WASHINGTON –
The Kaua’i Emergency Management Agency’s mission is to enhance whole-community preparedness, resilience, and safety in the face of numerous threats, hazards and disasters that can potentially affect island communities. Members from the 33rd Weapons of Mass Destruction-Civil Support Team (WMD-CST) recently tested interoperability during a weapons of mass destruction exercise with the agency, the Hawaii National Guard, and a half dozen other integrated CST teams and CBRNE Enhanced Response Force Packages (CERFP).
“These types of training events allow CST members to better prepare for rapid deployment of personnel and equipment in support of a national event across all 54 states and territories,” said U.S. Army MAJ Keith Hapenney, commander, 33rd WMD-CST. “Coordinating exercise activities of this magnitude stress logistical management of personnel, equipment and on ground support.”
The Hawaii National Guard’s full-scale weapons of mass destruction (WMD) exercise spanned four counties where National Guardsmen identified hazards, assessed current and projected consequences, advised on response measures, and assisted with appropriate requests for additional support.
“CST personnel must plan for an all-hazards approach to the three pillars of support: site reconnaissance, site characterization and sampling while coordinating non-standard means of moving the support package required to integrate into ongoing operations,” MAJ Hapenney added.
An exercise of this magnitude proves useful for dealing with hazardous materials incidents and events that require coordination between multiple agencies and disciplines, as well as interoperable communications. It also poised military and civilian response partners to learn different processes and how different agencies interact together to better integrate capabilities when disaster strikes.
“It’s crucial that Civil Support Teams establish and maintain working relationships with our local and federal first responder,” said U.S. Army 1SG Christopher Miller, first sergeant for 33rd WMD-CST. “The potential incidents we train and prepare for are by nature complex and dangerous. The relationships we build and the training we conduct with our agency partners is key in proper preparedness for such an event, and means the difference in mission success which equates directly to public safety.”
The mission of the 33rd WMD-CST is to support civil authorities in a domestic chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear or high-yield explosive incidents. Externally evaluated tasks include deploying teams, establishing communications and medical support, conducting survey, technical decontamination and analytical functions as well as conducting interagency coordination.