Emergency responders stand ready for any crisis

Published Feb. 23, 2007
By Tech. Sgt. Parker Gyokeres
23rd Wing Public Affairs

MOODY AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. (ACCNS) -- Moody emergency response teams recently began using a new emergency operations center incorporating federally standardized practices to improve safety and security of the base during times of crisis.

By sharing a common language between local, state and federal agencies, maximizing new information technologies and rapidly deploying state of the art tools, the base is prepared to handle nearly any contingency, said Staff Sgt. Shawn Jamison, 23rd Civil Engineer emergency management logistics NCO in-charge.

A new three-tiered response capability is also available to emergency management teams, enabling them to deploy to multiple incident scenes and tailor their response to the situation needed, said Sergeant Jamison.

"In the past we only had one vehicle for response, so all of our gear went on the initial call-out, or it was left behind," said the readiness technician. "Since most of our equipment has special storage requirements, it couldn't be stored in the vehicles. It took time to load and roll out to even small-scale emergency responses.

"Now with our tiered response, we have a command and control vehicle fully prepared to quickly respond," he continued. "This gives the incident commander an immediate control point for the emergency support function."

The second stage vehicles can also be loaded with the equipment tailored to the response, said Sergeant Jamison. The third tier of response would be used for long-term incident management and consists of a large shelter with air-conditioning, LCD projectors, generators and it's own internal computer network.

This computer network is tied into a host of specialized programs that feed into what is known as the "common operating picture," said 1st Lt. Jason Lopez, 23rd CES emergency management flight chief.

The programs take data collected by emergency responders, medical teams, Global Positioning System mapping, on-scene weather observations and many other variables to create a single display in the EOC.

The value of this common picture is priceless, said Lieutenant Lopez.

"A picture is worth a thousand words," he explained. "Having this consolidation of information lets us use our resources much more quickly and effectively."

Another upgrade to this system should arrive this spring, said Lieutenant Lopez. By moving the data picture out of the EOC and onto the base network, every emergency responder and participating base agency with a network connection will be able to access the common operating picture and update it directly.

The new system will be able to better assist decision makers in a variety of crisis scenarios, said Sergeant JamIson.

"For instance, if there is a chemical spill on base, weather data collected by our portable station instantly updates the wind plot so we can track the plume of gas," the sergeant said, explaining one possible scenario. "The hazardous materials survey team can then transmit digital pictures and an exact GPS location to the EOC. Meanwhile, security forces instantly know what areas to evacuate and the medical teams will know how to treat any casualties because the results of the chemical sampling are being updated in real time."

The latest technology and techniques allow base agencies to better integrate their capabilities with outside agencies.

"The benefits of communication that comes from agencies working towards a common goal are universally understood," said Lieutenant Lopez. "The end result is a more seamless response and a higher level of public safety."

News Search