Nuclear Terrorism Drill Set for Indiana

Thousands of emergency responders and military personnel in Indiana are scheduled Thursday to begin a drill involving the mock detonation of a nuclear weapon, The Indianapolis Star reported (see GSN, May 1).

The drill is scheduled to last four days at the Muscatatuck Urban Training Center in Jennings County, which is taking the role of Indianapolis in the nuclear scenario.

The response to the fake disaster is set to include 4,000 personnel — police, firefighters and National Guard troops from Indiana, along with U.S. Northern Command personnel and National Guard members from other states.  Their job would be to treat and evacuate survivors of a terrorist nuclear strike.

The exercise is intended to strengthen communication and collaboration between different agencies at different levels of government, the Star reported.

“These times require us to be prepared for all contingencies,” said Marion County Public Safety Director Earl Morgan.  “I always say it is genuinely in your best interest to exchange business cards before you have to.”

The exercise is also expected to provide useful practice to emergency workers on responding to an earthquake, tornado or other natural disaster, said Eric Dietz, executive director of the Indiana Homeland Security Department.  In any such incident, “you’re pulling victims from debris fields,” he said (Will Higgins, The Indianapolis Star, May 8).

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