FORT CAMPBELL, KY. — Fort Campbell first-responders and security officials, as well as off-post agencies from Montgomery County and Hopkinsville, were tested on Thursday with a scenario involving a radioactive “dirty bomb” incident.
A number of Fort Campbell soldiers also took part playing the role of casualties, using make-up simulating burns, cuts and abrasions that added to the realism of the exercise.
The annual Emergency Management and Antiterrorism event simulated the detonation of a remote-controlled device involving approximately 20 immediate area casualties.
Spokesman Jay Fangman explained that a dirty bomb using a material like Cesium-137 – a strongly radioactive isotope – is primarily dangerous when inhaled. Blast effects from the bomb produce casualties in the immediate area similar to detonating any other kind of explosive device, he said, “but no one is going to drop dead in an hour from radiation. The big problem is clean-up to prevent long-term effects.”
First responders arrive
Fort Campbell firefighters arrived on scene shortly after the detonation. Post EMS crews and police arrived shortly after.
As first-responders began assessing casualties, indications of a radiation-producing device alerted them to begin decontamination procedures as ambulatory casualties began to move or were aided in moving toward the triage point set up nearby.
Firefighters hosed down casualties with water (simulated mostly, due to the cool early morning temperatures), which is a quick method of decontamination. Other personnel treated various injuries from blast effects.
Meanwhile, both Montgomery County first-responders and Hopkinsville firefighter units were standing by in case post officials judged that additional assets were needed.
The goal
Part of the goal of the exercise was to test not only post resources, but also to test coordination and communications with off-post agencies established by agreements with local governments.
For Fort Campbell first-responders, the goal was to evaluate their ability to respond to an incident; communicate, triage, treat and transport the injured; mitigate the hazard and return to normal operations. Security personnel were tested on their ability to respond to threats by increasing the security posture on the installation.
After the first hour of operations, Fangman said it appeared that agencies were reacting appropriately to the scenario they were given.
http://www.theleafchronicle.com/article/20120510/NEWS01/305100015/Post-exercise-tests-radiation-scenarioNoteworthyThe FEMA Think TankA forum to engage our partners, promote innovation, and facilitate discussions in the field of emergency management.
The next FEMA Think Tank conference call will focus on Recovery. Disasters affect communities, individuals and may have cascading impacts on surrounding communities. Share your thoughts on how can we better plan pre-disaster to allow for a more rapid, cost effective, sustainable and resilient recovery on our online forum.
Date: Tuesday, May 15
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www.streamtext.net/text.aspx?event=JoplinFEMAFEMA recognizes that the best solutions to the challenges we face are generated by the people and the communities who are closest to these challenges. It is essential that these partners are invited to the table to actively participate in thought-provoking discussions.
That is why we are reaching out to state, local, and tribal governments, and to all members of the public, including the private sector, the disability community, and volunteer community, to seek their input on how to improve the emergency management system. FEMA wants to hear your ideas and suggestions, to both explore best practices and generate new ideas. The FEMA Think Tank will help facilitate these conversations and encourage further discussion.
What is the FEMA Think Tank?
The FEMA Think Tank has two main components:
* Online Forum: Submit your own ideas, comment on others, and participate in conversations meant to generate creative solutions. The forum is open to anyone who wants to discuss a variety of emergency management issues, such as how as we prepare for, respond to, recover from, or mitigate against all types of disasters, as well as ideas on how we can continue to integrate the whole community.
* Monthly Conference Call Discussions: Deputy Administrator Serino will conduct monthly conference calls to discuss some of the real-life solutions and ideas that are generated by this online forum. These calls will be open to the general public and captioning for participants who are deaf or hard of hearing will be provided. The Deputy Administrator will travel to a different location each month to personally meet with members of the emergency management community.
The next FEMA Think Tank conference call will focus on Recovery. Disasters affect communities, individuals and may have cascading impacts on surrounding communities. Share your thoughts on how can we better plan pre-disaster to allow for a more rapid, cost effective, sustainable and resilient recovery on our online forum.
What ideas will be discussed during the monthly conference call?
Each month, Deputy Administrator Serino will select three to four ideas on improving emergency management at the federal level to discuss during the conference call. The individuals that submitted these ideas will have the opportunity to brief the Deputy Administrator during the call. The call will then be opened for questions and further discussion.
Who can participate?
Anyone can participate in the FEMA Think Tank. If you have an idea or suggestion on how to improve the emergency management system, you can submit that idea to the online forum or comment, comment on another’s idea, and listen to the monthly calls with Deputy Administrator Serino.
How do I participate?
Visit FEMA's online collaboration platform to participate in an open dialogue and discussion.
We look forward to a productive conversation that will generate innovative solutions and move us forward as a team.
