AFMC Command News

Exercises test Edwards AFB's disaster response capability

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Julius Delos Reyes
  • 95th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  Loud cries emanated from a school auditorium on Nov. 13. Yells for help echoed inside the dark room. The building had collapsed and trapped more than 15 students and teachers after a magnitude 7.8 earthquake "shook" Southern California, including Edwards AFB.

The simulated scenario was part of a three-pronged exercise that tested the base's ability to respond to a major earthquake with California while also conducting emergency management exercise scenarios and practicing real-world accountability reporting with higher headquarters.

The three exercises were: the Great Southern California ShakeOut, which was the largest earthquake preparedness activity in U.S. history; Golden Guardian 2008, the nation's largest state-sponsored emergency response exercise, involving more than 5,000 first responders from state, local and federal agencies; and Northern Command's Vigilant Shield 09, which focused on homeland defense and civil support. Vigilant Shield included scenarios to achieve exercise objectives within the maritime, aerospace, ballistic missile defense, cyber, consequence management, strategic communications and counter-terrorism domains.

According to David Bookrum, installation exercise program manager, the exercises were set up at the same time.

"We aligned these three exercises so that we have all levels of participation with the county, the state, Air Force Materiel Command and NORTHCOM," Mr. Bookrum said.

Edwards AFB'' objectives for the three exercises were to evaluate all elements of disaster response force, to evaluate the five phases of emergency response, to perform accountability for base personnel, to assess base-wide damage, to establish external and internal communication and to set up 24-hour operations.

Scenarios for the exercises included white powder response, downed communication systems, facility evacuations across the base, accountability, recovery and local community support. They also included civilian fuel spill and fire support.

According to Michael Hurles, the base's fire department deputy chief, the fire department was responsible for surveying facilities on base and reporting their findings to the emergency communications center during the exercise. Firefighters used the matrix of life, property and environment to establish their priorities for action.

"Our firefighters are thoroughly trained in the aspect of urban search and rescue," Mr. Hurles said. "During this exercise, firefighters committed the majority of their efforts to rescuing individuals trapped by debris, providing initial emergency care to them and then turning the victims over to the medical personnel for advanced care."

As a first responder, the 95th Security Forces Squadron is responsible for providing immediate response to emergencies involving injuries, fatalities and missing personnel.

"Security forces are critical to the installation during a disaster," said Tech. Sgt. Brad Reeves, 95th SFS resource protection noncommissioned officer in charge. "Without security forces, public access to hazardous areas, such as fires and hazardous chemicals, would not be quickly identified and secured. These areas pose a life-threatening risk to the public."

Security forces also ensures security for the base's protection level resources and conduct road surveys to determine what roads are safe for travel, Sergeant Reeves said. Security forces continues to provide security at installation gates and maintain law and order on the installation, including prevention of looting and pilfering, during natural disasters.

"As the medical emergency team, we gather the patients at a single area, triage them and provide them with basic medical care so that they can be stabilized for transport back to a larger medical facility" said

Capt. (Dr.) Dillard Dehart, 95th Medical Group field triage team chief, said that during a major emergency, the field triage team works hand-in-hand with the fire department to stage at the scene and begin to sort patients into different groups based on the severity of their injuries.

The captain explained that minimal patients can be treated quickly and easily. Delayed patients take more time and care, but can wait a little while before receiving more complete treatment. Immediate patients have life-threatening injuries and are the ones needed to be stabilized and transported. The fourth category is expectant for patients whose severe injuries are unlikely to survive given the care available.