Email   Print   Share By Heather Graham-Ashley, Sentinel News Editor

Facebook Digg Delicious May 17, 2012 | News

Fort Hood firefighters from Station 5 carry a casualty Tuesday following a tornado that touched down near Comanche III Village as part of Fort Hood’s annual postwide Force Protection Exercise. Heather Graham-Ashley, Sentinel News Editor

A Fort Hood firefighter confers with EMS while assessing a “casualty” of the Comanche III tornado Tuesday during Fort Hood’s annual Force Protection Exercise. At the Comanche scene, responders had to assess and treat a wide-range of simulated injuries while contending with debris scattered through the area. Heather Graham-Ashley, Sentinel News Editor

Fort Hood Emergency Medical Service personnel evaluate tornado casualties in the triage area set up during the postwide Force Protection Exercise. Heather Graham-Ashley, Sentinel News Editor

Fort Hood EMS personnel evaluate and assess victims at the scene of the tornado in Comanche III. The victims and tornado were part of Fort Hood’s annual postwide Force Protection Exercise, held Monday through Wednesday. Fort Hood Soldiers and civilians volunteered to portray casualties during the exercise. Heather Graham-Ashley, Sentinel News Editor

Moulaged volunteer victims rest at the triage area established outside the Comanche III tornado site Tuesday during the postwide Force Protection Exercise, Fort Hood’s annual validation of emergency response procedures. Another tornado was simulated to hit the Warrior Way Exchange shortly after the Comanche III tornado in an effort to test the abilities to respond to two disasters at the same time. Heather Graham-Ashley, Sentinel News Editor

Fort Hood Firefighters load a “casualty” onto a Fort Hood ambulance Tuesday during the post’s annual Force Protection Exercise. More than 80 Fort Hood emergency responders participated in the exercise, which included two near-simultaneous tornado hits to the installation, a missing child, a chlorine gas leak from a train at the railhead, and concerns that a terrorist cell would take advantage of the natural disasters. During the exercise, post officials validated mobile communications and a multitude of potential contingencies such as shelter-in-place procedures, assisting displaced Families and relocating the EOC. Emergency responders from area agencies in Killeen, Copperas Cove and Harker Heights also assisted with the exercise which concluded yesterday. Heather Graham-Ashley, Sentinel News Editor

Fort Hood officials validated the post’s ability to respond to disasters this week during the installation’s annual Force Protection Exercise.

On Tuesday, emergency responders from the Directorate of Emergency Services and other post directorates managed the after-effects of two tornadoes hitting the post, a missing child, a chlorine leak from a train car on the installation and an opportunistic terrorist cell.

The variety of scenarios and their near-simultaneous occurrences created an adequate test for post officials, Deputy Garrison Commander Andy Bird said.

“We are validating our response. There has been good communication between directorates,” Bird said. “It’s good to keep practicing; practice keeps your skills honed.”

Activities kicked off shortly after 9 a.m. Tuesday when the Fort Hood Fire Department responded to a reported tornado that hit the post’s southwest side, near Comanche III and the Directorate of Logistics.

Upon their arrival, firefighters found several victims; Fort Hood Soldiers and civilian volunteers were moulaged to represent varying degrees of injuries, strewn across a field adjacent to Comanche III. As they assessed the victims and set up a triage area, Fort Hood Police and Emergency Medical Services personnel arrived.

Police officers secured the area and controlled access to the scene while EMS personnel checked out and transported patients.

“Our role in the exercise is the same as it would be in a real-world event,” Fort Hood Police Capt. Jonathan Caylor, public information officer, DES, said. “We’ve cordoned off areas surrounding the scenes, controlled access to areas, participated in search and rescue operations and performed police duties to prevent looting and trespassing.”

Shortly after the Comanche III tornado hit, another reported tornado struck the Warrior Way Exchange.

Firefighters, EMS and police faced a scene similar to the one at Comanche III.

In the confusion of the two storms, a child was reported missing from Walker Village as part of the exercise. The child was located and safely returned home within the hour, Caylor said.

Also on the west side of the installation, a train leaking chlorine gas further complicated the day for fire and rescue crews, creating more casualties in the immediate area and the potential of danger for those across the area. Fortunately, the leak was capped by firefighters and casualties were transported to Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center and Metroplex Hospital, the two hospitals that participated in this year’s exercise.

Incident scenes were controlled from a center within Fort Hood Fire Station 1. Deputy Fire Chief Bubba Smith worked with DES, EMS and other directorates to monitor response and direct efforts. He went out to each of the scenes and maintained incident command via radio.

This was the first-time the Mobile Command Center was not used for the exercise because DES officials wanted to test the capabilities at the station.

Smith also coordinated the efforts and provided updates to Fort Hood’s Emergency Operations Center, which was relocated from III Corps to Robert Gray Army Airfield following a power outage, a surprise inserted into the exercise to test the mobility of operations and a first for the EOC.

“We are validating a lot of our contingency plans,” Bird said. “We are proving that we can operate out of anywhere.”

Bird said the directorates performed well with shelter-in-place procedures, assisting with displaced Families, establishing and maintaining command and control, and communication across the directorates.

On the front lines of the exercise, emergency personnel used the exercise to continue their training as well as took the opportunity to massage their command and control capabilities.

“This is a great opportunity to pull all of our assets together,” Smith said. “We train all the time, but an exercise like this helps meet some of our required training objectives.”

The exercise also provided responders the opportunity to work with outside area agencies.

Copperas Cove, Harker Heights and Killeen sent responders for the exercise, which is the customary practice in real-world events.

III Corps and Fort Hood Commanding General Lt. Gen. Don Campbell Jr. praised the combined efforts at the exercise.

“Fort Hood emergency responders and surrounding city governments have really come together this week in exercising what we would do in the event of a major casualty incident. Cooperation and coordination among all the entities involved have been tremendous, and the assistance from the Central Texas emergency response crews was outstanding,” Campbell said. “Without the cooperation of our Central Texas partners, Fort Hood could not have accomplished this event successfully. It just shows how we continue to support each other here in Central Texas, whether an emergency situation or not.”