Photo By Capt. April Hawes | The eleven members of the Polish delegation and three Illinois National Guard Soldiers...... read more read more
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SPRINGFIELD — Sirens going off. People running and screaming in complete chaos. You don't know what is going on, but you do know someone has a gun because you heard shots fired. There are people in uniforms running toward the chaos.
Domestic incidents can happen anytime, anywhere. Whether it is a terrorist attack, natural disaster or man-made disaster. That is why it is especially important for the Illinois National Guard to train with its state partnering country, Poland, on domestic response.
May 25 through June 3, 11 distinguished members from Poland traveled to Illinois to observe how the state responds to domestic incidents. The Illinois National Guard worked closely with the Illinois Emergency Management Agency to coordinate a variety of presentations and a full-scale exercise, Prairie Plague, for the Polish to observe. All of the delegates are members in agencies who would be a first responder during an incident in Poland.
On May 27, the Polish traveled to Western Illinois University in Macomb to observe the start of the three-day exercise. The interagency exercise focused on field-level and hospital response to a shooter on the WIU campus. Agencies used simulated weapons and ammunition to make the exercise as close to real as possible.
"This exercise wasn't meant to see the tactical side, but how all the various agencies respond together," said Waldemar Zubrzycki, police captain, director of Anti-Terrorism/Crisis Management Taskforce. "One thing we did realize is the scale of the exercise, how many players and agencies were involved. This type of exercise involved all players and agencies in reaction to a real-life scenario."
The Polish observed first responders reacting to hearing gun shots in an auditorium sized classroom, and calling for the appropriate back up. Zubrzycki said they had "very good" communication throughout the exercise between the different agencies. The first responders worked together to capture all the shooters and gather information on what their intent was.
"All participating agencies walked away with new lessons learned," said Illinois Army National Guard Capt. Greg Hertz, doctrine training force development officer, including "procedure validation and a better understanding of what their state partners' role is in disaster response."
Almost 100 miles away, this exercise continued May 29 in Lincoln, where there was a connection to the shooter at WIU trying to obtain a biological weapon from a lab. There were multiple state and federal agencies in response to the lab manufacturing biological weapons for this exercise.
The Illinois State Police used its State Tactical Response Team to enter the building by breaching a door to neutralize the threats in the lab. Inside were two members of the Illinois Air National Guard 183rd Security Forces Squadron, based in Springfield, playing the masterminds behind creating the biological weapons in the lab.
The Illinois Army and Air National Guard were also there playing the opposing forces, making it more difficult for the agencies to stop the people in the lab.
"That is what exercising is all about, the opportunity to enhance those skill sets that facilitate emergency responses," said Hertz. "Beyond that, Prairie Plague afforded one Polish counterpart the opportunity to see first hand the state of Illinois and the Illinois National Guard's emergency response models."
The Illinois Department of Military Affairs provided air surveillance with its Service and Support unit based in Decatur. Detection and presumptuous identification of substances within the biological production lab was completed by the Illinois National Guard's 5th Civil Support Team from Bartonville.
"We are extremely pleased with the conduct and outcomes of this exercise" said Hertz.
The Illinois National Guard has been in the State Partnership Program with Poland since 1993. The purpose is to foster mutual interests and establish long-term relationships across all levels of society.
| Date Taken: | 06.03.2009 |
| Date Posted: | 06.05.2009 12:54 |
| Story ID: | 34600 |
| Location: | MISSOURI, US |
| Web Views: | 337 |
| Downloads: | 305 |
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