TRAININGEXERCISE
Dates: January 16 -18, 2001
Location: Fort Myers Centennial Park
FL 2 DMAT Team Members
Now that the State Exercise is behind us, we
need to look
forward to January 2001. Our next training exercise is fast approaching.
Several
months ago you should have received information about the exercise and
requested
the time off. Here are the details and the scenario.
The schedule for the training is as follows:
Tuesday January 16
set up tents and equipment, a class will be given on hydrogen cyanide gas.
Wednesday January 17 participate in the incident, as is described below.
Thursday January 18 pack up equipment and take down tents. All team members,
including individuals who have applied for the team but have not yet been
approved by NDMS, are encouraged to participate. If you are able to attend
all
three days that is great, but if not, two of the three will be fine. We will
be
spending two nights in tents and cooking out during the exercise.
The scenario is as follows: Members of a
domestic terrorist
group "SAVE OUR CONSTITUTION NOW" or SOCNOW plan an attack designed
to
terrorize, injure, and kill a large number of citizens, government officials,
and emergency responders gathered for The Annual Fourth of July Celebration
in
Centennial Park. The new terrorist group was formed to further their cause
for
"Protection of the United States Constitution," from government
officials who are trying to eliminate the Electoral College and change the
Constitution. After receiving little or no exposure through their initial
peaceful demonstrations, radical components of the group decide to take
action
that is more drastic.
Two members of SOCNOW purchase two 440 cubic
foot cylinders of
Hydrogen Cyanide gas and disguise the cylinders as helium tanks. Dressed in
clown suits and carrying balloons tied to the portable carts, they
strategically
position the "balloon carts" in the park, after sampling the wind
direction off the river. A signal is given and the tanks are slightly opened
allowing the hydrogen cyanide gas to slowly release into the atmosphere. They
casually walk back to their van and position themselves in a safe area where
they can observe their "work in progress." A secondary device was
left
in a backpack near an entrance of the Park. It is an explosive device
containing
roofing nails and glass, designed to kill responding police, fire, and EMS
personnel. They can detonate the device at will, using a cell phone inside
the
bag. The explosion will also cause traumatic injuries to victims.
This exercise is being presented for the
National Association of
Emergency Medical Services Physicians, NAEMSP, conference. Other
organizations
participating in this exercise are, Fort Myers Fire Department Station 4’s
HAZ-Mat unit, Iona McGregor Fire Department, Ft. Myers Police Dept, Lee
County
EMS, Lee County EOC, Lee Tran, Lee County Chapter of the American Red Cross
and
Burgess & Associates. There will also be press coverage of the
event.
Please let me know if you will be attending
this training
exercise no later than Sunday January 7, 2001.
Joyce T. Mason, RN, BSN,
MA
Training
Officer
FL 2
DMAT
Beeper: 941-
338-4048
Home:
941-656-0112
Fax:
941-656-1287
E-mail: joycetmason@mindspring.com