Tornadoes and floods, chemical spills and earthquake evacuees, cyber attacks on the power grid and a suspicious vessel off the Lake Michigan shoreline — thank goodness it's only an exercise.
But not just any exercise. Vigilant Guard '11 takes place mostly in Wisconsin but calls upon nearly 3,000 participants — representing up to 48 federal, state, county, volunteer and private agencies — to respond to complex mock emergencies in several communities across the state.
The purpose of the week-long exercise is to assess the Wisconsin National Guard's ability to assist state and local agencies in response, coordination and collaboration to several emergencies. It also allows local and state emergency providers an opportunity to participate in a major full-scale exercise, to identify strengths and weaknesses in current emergency plans and procedures.
The Wisconsin National Guard is hosting and supporting the event and is a participant as well. Wisconsin Emergency Management will operate the state Emergency Operations Center around the clock from 8 a.m. May 16 through the afternoon of May 19, as state agencies coordinate their response to exercise scenarios.
Vigilant Guard begins Saturday (May 14) with the scenario of an abandoned tanker truck leaking an unknown substance in Jefferson County, and continues Monday (May 16) with the scenario of tornadoes damaging a chemical plant in La Crosse — though the scenario will actually play out at Volk Field.
As many as 19 National Guard units from Wisconsin, Minnesota and Ohio will collaborate with up to nine federal agencies, several state agencies from Wisconsin and two from Minnesota, four county agencies and the city of Milwaukee.
Brig. Gen. Don Dunbar, adjutant general of Wisconsin, said he was proud of the Wisconsin National Guard's Joint Staff for its support, planning and preparation for this exercise, as well as Wisconsin Emergency Management for its assistance and coordination.
"Our homeland security strategy builds upon existing training and programs and culminates with a periodic capstone training event," he said. "This is that capstone event — we have designed this exercise to stress our emergency management response network and provide the opportunity to identify any weaknesses."
This year's Vigilant Guard also has ties to the Federal Emergency Management Administration's National Level Exercise 11 and the U.S. Northern Command's (NORTHCOM) Ardent Sentry 11, taking place at the same time, which feature the scenario of a major Midwestern earthquake along the New Madrid seismic zone. In the scope of the exercise, Wisconsin will not be directly impacted by the earthquake, but will provide mutual aid to the affected regions as well as shelter for displaced earthquake victims.
Vigilant Guard, conducted four times each year in different regions of the country, is sponsored by NORTHCOM and the National Guard Bureau. Planning for this exercise has been ongoing since 2009.