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U.S. Response: WMD Teams Train for Emergency Response By Kerry Boyd In a crisis, a governor could call on a state’s National Guard team or request assistance from additional teams. The teams have the ability to assess the damage and the needs of other emergency responders, instruments to detect harmful biological or chemical agents, equipment to operate in an environment contaminated with such agents and sophisticated communication systems to send secure messages to headquarters. WMD Civil Support Teams would be one part of a large-scale response that would include several local, state and federal agencies, such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency, medical workers and firefighters. The primary responsibility of each team would be to provide advice and technical support to emergency responders already at the scene of a terrorist attack, not to take command of the situation. Training Each team includes 22 full-time National Guard members with specialized training. Each team consists of six sections: command, operations, communications, logistics, medical and survey. The teams are required to receive Defense Department certification, and 24 teams have met that requirement (see GSN, Jan. 30). Each team member receives 600 hours of individual specialized training in addition to common skills training and professional education. Organizations involved in training the teams include the Justice Department, FBI, Environmental Protection Agency, FEMA, National Fire Academy, Energy Department, U.S. Army Chemical School, U.S. Army Medical Department, U.S. Army Medical Research Institute for Infectious Diseases and U.S. Army Medical Research Institute for Chemical Defense. The teams also participate in exercises with first responders and state and local organizations. Real-Life Training: Anthrax Attacks The Florida team received real-life training last October after the first anthrax attack hit the American Media building. Palm Beach County emergency management officials asked 12 members of the team for assistance after the second anthrax case was identified, according to the National Guard (see GSN, Oct. 9, 2001). “We were down there primarily to track what was going on, and the director of emergency management for Palm Beach County requested we stay on board for about a week to respond to more serious and suspect incidents,” said Maj. William Spengler, the team’s commander, according to a National Guard press release. “We’re not first responders,” Spengler said. “We’re next level — the state level — as a state response force when the first response community is overwhelmed.” Congressional Authorization Congress authorized the first 10 teams in fiscal 1999, followed by 17 teams authorized in fiscal 2000. Congress authorized five new teams in fiscal 2001.
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