CAMP ZAMA, Japan (July 24, 2013) -- U.S. Army Garrison Japan conducted its second annual full-scale exercise here July 16 through 18, which included participation from various units on the installation and local Japanese firefighters.
The three-day exercise, which is a part of a mutual Memorandum of Understanding signed by Zama and and Sagamihara cities in collaboration with Camp Zama, evaluated the participants' responses to an all-hazards incident and several other disaster scenarios.
The purpose of conducting bilateral events such as the exercise is to ensure Camp Zama has the capability to respond to any number of emergencies within the Camp Zama jurisdiction, said William Moore, regional fire chief at Camp Zama.
"We can implement our agreements with our bilateral partners," Moore said, which allows for both sides to tactfully mitigate incidents.
Day one events included the response to a 9.0 earthquake in the Kanto region of Japan, which caused major damage on Camp Zama. Moore said the scenario involved a three-story dormitory on the installation collapsing and trapping 49 personnel inside, and required the evacuation of Camp Zama's Child Development Center.
Day two events included non-combatant evacuation training at the Camp Zama Activity Center, as well as the response to a chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and high-yield explosive incident, in which three personnel were injured in a two-vehicle accident, said Moore.
Day three training included the response to an installation force-protection incident and vehicle searches at the installation's main gate, said Ransome Bush, Camp Zama's emergency manager.
"We can work together seamlessly with the Camp Zama firefighters by participating in exercises like [the full-scale]," said Ichiro Kawachi, a member of the Sagamihara City Fire Department's Special Rescue Team.
Conducting training on such a scale, said Moore, and working with the installation's bilateral partners, will improve the ability to meet Camp Zama's emergency objectives.
"We are better trained, more proficient and better able to communicate with [our bilateral partners] to successful mitigate an incident," said Moore.
This year's exercise met all the emergency management objectives according to Camp Zama's emergency management plan, said Bush. In conducting the exercise and reviewing the after-action and corrective-actions reports, Camp Zama can validate and improve that plan, he said.
"We can continue to be prepared in case the real thing happens," said Bush.
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