BISMARCK, N.D. - About 45 Soldiers and Airmen from the North Dakota National Guard's domestic operations section will participate in a severe storm emergency exercise March 7-8 at the organization's headquarters at Fraine Barracks. Working with multiple state agencies, the Guardsmen will validate emergency plans and exercise capabilities the state can provide during a tornado response scenario.
A media availability is scheduled for 1 2 p.m. Monday, March 7, during the exercise. Exercise planners and senior leaders will be available for interviews at that time.
Some of the outside agencies participating in the exercise will include North Dakota's Department of Emergency Services, Department of Health and Department of Homeland Security. The exercise will present a scenario in which the community of Devils Lake, North Dakota, in Ramsey County, is devastated by an Enhanced Fujita Scale, or EF3, tornado.
The N.D. National Guard continuously trains, coordinates and exercises with local, state and federal emergency responders. Typically, the organization's domestic operations section has trained for flood and blizzard responses. The tornado exercise challenges participants to further refine plans for immediate response to support local emergency managers, as well as to assess capabilities and strengthen inter-agency dialogue.
This weekend's exercise is the second in a long-range training plan, which culminates with a larger, more complex exercise, scheduled for the summer of 2017. The N.D. National Guard training concept is to gradually inject compounded emergency response capabilities by incorporating outside agencies through Emergency Management Assistance Compacts, or EMACs. An EMAC allows resources - whether personnel or equipment - to be used across state lines during emergencies or disasters. It's a nationally-adopted and congressionally-ratified mutual aid compact in which states share responsibility.
The N.D. National Guard is essential to domestic emergency operations as the first military responder to any natural disaster, in order to save lives and property. The organization activates units when ordered by the governor to respond to emergencies and assist with recovery operations.
WHAT: N.D. National Guard Emergency Response Exercise
WHEN: 1 2 p.m. Monday, March 7, 2016
WHERE: N.D. National Guard Headquarters at Fraine Barracks, Building 400, Bismarck
MEDIA: A media availability has been scheduled for 1 2 p.m. Monday, March 7. Media representatives are invited to interview exercise participants during this time. Mr. Bill Prokopyk will be available to coordinate interviews with key leaders from the organization's domestic operations section (701-333-2129 or 701-220-7277).
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Since the 2001 terrorist attacks on America, the North Dakota National Guard has mobilized more than 4,200 Soldiers and over 2,600 Airmen in support of the Global War on Terrorism. About 70 percent of all members serving today have joined since that time. Currently, about 20 North Dakota Guardsmen are mobilized for overseas and domestic service. With a total force of about 4,100 Guardsmen, the North Dakota National Guard remains ready for stateside response and national defense. For every 10,000 citizens in North Dakota, 65 serve in the North Dakota National Guard, a rate that's more than four times the national average.
| Date Taken: | 03.05.2016 |
| Date Posted: | 03.05.2016 09:23 |
| Story ID: | 191231 |
| Location: | BISMARK, ND, US |
| Web Views: | 35 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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