Post-wide CAIRA exercise meets annual requirements

By Ms. Kyrene Resel (Leonard Wood)September 4, 2014

Post-wide CAIRA exercise meets annual requirements
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Post-wide CAIRA exercise meets annual requirements
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After three months of hard work and planning, the Maneuver Support Center of Excellence Surety Office's quarterly Chemical Accident Incident Response and Assistance exercise was carried out on Aug. 26.

The exercise's scenario; toxic chemicals were being transferred from one location to another, when the chemicals were stolen from the back of a truck, and in the shuffle of the take down, the package began to leak chemicals it contained.

Five different emergency response organizations took part in the post-wide exercise, which also helped several departments complete their annual training requirements.

The Fort Leonard Wood Military Police, Fire Department, Emergency Operations Center, General Leonard Wood Army Community Hospital and Directorate of Public Works each had unique roles.

"(CAIRA) is important, because it allows the different emergency response organizations on Fort Leonard Wood to come together and pool their expertise to overcome an emergency," said Dave Schodlatz, MSCoE Chemical Surety specialist. "A goal in these exercises is to ensure that the installation responders are ready and trained to protect lives, property and ensure our surety materials are quickly secured if anything was to happen to them."

As first responders, the fire department has decontamination and hazardous materials capabilities, which were important during this exercise.

"We assume command, assess the situation, develop an incident action plan, establish decontamination capability, make entry into the hot zone, rescue victims, protect property and the environment," said Lloyd Fox, Fort Leonard Wood Fire Department chief.

Holding the exercise at an off-site location provided a whole new set of challenges for all of the key players involved.

"Most of the time we do these exercises at the CDTF. This is the first time in a long time where we've had to deal with the traffic and another number of factors that were not accustomed to dealing with," said Col. Jon Drushal, 3rd Chemical Brigade commander. "This has been a phenomenal opportunity to exercise the entire thing."

Having a joint exercise gave the GLWACH team a chance to grow in the way they communicate and handle emergency situations.

"This type of exercise allows the paramedics the experience of working with a large scale Incident Command while refreshing their knowledge of signs and symptoms of nerve agent expose and treatment protocols," said Tammy Longcor, GLWACH Preventative Medicine Health System specialist.

This exercise also brought out the MPs who are responsible for traffic control. The MPs shut down the gates, and the road in front of the airfield causing traffic to back up giving, the first responders another obstacle to work around.

"Joint exercises are important to the MP's because it allows the road patrols to operate with other first responders as emergency situations develop, this allows us to rehearse scenarios to be better prepared for incidents that will require joint cooperation," said Master Sgt. Cory Bruch, Police Operations noncommissioned officer-in-charge.

"It allows us to evaluate our patrols responses to emergency situations as they develop," Bruch added.

Pfc. Michael O'Neil, 512th Military Police Company, 92nd Military Police Battalion, took part in this exercise by filling the role of a suspect, said he learned a lot in the process.

"It was good training. I got to see what MP do during an active shooter situation; the fire departments role in decontamination and experiencing decon was pretty neat, but kind of cold," O'Neil said.

In the days leading up to the CAIRA exercise, and while it was taking place; the anti-terrorism offices were conducting a Force Protection exercise, which went along with the CAIRA exercise

"The anti-terrorism portion of the exercise started last Wednesday with criminal and intelligence inputs to various organizations on the installation," said Pat Daniels, the MSCoE Antiterrorism and Force Protection Officer.

Those organizations are part of a group called "The Threat Working Group." According to Daniels this group gets together, analyzes information, and then makes recommendations to the command on what Force Protection Condition or FPCON the installation should be observing.

In the days leading up to the CAIRA exercise, the installation had elevated levels of FPCON.

As part of CAIRA plan, the installation went into an elevated level of FPCON CHARLIE with DELTA measures during the actual exercise, and had evaluators checking various buildings around the installation to ensure that shelter in place procedures were being met.

"If someone does not know what actions to take during actual events they are more likely to become a casualty, which then puts more stress on the system, Daniels said. "Plans are only as good as the weakest link."

Related Links:

Fort Leonard Wood GUIDON Newspaper

Maneuver Support Center of Excellence and Fort Leonard Wood