Yokota partners with local community during EME

by Staff Sgt. Chad Strohmeyer
374th Airlift Wing Public Affairs

3/22/2013 - YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan -- Yokota first responders joined North Kanto Defense Bureau liaisons as part of a joint emergency management exercise March 21, 2013. The exercise is the first of many that will partner the two organizations together for faster, more comprehensive emergency response.

In the exercise scenario, the North Kanto Defense Bureau liaisons observed how 374th Airlift Wing emergency responders would react to an on-base aircraft accident.

"It's very important to watch how different agencies work together," said Hiroki Takaoka, NKDB liaison section chief. "If an incident were to happen off base, Yokota and local Japanese responders would be able to work together efficiently."
Providing well-organized response during urgent situations is the focus.

"Our goal in working with the NKDB is to increase bilateral interoperability as it pertains to emergency response, said Maj. E. Yancey Walker, 374th Airlift Wing exercises and Inspections chief.  "By showing them, first-hand, our tactics, techniques and procedures for responding to a major aircraft accident, we took a crucial step in that direction."

According to Walker, exercises such as this are critical to keep Yokota personnel prepared and ready for real-world situations and to successfully collaborate with local emergency response teams. Seeing the exercise play out also adds an extra degree of learning for responders that they would not get from a classroom.

Yokota's Exercise and Evaluation Team and the NKDB are currently in the planning stages for a bi-lateral exercise later this year to keep inter-agency operability and maintain a strong working relationship.

"In times of crisis, we will have to work together to overcome emergency situations," said Col. Chip Brown, 374th Airlift Wing vice commander. "We hope to continue this type of training to further strengthen our friendship and bilateral capability."