Photo By Tech. Sgt. Nicole Manzanares | Doug Walker, a training and outreach coordinator with the U.S. Department of Energy,...... read more read more
AURORA, Colo. — Amidst a cacophony of beeps and chirps given off by sensory equipment associated with detecting a radiological agent, Aurora firefighters were taught radiological response techniques by the Colorado National Guard 8th Civil Support Team and the United States Department of Energy.
Training took place at Aurora Fire Department Station 2 over the course of three days. The 8th CST and DOE trained on the wear of appropriate personal protection equipment, the proper use of sensory instruments in response to an incident and how to effectively respond to a potential situation in regards to the release of a radiological agent.
"We're training them [firefighters] with our expertise in the specific fields so they have better knowledge of how to operate in specific incidents," said Army Sgt. Seth Mager, an 8th CST survey team member whose role on the team is to analyze and collect samples of hazardous materials in response to an incident. "It's good for us to do this with them, because initially, they are going to be the first ones on the scene. The more knowledge that we can provide to them, the better that they can operate and the more capable they are."
Twenty-four Aurora firefighters were trained with equipment ranging from survey meters to contamination detectors — all tools used to identify radiation. After being instructed on the use of the equipment, they were put through a crashed vehicle scenario in which mock-radiation was released.
The driver of the crashed sport utility vehicle lay unconscious on the ground after he was thrown from the vehicle. Firefighters in full protective gear evacuated him, then surveyed the crash site. Many boxes marked "radioactive material" and odd-colored rocks were strewn around the vehicle.
A firefighter instructed an Airman, who played the role an innocent bystander, to put down one of the contaminated rocks that had been thrown from a marked box. The bystander was soon decontaminated by firefighters using the appropriate mock procedures and equipment. Guidance and direction was given by 8th CST members.
"At the scene of an emergency you have to be able to interface with federal agencies, state agencies and local agencies," said AFD Battalion Chief Mark Stephenson. "All the training that we do beforehand where we get to know these agencies is where the trust builds, communication channels become clear and bridges are built. At the scene of an emergency all that's already taken care of with training like this, and we'll be more efficient when it comes to responding to the situation."
Feedback was resoundingly positive from the firefighters, Stephenson said.
"The training allows me to know what we should be doing inside the hot zone," said AFD Capt. Cindy Andersen, a safety officer for the fire department's hazardous materials team who was checking for contamination of personal protection equipment with a survey meter. "I think that they [CST members] really know their stuff and really know how to teach it in applicable ways."
Formed in 1998, the 8th CST was the first agency of its kind to be certified by the Department of Defense. Its mission is threefold: Response, standby and assist. Team members respond to calls from local police and fire departments that involve a chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear incident. They perform standby missions for events such as the Democratic National Convention, where they provide 24-hour coverage with boots-on-the-ground at the scene, and they assist local agencies with training and education.
The team has responded to roughly 80 to 100 real-world calls since its inception ranging from anthrax powder scares in the weeks after 9/11, to an apparently deranged man penned up in a house who threatened to release a toxic virus. (It was later determined the man didn't actually have the virus.)
Twenty-two members comprise the team, all stemming from varied backgrounds within the Colorado Army and Air National Guard. There are 57 civil support teams nationwide to include Guam, Puerto Rico and the U. S. Virgin Islands.
| Date Taken: | 09.15.2009 |
| Date Posted: | 09.15.2009 13:35 |
| Story ID: | 38797 |
| Location: | AURORA, COLORADO, US |
| Web Views: | 388 |
| Downloads: | 262 |
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