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NEWS | April 23, 2008

National Guard practices search and rescue with local emergency responders

By Spc. Cathy Ayre

BEAUFORT, S.C. - The South Carolina National Guard and Lady's Island Fire and Rescue teamed up to find 10 "missing diabetic youth" on Monday, April 21, in Hunting Island State Park during an emergency preparedness exercise scenario for Vigilant Guard 2008.

Vigilant Guard is a three-day National Guard-hosted exercise which began April 21 in Beaufort County, S.C. The exercise is designed to test the ability of the National Guard, along with federal, state, and local "first responders," to react to a domestic emergency.

"We have National Guard members who are role playing the missing diabetic youth," explained Sgt. 1st Class Steven Wilson, a member of 1st Battalion, 263rd Armor Regiment. "Our search teams work hand-in-hand with local first responders to locate them using a grid-system technique."

Wilson said once the "missing youth" are located, the teams call back to the command center for someone to evacuate them to a safe location and allow the teams to continue the search.

"We have emergency vehicles set up at key points to help make it easier for folks to identify our first responders," said Lee Levesque, public information officer for St. Helena Fire District.

Levesque said that every firefighter is cross-trained and able to handle a variety of emergency scenarios like the one being exercised in Hunting Island.

"We are always trying to maximize our training- keeping safety as the department's first priority," said Levesque.

 

 

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