Right after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the H.B Robinson Nuclear plant in Hartsville took measures to heighten security.

Considering that any nuclear facility would be a prime target for anyone who wanted to inflict a maximum amount of damage on an area, protecting the plant is a top concern.

“We’ve always been a safe and secure facility,” said David McNeil, a spokesman for Progress Energy, which operates the plant.

Some of the procedures the plant uses are safeguarded and must be kept confidential, McNeil said.

“Immediately following 9/11 we have operated at a higher level of security,” he said. “The Robinson plant took additional action to enhance security at the plant.”

For instance, McNeil said, the plant’s boundaries were extended and access to the plant was limited. The number of layers of physical barriers around the plant were increased and advanced surveillance equipment was added.

“We also increased the security presence and visibility at the plant,” he said.

McNeil said even before Sept. 11, security at the plant was a priority.

“We’ve always been guarded by a heavily armed and highly trained security force,” he said.

McNeil also said employees at the plant have expertise in operating with the plant’s safety at a premium.

In addition to internal strategies to combat possible intrusions, McNeil said, plant officials work with federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to bolster plant safety. The plant also works with intelligence agencies at the federal level and with the U.S. military. The effort to strengthen its ties to law enforcement, intelligence and the military was increased after Sept. 11, McNeil said.

McNeil said he feels the plant is committed to protecting the health and safety of the public as it pertains to the plant, as well as protecting its employees.

To gauge the effectiveness of the measures used to secure the plant and protect it from attack, practice runs are conducted regularly.

“We have drills. We have force on force exercises,”  McNeil said, noting the training is always beneficial. “Our plant performs at the highest level every time it’s been tested.”

Here are a list of area events commemorating Sept. 11:

• Monday
  • FLORENCE: In an effort to raise money for the Pee Dee Chapter Disaster Relief Fund, Eastern Carolina media are sponsoring the “Total Media Fire and Disaster Relief” fundraiser. The event will be at Redbone Alley at Florence Mall. Drop off donations any time between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. Local fire and emergency personnel and Red Cross staff and volunteers will be on hand to receive donations.
  • FLORENCE: A Sept. 11 Remembrance Ceremony will be at 9 a.m. at Florence Fire Station One to honor the emergency responders who gave their lives to help save the lives of others Sept. 11.
  • DARLINGTON: The American Red Cross Blood Services, NASCAR Foundation and Darlington Raceway will hold a blood drive from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. in the Incare Service Center of the track. The first 50 donors to register for a time will receive a Dodge Charger 500 T-Shirt the day of the drive. Visit www.givelife.org for more information and to register. When asked for sponsor code, enter darlingtonraceway. All donors receive a ride around the track Too Tough to Tame in a Darlington Raceway Pace Car, a Race for Life CD visor and be entered into a drawing for an October Weekend Race Package with Pit passes for two and a Richard Petty ride-along experience.
  • CONWAY: Coastal Carolina University will have an afternoon of presentations about Sept. 11 and how it has changed the world. “9/11-Memories and Perspectives” will take place from 2:30 to 6 p.m. in the Recital Hall of the Thomas W. and Robin W. Edwards College of Humanities and Fine Arts Building. The event is free and open to the public. Presentations will include an eyewitness account of the attack on the Pentagon, a faculty panel discussion on the nature and implications of terrorism, a look at the event through the eyes of poets, artists and journalists and a briefing by two professors who recently were embedded with troops in Afghanistan. For more information, call (843) 349-2421.
  • LAMAR: The Lamar Community will gather in Lamar Library Park at 6:30 p.m. for an evening of patriotic and inspirational music honoring the memory of those who died five years ago. Christian recording artist Eric Horner, who wrote “We Will Stand,” will perform.
  • DARLINGTON: The NASCAR Foundation, Jimmie Johnson Foundation and the Hendrick Marrow Program will host a national blood and marrow drive at Darlington Raceway. To register and learn more, visit www.nascar.com/foundation.
  Thursday
  • FLORENCE: North Vista Elementary School will be celebrating the National Anthem Project at 9 a.m. Thursday in front of the school. There will be activities during the week, “Patriotic Week,” in which the students will participate daily.
  Friday
  • FLORENCE: The “Welcome Home Warrior-Citizen” event begins at 9:30 a.m. Friday at the VFW Post 3181 building, 236 S. Greer Road, Florence. For more information, call Staff Sgt.Christian at (843) 669-1025.