Photo By Spc. Robert Havens | Members of the 623rd Vertical Engineer Company, Nebraska National Guard, Wahoo, Neb.,...... read more read more
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SALINA, Kan. - Tight spaces and unstable surfaces can make for a dangerous environment, which is why the proper training is important for the rescue teams of the Nebraska National Guard’s Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and Explosives Enhanced Response Force Package, or CERFP. The Soldiers practiced search and rescue drills using the rubble pile to hone their skills at Vigilant Guard 2014 hosted by the Kansas National Guard, at Crisis City, Salina, Kansas, Aug. 4-7, 2014.
As with anything, these skills take time to develop.
“We’re out here teaching the CBRNE elements in the five disciplines of rescue which is shoring, breaching and braking, ropes, lifting and hauling and some of the medical element,” said Ronnie Sallee, subject matter expert and rescue technician with Response International Group. “A lot of these service members have been through the basic rigging class in Oklahoma City and this allows them to put that to use.”
This particular exercise focused on confined space rescue.
“Confined space rescue is one of the most realistic situations that we might have to do in an actual CERFP event,” said Staff Sgt. Reggie Barent, search and extraction second team squad leader, Firefighting Team, Nebraska National Guard CERFP. “Anytime someone gets below grade there’s a good chance the air quality is not good, so we need to make sure we monitor that when we are working to get someone down there to them.”
The rescue team must learn how to set up a stable tripod atop a very unstable surface when lowering a rescuer into the confined space. One misstep and the rescuer becomes the next victim.
In situations like this you can never be prepared.
“The more training that we do, the better it will allow us to respond to an actual event,” said Barent. “When things go bad you always fall back on the training that you’ve had.”
“It’s a great training venue, and anytime we get to come out here to use our training equipment we only get better,” concluded Barent.
| Date Taken: | 08.06.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 08.09.2014 11:57 |
| Story ID: | 138853 |
| Location: | SALINA, KANSAS, US |
| Hometown: | COLORADO SPRINGS, COLORADO, US |
| Hometown: | OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA, US |
| Hometown: | SALINA, KANSAS, US |
| Hometown: | TOPEKA, KANSAS, US |
| Web Views: | 60 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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