CAMP DENALI, Alaska — Alaska National Guard's 103rd Civil Support Team (Weapons of Mass Destruction) was the first military responder to a collapsed warehouse with chemical spills caused by an earthquake. Called in to assist the Anchorage Fire Department, the earthquake—and the ensuing chemical spills—were only simulated and were a part of the exercise Vigilant Guard.
"The purpose of this exercise is to work with and coordinate with the other agencies and entities that are available to us in case a natural disaster strikes the municipality of Anchorage," said Jim Vignola, battalion chief with the Anchorage Fire Department. "In situations like this, the fire department is the first responder and can request help from other agencies through the Anchorage Emergency Operations Center."
The exercise tests the unit's ability to support the incident commander, recommend courses of action and, identify hazards associated with an incident, and working in a training event with those who would possibly be the incident commanders makes using those abilities in a real-world event that much easier.
"Putting a face to the name is one of the most important things that comes out of this joint exercise as you don't want to be trading business cards at the scene," said Lt. Col. Kevin Peterman, commander of the 103rd CST.
working through today's scenario, Peterman discovered there were differences in some of the communications equipment that the various agencies use. "We need to work together to use a single system," said Peterman.
"What makes us successful in a real incident is the confidence that we gain in our equipment, training and from each other," said Travis Dauer of the Joint Interagency Training and Education Center.