Photo By Sgt. Michael Baltz | A hazardous materials technician collects a sample of an unknown substance during the...... read more read more
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COCOA BEACH, Fla. — Surrounded by onlookers, three figures in florescent-colored “moon suits” communicate with each other through barely audible words, the heat in their suits visible as the steam fogs their facemasks. Members of the Florida National Guard’s 44th Civil Support Team, which is composed of 22 full-time soldiers and airmen and located at Camp Blanding, Fla., hosted the Level A Olympics in Brevard County.
The interagency coordination training event included members of the Brevard Fire Rescue Hazardous Materials team, as well as airmen from nearby Patrick Air Force Base.
The 44th CST is one of two teams in the state of Florida with the capability to assess suspected Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) attacks, advise civilian responders on appropriate actions through on-site testing and expert consultation and facilitate the arrival of additional state and federal military forces.
Lt. Col. Michael Ladd, commander of the 44th CST, stressed the importance of events such as the Level A Olympics, designed not only to share the expertise of the Guard members, but the ability to network and identify the capabilities of first responders throughout the state’s 64 counties, prior to a real world event.
Wearing a totally encapsulated Level A suit and Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus weighing nearly 40 pounds, the teams of three worked their way through seven stations designed to challenge and hone their abilities, explained Capt. Shawn Wilson, survey team leader for the 44th CST.
Some of the training stations included identifying the “solution of interest,” detecting radiation and determining the isotopes, collecting samples of both dry and wet components while avoiding any cross contamination and a dead man carry using a dummy weighing 180 pounds to simulate an injured team member.
District Chief Mark Schollmeyer of the Brevard Fire Rescue HAZMAT team stated that he was, “excited to work with an asset that we don’t normally get to. We were able to work with a military team with more experience and build a better relationship.”
The relationships built between the military and civilian first responders will prove to be beneficial if the agencies should ever have to work together during a disaster. The organizations plan to continue the interagency communication and training in the future to maintain the partnerships forged during the event.
| Date Taken: | 09.12.2012 |
| Date Posted: | 09.13.2012 12:34 |
| Story ID: | 94670 |
| Location: | COCOA BEACH, FLORIDA, US |
| Web Views: | 298 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, 44th Civil Support Team partners with HAZMAT professionals in Brevard County, by PFC Lindsey Jones, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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