AMC emergency responders test integrated capabilities

Published March 15, 2011
By 1st Lt. Kathleen Ferrero
Air Mobility Command Public Affairs

SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. -- The detector's beeping alarm warns that the liquid seeping from the barrel in front of them is some type of chemical warfare agent. The M-8 paper turns gold indicating the presence of a G-series nerve agent.

After further testing, the team determines the drum contains the deadly chemical warfare agent Sarin. Fortunately, they knew what to do next.

Approximately 50 emergency responders gathered from Feb. 28 to March 4 for Integrated Base Emergency Response Capability Training -- the first annual exercise bringing AMC participants together from across the U.S.

The exercise was held at the Center for National Response in Gallagher, W.V., a "world-class" training facility, said Chief Master Sgt. Steve Smith, AMC's emergency management functional manager.

"They have many different props that simulate real-world accidents or events," Chief Smith said. "They offer venues where we can use all of our detection equipment with live agents and get real results. Many of our responders have never heard nor seen their equipment respond with positive results until this week."

Working with live agents was invaluable to 2nd Lt. James Reilly, a bioenvironmental engineering flight commander from Little Rock Air Force Base, Ark. who participated in the exercise.

"That's invaluable training -- you can't get that anywhere else," he said. "Usually during base exercises, all you get are injects 'telling' you what the meter's reading."

Lieutenant Reilly said the exercise was the best in which he'd ever participated. It was his first as an officer, but he worked in his career field for 10 years as an enlisted Airman.
"The most valuable thing I learned is how well emergency management and BEE career fields complement each other, and how vital it is that we work well together when responding to these incidents," Lieutenant Reilly said.

One goal of the exercise was to get bioenvironmental engineer and emergency management personnel from across AMC together without the distraction of day-to-day base operations, said Chief Smith.

"When an installation has to respond to a hazardous material incident, the operation could take many hours to days to complete," Chief Smith said. "Our home station training suffers, because we can't exercise in real time.

Another goal of the training was to select AMC's best response team to represent the command at the Air Force Level Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Challenge scheduled for July 18 to 22.

The team from McConnell Air Force Base, Kan., won the honors.

But the greatest achievement for those who attended the training was walking away better prepared.

"We never know when the call is going to come to respond to a major accident or enemy attack involving CBRN of agents. If we don't constantly challenge our responders, then they may not be ready when the bell sounds," Chief Smith said.