offer within a week.