PARRIS ISLAND, S.C -- Parris Island and Beaufort County emergency services sprang into action yesterday morning, when they were dispatched to the scene of a simulated crisis.
As part of the exercise, a simulated radio call declared that two role-players drove a van at high speed into a family day crowd, causing several simulated injuries.
It was all a part of the annual Anti-Terrorism Force Protection exercise meant to test the Depot’s ability to respond to any situation.
“We need these exercises to test our people,” said Depot Fire Chief Dwight Charleston. “Practicing on a large scale allows us to find out if we have any problems in our operations, so we can correct them.”
Emergency response units here rehearse disaster scenarios regularly, but the ATFP involves personnel and facilities from outside the Parris Island gates, explained Ronald Marcell, a force protection analyst for the Depot.
Beaufort County provided a Regional Medical Assistance Team and set up an inflatable medical facility beside 1st Recruit Training Battalion, said Marcell, of Santa Cruz, Ca.
People playing the roles of victims at the scene of the crime were triaged by the RMAT, and transported in ambulances to Naval Hospital Beaufort, and Beaufort Memorial Hospital.
“The victims of the attack are a mixed bag of civilians and military personnel,” Marcell said. “It helps us to test our processes for how people are handled differently.”
Further testing the Depot’s abilities to work with different emergency agencies, one victim was air lifted to Beaufort Naval Hospital after a Lifestar helicopter landed on the west side of the Peatross Parade Deck.
Interacting with external organizations added authenticity to the exercise, and helped local hospitals run through their intake procedures, Marcell explained.
“Interoperability is everything,” he said. “The more we work together, the more we’ll understand about each other’s operations, and the more opportunities we’ll have to smooth over any glitches in the process.”
At the scene, the Parris Island Fire Department’s role was to take charge, directing the movement of units involved in what Charleston, from Messena, N.Y., called a “unified command.”
Depot military police were the first responders to the call, said Gunnery Sgt. Syranard Watson, the district staff noncommissioned officer-in-charge of the Parris Island Provost Marshals Office.
They were the first ones to test their response skills.
“The exercise tests our ability to augment, meaning to send more military police to help,” said Watson, of Atlanta. “It’s meant to give us an idea of how fast we can respond.”
Annual ATFP training is one of the most important events on the Depot. It helps keep safety fresh in peoples heads, Watson said.
“The way you train is how you’ll perform,” he added. “Our job is to be a force in readiness.
“We have families aboard this installation, and this is where we make Marines, so we can’t let ourselves get complacent. We need to always be ready to perform our duties with a high degree of professionalism,” Watson added.