A fake earthquake tests the readiness of Belvoir | Addresses

A successful response to an unexpected disaster requires immediate action, constant communication between all agencies and familiarity with local emergency procedures. These concepts were tested at Fort Belvoir on the morning of June 8, when a simulated 6.8-magnitude earthquake struck the facility.

During the exercise, the damage was extensive: a four-story hotel partially collapsed; Eight homes were destroyed and another 30 were badly damaged; One of the facility’s water towers collapsed, and several gas lines cracked. Emergency responders were deployed to try to assess the damage and treat and transport casualties.

The fire training tower at Fort Belvoir in Davison Army Airfield was the site of the “hotel” collapse. As the firetrucks rolled over, six actors sustained varying injuries, and there were a few simulated deaths under the rubble. Firefighters had to make signs and maneuvers around a power line that fell while moving the wounded a safe distance from the unstable structure.

All of this was closely monitored by Kelly Burke, the head of the evaluation team that has gathered from across the country to monitor the exercise extensively.

“We’re evaluating the performance,” Burke told InsideNoVa after firefighters triaged and demanded a simulation of the wounded. “We want to see if they use a training management plan in order to validate this training by performing the actual tasks in a real-world exercise.”

She noted that each of the six patients had different levels of risk. “We wanted to see if each casualty was properly categorized by the severity of the injury, to make sure they were getting the appropriate treatment, and then to make sure that they were transferred in order of priority.”

Meanwhile, the emergency operations center at the garrison headquarters was crammed with representatives of each department, observing the information on computer screens. The room filled the murmur of people exchanging updates with each other and over the phone, while the observers quietly took notes.

Emily Toro drove from New York to volunteer during a disaster exercise at Fort Belvoir.

Paul Lara / InsideNoVa

At the top of each hour, team leaders briefed Colonel Joshua Seagraves, commander of the garrison. SeGraves quit leaders with follow-up questions in order to better understand how new information will affect operations over the next several days.

The Army’s Community Services team quickly transformed into an emergency family assistance center, as actors poured in with stories of homes destroyed and destroyed, and they needed immediate and long-term shelter.

Kelly Toro, one of the team members who helped, was a volunteer who drove from the Bronx, New York, to help with the exercise. Toro’s son was killed in Iraq in 2007. She said so much responsibility rests with so few Americans that she felt compelled to help Fort Belvoir.

“I do this emergency family assistance training at Fort Hamilton, in the Bronx, so they asked me to come down and help,” Toro said. “I just love giving back when it comes to the military. It matters, because less than 1% raise their right hand to protect and serve.”

Throughout the day’s exercise, there were several times when disaster role-playing had to be paused for real life, such as when fire engines were dispatched to answer calls and when the facility’s safety officer warned department heads that heat and humidity were a real danger to these. Work and respond abroad.

After an afternoon press conference with simulated reporters asking him questions, Seagraves told his team leaders that he was impressed by the response. He stressed that even in times of chaos and crisis, “it is important to do your best and do what is right and treat everyone with dignity and respect.”

Colonel Joshua Segreaves (center), the commander of the Fort Belvoir garrison, is shown a briefing at the Emergency Operations Center during a disaster exercise.

Paul Lara / InsideNoVa

He added that it was the first time in more than two years that such a large number of the group had been assembled.

“The importance of this comprehensive exercise cannot be overstated,” Segreves noted. “This … provided us with an opportunity and an essential step to rebuild our readiness and cohesion as an operational garrison team.”

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