FORT LEWIS, Wash. - A joint exercise to prepare for large-scale disasters took place here May 1 - 4 that included the Washington National Guard's multi-role response team called the Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and high-yield Explosive Enhanced Response Force Package (CERFP).
Hundreds of Guardmembers joined the CERFP here and in Oregon and the National Capital Region May 1-8 to support the Department of Homeland Security's National Level Exercise 2008. The multi-state exercise tested the abilities of first responders as well as federal, military and civilian agencies to work together during four domestic emergencies.
The CERFP's four-day role in the exercise included training for its more than 180 Guard Soldiers and Airmen at Fort Lewis's urban combat training center called "Leschi Town."
CERFPs use their multi-mission training to support incident commanders in real-world emergencies. The teams can respond within six hours of notification to support civil authorities.
"One of our benchmarks is our set up and tear down times," said Sgt. Todd Smelcer, a CERFP member from the Washington's 792nd Chemical Company. "If we have to re-establish this site elsewhere, time is of the essence. Our standards are 90 minutes; we are averaging around 45 minutes to set up and 35 minutes to tear down."
The state's CERFP is made up of different Guard units throughout the state. Its officials said the combined groups work together as one team.
"It's an outstanding opportunity to coordinate with the Army to work together toward the same goal," said Air Guard Capt. Graham McGregor, CERFP member and chief nurse from the 141st Medical Group. "The joint theatre is critical to the mission."
The CERFP's decontamination element was led by Soldiers of the 792nd Chemical Company in Longview. The decontamination element was the receiving area for casualties here after they were transported from the event site. In the exercise, the Soldiers managed a casualty collection area for ambulatory patients injured from a simulated terrorist chemical attack. They also decontaminated mock patients before sending them to medical evaluators.
"We have a lot of new Soldiers assigned to the unit that have never dealt with CERFP operations before," said Sgt. 1st Class Kelvin L. Gaut. "They are picking it up really well."
The 141st Medical Group was in charge of the medical element's triage team, which assessed ambulatory patients, provided emergency treatment and monitored patients at a holding area for hospital transport.
"What I hope to gain from this training is to make sure our people are trained and prepared," said Capt. Terese Ulibarri, medical service officer.
Ulibarri said the tools needed to make the exercise successful were the community's cooperation as well as the leadership's and all the support personnel required.
Search and extraction teams included members from of the 141st Air Refueling Wing. The Airmen said that a real event requires them to work with civilian search and rescue personnel to coordinate search, rescue and extractions.
Our team works with the incident commander, local authorities and the Guard's Weapons of Mass Destruction-Civil Support Team, said Air Guard Capt. Jason Kesler, civil engineer. "We are the advance [CERFP] team to come in and do our sweep and searches until the main body arrives."
"I'm really surprised how well the Air Guard and Army Guard come together and work as one force on this exercise," said Gaut. "The communication has been outstanding."
"We have a great working relationship with each other," said Smelcer. "We learn a lot from them and they learn a lot from us."