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The Federal Coordinating Center (FCC) conducted a large-scale mass casualty response exercise at the Clinton National Airport, Arkansas, March 25, 2025.
The FCC exercise involved multiple agencies, including the 19th Operational Medical Readiness Squadron, 189th Airlift Wing, 165th Airlift Wing, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), the Natural Disaster Medical System (NDMS), Metro Emergency Management Services (MEMS), Central Arkansas Veteran’s Healthcare Systems (CAVSH) and the Emergency Medical Response Team.
This exercise is conducted once every three years to ensure joint readiness capabilities with community partners in the event of a natural disaster or humanitarian crisis. By simulating a mass casualty incident involving the offloading of approximately 23 patients, the exercise also provided valuable insights into logistical challenges, patient flow management and resource allocation in large-scale emergencies.
“It’s a great way to build relationships with the local community and try to exercise capabilities,” said Maj. Katie Levernz, 19th Operational Medical Readiness Squadron clinical nurse. “This capability, specifically for Little Rock, is vastly important in case there’s a natural disaster somewhere and we need to move patients so that they can still be taken care of.”
The Aeromedical Evacuation (AE) system allows combatants and Joint Force commanders to ensure injured civilians and personnel receive important lifesaving care.
“We do it in the safest manner possible,” Levernz explained. “You take all the critical patients off first, then the priority patients, then the routine patients.”
A key element in this exercise involved the communication and teamwork across multiple agencies for coordinated patient transport. Multi-platform AE crewmembers coordinate a full spectrum of support in coordination with communications personnel, medical administrators, logistics members, and other ground personnel to ensure aircrews have the equipment and information needed to safely care for patients during transport.
“We have litter carriers and a multidisciplinary clinical team that takes the patients and the information from the air crew, then does the patient tracking and triage and treatment.” said Bill Young, Veteran’s Health Administration Office of Emergency Management area emergency manager. “What’s critical about this is to bring all these parties together to be able to confirm the processes that are established, see what needs to be corrected, then put that into future planning.”
AE operates around the globe to support military operations, provide humanitarian assistance, and respond to both man-made and natural disasters.
“It takes a lot,” said Young. “It takes the right people and the right training. I’m just incredibly thankful for all the participants.”
The exercise demonstrated the vital role that interagency collaboration and communication play in disaster preparedness; it is critical for response systems to be agile, adaptable and capable of handling the complex needs of affected populations. Through realistic simulations and rigorous testing, the exercise ensured that all involved parties are ready to respond effectively to large-scale emergencies.
| Date Taken: | 03.25.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 04.03.2025 12:43 |
| Story ID: | 494482 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 11 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Multi-agency FCC exercise simulates mass casualty response, by SrA Isabella Ortega, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
