Airmen train for interoperability

Published Nov. 2, 2010
By Tech. Sgt. Kimberly Spinner
379th Air Expeditionary Wing

SOUTHWEST ASIA - -- Members of the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing participated in a joint response exercise Oct. 28.

The exercise, involving the 379th Expeditionary Medical Group and 379th Expeditionary Civil Engineer Squadron, tested the interoperability of the three agencies and their ability to respond to an unknown hazard.

"By having these exercises, we meet each other, we get to see each other -- we see the capabilities the other flights bring and we're able to practice in a controlled environment," said Tech. Sgt. Craig Rause, 379th ECES readiness and emergency management flight. "That way, if something does happen, when we get out there, we feel better about being able to work as a cohesive unit."

Sergeant Rause said this exercise was different because the emergency management personnel were on scene watching how their firefighter counterparts responded to the incident.

"They let us go in and see the fire department arrive and see the procedures they go through initially," said Sergeant Rause. "That way, we have a better understanding of what they do and we understand what everybody does when they first arrive. It's really good for the younger guys."

In the exercise scenario, a unit received an off-base shipment with markings on the containers not matching the contents. While base members were moving the barrels, one spilled, contaminating two team members.

Sergeant Rause said the scenario is one of the more realistic situations that could happen here.

The fire department was first on scene, where they located, retrieved and decontaminated two simulated casualties. They quickly surveyed the scene and stopped the unknown agent from spreading further by setting up the leaking container.

After the fire department's initial response, bioenvironmental and readiness and emergency management were called in to respond.

The members of the two units were divided into three-person teams of one bioenvironmental Airman and two emergency managers who worked together to identify the unknown agent.

"We have an exercise once a month with bioenvironmental," said Senior Airman Laura Lee, 379th ECES emergency manager. "We know our equipment, but if we don't have the realistic response experience, we won't know how we would react in a situation."

The Airmen were inspected on how they wore and operated in their equipment.

"The team members wore personal protective equipment, called a level 'A' suit, to protect them from the unknown agent," said Senior Airman Alexander Arrington, 379th ECES emergency manager. "It's a fully encapsulated suit with an air tank. That's the only way you can get near enough to an unknown substance to actually go up and take a sample."

The type of air tank, also known as a self-contained breathing apparatus, is the same type used by firefighters. Using the same equipment allows the units to work as a team.

The first team surveyed and documented the scene with photos and drawings, enabling the second team to gather a sample of the agent. The second team used a sterile syringe to obtain a sample from the drum of the suspected agent that had leaked on the ground. The unknown substance was then put into a specimen cup for testing.

According to Airman Arrington, accuracy during this part of the process is important to the credibility of the sample results.

"If there is one mistake made in the whole process, it could actually come up later when the case is being reviewed and take all the credibility away," said Airman Arrington. "That's why it's so important to practice so often -- so we can make sure those processes are lock step and we know what we are doing."

According to Master Sgt. Frank Maneer, 379th ECES emergency management flight chief and exercise inspector, the drill was a success.

"The exercise went really well," said Sergeant Maneer. "It was the first time we've had a chance to get together with the new rotation at the fire department in a joint hazmat operation and everyone seemed to mesh really well."