ARS is a leader in fire protection for the power industry with a diverse skill set that allows us to address client needs in fire protection, safety, and risk-reduction.  Organizationally, ARS is composed of four departments (Fire Protection, Operations, Electrical, and Licensing) that work together as one team to deliver state of the art fire protection solutions to our clients.  By using a multi-disciplinary approach, the team evaluates problems from multiple angles and develops unique solutions that are the most effective, feasible, compliant, and economical, whether it be a modification, further analysis, or procedural change.  ARS is well versed in the fire protection standards and methodologies endorsed by the NRC and other regulatory bodies worldwide, as well as established industry standards, allowing ARS to guide clients through every aspect of the fire protection, safety, and risk-reduction process.

Fire Protection engineers and consultants evaluate the design basis of a plant to determine if it meets established fire protection standards, identify hazards, and reduce risk.  By conducting engineering evaluations, code compliance reviews, and other innovative analyses, the team assists our clients in demonstrating and documenting compliance with established industry standards.  In the event of a deviance from the standard, our engineers and consultants work with the customer to determine effective and innovative resolutions.  Fire modeling using industry tools and proprietary software allows ARS to predict how a fire will behave and affect certain targets of interest to safety and operability.

Operations engineers and consultants draw on past plant experience to evaluate a plant’s ability to maintain a safe and stable condition or safely shutdown following a fire.  Operations develops plans and procedures to mitigate the effects of a fire and reduce risk.  ARS aids clients by developing feasible procedures and defining a recovery plan, thereby reducing risk, ensuring safety, and maintaining operability.

Electrical engineers and consultants perform detailed analyses of design bases and as-built configurations of electrical systems to determine what equipment may be damaged in a fire.  The team identifies how fire-induced electrical faults may affect plant operation and safety and provides innovative solutions to reduce risk.

Licensing department reviews client documentation to ensure applicable regulations are met.  If a plant has variances from the regulations, the licensing team works with the plant to identify and implement modifications, new procedures, or draft license amendment requests to achieve and maintain compliance.

Project Management – ARS employs highly experienced engineers and staff to provide premier consultants to the commercial nuclear fire protection sector, government facilities, and high-risk industries.  In addition to experience in the commercial power industry and beyond, the staff at ARS includes project management professionals (PMPs), Professional Engineers (PEs), and individuals with extensive project management experience.  ARS offers clients the assurance that comes from expertly managed projects, operating within budgetary guidelines and delivering quick and efficient solutions to satisfy the client’s requirements.

For each project, a project manager oversees each task, defines scope, monitors progress, and maintains consistent communication with the client throughout every phase of the project.  ARS also provides project management support for site projects to assist clients with coordinating diverse contracting teams and sub-projects.  With our staff’s history of successful project management through decades of experience in many fields both within and outside of the nuclear industry, we are able to offer clients the highest level of service.

Quality Assurance – ARS is committed to providing quality products and services that meet or exceed our customers’ requirements and expectations.  Quality is an integral part of the company’s business practices, and senior management ensures that organizational focus on the quality process is maintained.  The ARS Quality Assurance Program is designed to maintain and continuously improve organizational effectiveness, ensure quality products are provided to our customers, and meet applicable regulatory requirements to ensure nuclear safety.

Services we provide include:

  • Risk Management
  • Fire Probabilistic Risk Assessment (FPRA)
  • Safe Shutdown Analysis
  • Classical Fire Protection Services
  • Fire Modeling
  • Code Compliance Reviews
  • Reactor Oversight Program Assessments
  • Fire Hazards Analysis
  • Fire Characteristics Tables
  • Cable Selection & Routing
  • Circuit Analysis
  • Fire Protection Separation
  • Fire Mitigation and Recovery Strategies
  • Fire Protection Program Development
  • Training, including Fire Brigade, Operations, and Fire Protection Engineering
  • Procedure Writing and Support
  • Plant Walkdowns
  • Fire Protection Engineering Evaluations
  • Fire Protection Design Support
  • Generic Letter 86-10 Evaluations
  • Licensing Support
  • Audit Support
  • Self-Assessment Support
  • Triennial Inspection Support
  • Highly Protected Risk (HPR) Insurance and Inspection Support
  • Government Non-reactor Nuclear Support
  • Peer-Review Support
  • Utility Risk Management Support
  • Multiple Spurious Operations (MSO) Panel Support
  • Feasibility and Gap Analysis
  • Project Management