By Army Sgt. Edward Eagerton
Alaska National Guard
JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska, March 31, 2014 –
More than 1,100 Air and Army National Guard members from Alaska, Hawaii,
Oregon, Washington, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Arizona, California, Nevada, Idaho,
Minnesota, North Dakota and Utah are taking part in exercise Alaska Shield 2014
across the state.
The exercise, which began March 27, involves national, state
and local agencies and is designed to test the response and coordination of
different agencies in a disaster scenario modeled after the 1964 earthquake and
subsequent tsunami that ravaged Alaska.
“With Alaska Shield 2014, we commemorate the 50th
anniversary of the 1964 earthquake by replicating its significant damage and
corresponding tsunami in order to educate and prepare participants for
potential catastrophic events,” said Army Maj. Gen. Thomas H. Katkus, the
adjutant general of the Alaska National Guard and commissioner of the Alaska
Department of Military and Veterans Affairs.
The exercise consists of scenario-based events at multiple
locations from Anchorage to the Mat-Su Borough, Cordova, Valdez and Fairbanks.
The scenarios include hazardous material detection and response, search and
rescue, triage, casualty evacuation, communication support and transportation
support.
“Alaska Shield 2014 is a highly complex training exercise
that integrates federal, state and local emergency participants in a combined
response,” Katkus said.
Other agencies participating in the event include the
Federal Emergency Management Agency, Army, Air Force, North American Aerospace
Defense Command, U.S. Northern Command, U.S. Transportation Command, the
Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Services and many other
organizations.
“There is no question that Alaska is an ideal venue for this
exercise, which will test our collective ability to share information among
federal, state, local, tribal and other community organizations and respond
accordingly,” Katkus said.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment