By Roderick McClain
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/whqr/local-whqr-974133.mp3
06-20-11 – This story contains audio of simulated disaster events that some listeners may find disturbing.
Point Defense 11, or PD11, is an annual anti-terrorism and emergency management exercise conducted by the Army at Sunny Point Military Ocean Terminal in Brunswick County. The exercise is designed to hone the skills of emergency responders from local, state, and federal levels.
WHQR's Roderick McClain observed one of the exercises, a realistic simulation of a chemical spill, and reports the operation affords different branches of emergency service the opportunity to work side-by-side.
There's smoke everywhere, and two-dozen bloody actors are lying prone on the asphalt. A few of the wounded stagger around in circles confused, calling out for help.
In the center of it all is a cargo truck, a Penske rental. The rear gate is open and two fifty gallon barrels are overturned and leaking. Army Colonel Joseph Calisto says the training program, now in its eighth year, has seen increased participation from state and national responders.
"This whole thing is a storyline driven event. As you can see we have a chemical scenario here right now. The investigation's underway right now as to why that happened, what happened. And then we'll triage all the patients that are here."
Laminated cards hang from the necks of actors saying things like, "concussion," or "dead."
One official passes water bottles to the victims. It's scorching hot, but most of them use the water to freshen their dried up fake blood, which is caking under the sun.
Two people in sturdy canvas uniforms breathing through oxygen masks use bolt cutters to open a fence separating the rescuers from those in need of rescue.
The team's first goal is to remove ambulatory victims from the scene without endangering themselves.
Next they assess the nature of the spill.
Away from the site, Brunswick county firefighters prepare a treatment facility. It takes four sets of hands to erect a bright yellow tent at the end of the decontamination site.
Don Parker is the deputy to the commander at Sunny Point. He says a scout has checked in with intelligence on the chemical.
"Right now we believe it's sulfuric acid. We're trying to determine from a scenario standpoint exactly how that was dispersed, creating the casualties."
At the decontamination tent, a responder ushers one of the actors through the shower. His shirt is soaked with fake blood. The runoff is pink.
Parker says intelligence from the scene is still developing.
"Right now we are continuing to tend to the undetermined number of casualties. We don't exactly know what the numbers are yet."
Once the victims are rinsed of chemicals in the decontamination tent, Parker says they'll be transported to two area hospitals.
"We have mass casualty busses that have arrived from New Hanover county as well as Brunswick county to evacuate casualties to a nearby facility."
Vultures circle overhead as two respondents in yellow plastic haz-mat suits park an ATV near the Penske truck. They slip stretchers under immobile victims and haul them to the decontamination site.
From here about a dozen victims are separated according to sustained trauma and transported to Dosher Memorial Hospital, where the storyline continues into a different branch of emergency response.
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