Team prepares for Disaster Response
Texas Insider Report: Camp Mabry AUSTIN Texas While training elsewhere in Texas the unthinkable happened at Camp Mabry when a dirty bomb exploded here 6 August killing one and injuring four.
Fortunately the dirty bomb incident" was a mock incident the response was everything but.
The 6th Civil Support Team landed on the parade ground at Camp Mabry after being air lifted via CH-47 helicopter from Arlington Texas.
The Austin Police and Fire Department as well as the FBI participated in the exercise. The fire department radiation readings were transmitted to the inbound CST team and the team started making the appropriate decisions while still in the air.
Once on the ground the five-person CST team donned appropriate gear deployed their survey equipment identified the isotopes and removed the body from the scene. The wounded previously removed from the area as well as rescue personnel were thoroughly decontaminated before leaving the hot" zone for transport to the nearest hospital.
Next the contaminated area was mapped and restricted from use.
As if this air mobile insertion training had not produced enough adrenaline a two-person CST team together with two Chilean Partners were called to respond to an unknown chemical spill in Disaster City.
The team identified four leaks and two suspicious packages surveyed five cars and conducted a site-survey for other unknown contaminants.
The Chilean officers were able to observe the Austin Fire Departments mass decontamination line as well as integrate with the Texas National Guard personnel as they made five separate entries into the contaminated areas.
The 6th CST is an immediately deployable active duty Texas National Guard unit created in 1999 to respond to terrorist incidents involving Weapons of Mass Destruction as well as other disasters and catastrophic events both natural and man-made.
The 6th CST is comprised of Air and Army National Guard personnel and will respond when activated by the Federal or State Government.
The Czech officers observed and participated in the exercises under the State Partnership Program concept that links U.S. States with foreign nations to not only promote and enhance bilateral relations but more importantly to foster training opportunities.
Disaster City is a Texas Engineering Extension Service (TEEX) facility in College Station. The city specifically resembles an area of mass destruction used by Fire Fighters Urban Search and Rescue teams Texas Forest Service Texas Taskforce 1 Police Departments and Incident Commanders from all around the world.
Dave Dickson USAR Advisor U.K. Civil Resilience Directorate Office of the Deputy Prime Minister said about the facility: We looked at several training facilities worldwide specializing in search and rescue but none compared to what we found at Disaster City. http://www.teex
Continued training with civilian and foreign nation partners will make us a better prepared Texas team when our neighbors need us" said Col. William Hall Vice Chief of the Joint Staff Texas Military Forces after the conclusion of the exercises.
Team prepares for Disaster Response
Texas Insider Report: Camp Mabry AUSTIN Texas While training elsewhere in Texas the unthinkable happened at Camp Mabry when a dirty bomb exploded here 6 August killing one and injuring four.
Fortunately the dirty bomb incident" was a mock incident the response was everything but.
The 6th Civil Support Team landed on the parade ground at Camp Mabry after being air lifted via CH-47 helicopter from Arlington Texas.
The Austin Police and Fire Department as well as the FBI participated in the exercise. The fire department radiation readings were transmitted to the inbound CST team and the team started making the appropriate decisions while still in the air.
Once on the ground the five-person CST team donned appropriate gear deployed their survey equipment identified the isotopes and removed the body from the scene. The wounded previously removed from the area as well as rescue personnel were thoroughly decontaminated before leaving the hot" zone for transport to the nearest hospital.
Next the contaminated area was mapped and restricted from use.
As if this air mobile insertion training had not produced enough adrenaline a two-person CST team together with two Chilean Partners were called to respond to an unknown chemical spill in Disaster City.
The team identified four leaks and two suspicious packages surveyed five cars and conducted a site-survey for other unknown contaminants.
The Chilean officers were able to observe the Austin Fire Departments mass decontamination line as well as integrate with the Texas National Guard personnel as they made five separate entries into the contaminated areas.
The 6th CST is an immediately deployable active duty Texas National Guard unit created in 1999 to respond to terrorist incidents involving Weapons of Mass Destruction as well as other disasters and catastrophic events both natural and man-made.
The 6th CST is comprised of Air and Army National Guard personnel and will respond when activated by the Federal or State Government.
The Czech officers observed and participated in the exercises under the State Partnership Program concept that links U.S. States with foreign nations to not only promote and enhance bilateral relations but more importantly to foster training opportunities.
Disaster City is a Texas Engineering Extension Service (TEEX) facility in College Station. The city specifically resembles an area of mass destruction used by Fire Fighters Urban Search and Rescue teams Texas Forest Service Texas Taskforce 1 Police Departments and Incident Commanders from all around the world.
Dave Dickson USAR Advisor U.K. Civil Resilience Directorate Office of the Deputy Prime Minister said about the facility: We looked at several training facilities worldwide specializing in search and rescue but none compared to what we found at Disaster City. http://www.teex
Continued training with civilian and foreign nation partners will make us a better prepared Texas team when our neighbors need us" said Col. William Hall Vice Chief of the Joint Staff Texas Military Forces after the conclusion of the exercises.
