JOINT BASE CHARLESTON, S.C. -- The 315th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron, along with other local, county, state and federal entities, conducted a full scale response exercise May 12-13, 2015.
The primary objective was to efficiently receive, regulate, transport and track patients to and from Natural Disaster Medical System hospitals within a 50 mile radius of Columbia Airport by ambulance and other transport vehicles. Medical personnel evacuated civil Air Patrol cadets acted as hurricane victims from both major cities and coastal communities, from Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina.
"It's great to know processes are in place for natural disasters," said Capt. Lee Knoell, 315th AES Medical Services Corps air reserve technician. "And, it's reassuring to see the forethought of federal systems in place during the event of a natural disaster."
The exercise was conducted in a no-fault learning environment where capabilities, plans, systems and processes are evaluated. The scenario, though plausible, is constructed to allow players to react to information and situations as they are presented, as if the Category 5 Hurricane in the exercise was real.
A Category 5 Hurricane has sustained winds of 160 mph and a storm surge that is greater than 20 feet above normal. Natural disasters like this are not uncommon in Charleston, South Carolina.
In September 1989, Hurricane Hugo, a Cape Verde-type hurricane, ripped through the Lowcountry causing widespread panic and more than 100 deaths and $10 billion in damage on its path.
Cape Verde hurricanes form in the Atlantic Ocean in the Cape Verde islands, off the west coast of Africa and gain momentum while traveling through long distances of warm ocean water.
Winds of Fury tested communications, patient reception, patient tracking, operational coordination, public health and medical services.
The eye of the exercise's storm were its volunteers, this years were from local Civil Air Patrol detachments.
"This exercise taught our cadets opportunities the military has to offer," Civil War Patrol Capt. Crystall Eudy, CAP Lowcountry Composite Squadron commander. "Services were working together while displaying well rounded opportunities for the students, from airlift mobility to medical careers."
According to Knoell, the joint services and community came together for the exercise. Other core objectives for the specialty teams were effectively communicating with each other during NDMS missions, as well as provide support to NDMS operations.
"Effective communication is vital to the mission's success," said Knoell. "For example, familiarization of Air Force procedures is critical especially with patients in flight."
The importance of familiarization didn't end there, and was echoed throughout the other participating entities.
"Training together gives everyone involved an opportunity to be comfortable with each other's abilities," said Michael Edmonds, Columbia Fire Dept. assistant chief, incident commander. "If the time comes that we're working together during a real emergency, we'll be ready."
Always being ready is something the 315th AES are no strangers to, as well as working in a joint force environment.
"This exercise is an excellent demonstration of the joint capability of the 315th AES because it involves Natural Disaster Medical System, U.S. Army, Civil Air Patrol and Veteran's Administration Emergency Management Planners," said Lt. Col. Cheryl Gates, 315th AES operations officer. "In a real world event, these are the agencies we will most likely be working with. Therefore, this training prepares us for what could actually be occurring in the event of a real world disaster situation."
For more information on protective measures you can take before, during and after an emergency, please visit www.ready.gov/hurricanes.