BISMARCK, N.D., - The North Dakota National Guard recently spent three days responding to a simulated flood.
It's a comprehensive training exercise for a scenario that could potentially become a reality this spring.
"This is another example of the National Guard's commitment to preparedness," said Gov. John Hoeven. "Whether home or abroad, the dedicated men and women of our Guard are always ready, willing and able when duty calls."
The training exercise involved nearly 50 people and took place at Fraine Barracks Joint Operations Center (JOC), which would be the coordinating center in case of an actual emergency. The entire weekend was dedicated to further preparing the North Dakota Guard for potential flooding scenarios this spring.
The JOC had 10 television monitors positioned to be seen by all participants, providing updated and timely information. Members of the Air and Army National Guard in the JOC responded to various operations and scenarios sent down by the White Cell, the room controlling the exercise, as if the events were actually happening.
Some of the situations participants responded to during the exercise included: downed power lines, service members who had volunteered for flood duty but had just been released from blizzard duty, and how to quickly and efficiently return a volunteer home if they had a family emergency.
While responding to these variables, different areas of responsibility within the Guard also must assign troops to different statewide locations to assist in sandbagging and handle all other aspects of the operation, such as legal and logistical.
"White Cell sets into motion the chain of events that different staff sections will have to respond to," said Lt. Col. Fred Parks, who was one of the individuals creating the flood scenarios that needed a response.
He added that they began planning for this exercise months ago.
Lt. Col. Rick Smith, director of the state's public information office, said the role playing was no different from the training done before deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan.
The overall goal for the Guard is to be prepared for anything.
"Basically the scenario is trying to show what April will be like," said Smith, "So that if or when we have flooding, we've already had dress rehearsals and we're ready to go. We have also implemented our lessons learned from the historic 2009 flood."
Air Force Col. Mike Wobbema, the deputy director of the state's joint staff, represented his office in the exercise. "We are reconfirming that what we did last year was good," he said. "The exercise puts together all the things people have been doing to prepare."
"You don't know if it will be successful until you bring everything together as a team," said Wobbema. "What the troop in the field needs to know, is there's a deliberate planning and execution process behind the scene to effectively conduct the mission."
Wobbema said that after the cleanup from last year's flooding, there were several thousand sandbags left over as well as other equipment, which has since been stored in six Conex Containers strategically placed in Fargo and Devils Lake, two communities which are more prone to flooding. This will provide quick access in the event of flooding.
"The key thing is to learn based on our experiences," said Wobbema.
According to news reports, the Fargo mayor recently met with Army Maj. Gen. David Sprynczynatyk, the adjutant general of the North Dakota National Guard, to discuss flood preparations for the spring.
"We want some assurances that they'll be there again in 2010 if we need them," Mayor Dennis Walaker told WDAY-TV. "We're trying to be a little more pro-active, because everyone was surprised in 2009."
Sprynczynatyk said this year, the North Dakota Guard's response will be more orderly. "Bottom line is that we'll have whatever it takes, equipment-wise and personnel-wise, to respond to the communities, the counties all across the state; depending on what happens."
In Fargo, Col. Ron Solberg said the Guard's quick response teams were very effective. These teams were positioned around to the city to help if the dike began to seep or was breached during the flooding.
The North Dakota Guard has nearly 2,700 Guards members available to respond in the event of flooding or other possible threats, as well as equipment such as bulldozers, loaders, dump trucks, helicopters, water purification equipment, pumps and generators.
Sprynczynatyk said his state also has a partnership with surrounding states, called an Emergency Management Assistance Compact, which is a pre-coordinated partnership with Minnesota, Montana and South Dakota. These states will provide assistance to North Dakota within 72 hours if needed.