Air Guardsmen respond to simulated mass casualty incident

Photo By Spc. Brianne Kim | Medics with the 194th Medical Group move a role playing victim onto a liter carrier for transportation to a treatment facility as part of a massive casualty care exercise at Joint Base Lewis-McChord on June 8, 2016 as part of Cascadia Rising. The casualty care exercise simulated the collapse of an overpass along Interstate 5 onto a bus resulting in multiple injured. Upon arrival airmen with the 194th Medical Group worked quickly to triage patients before transporting them to a simulated medical treatment facility. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by SPC Brianne Kim)  

CAMP MURRAY, WA, UNITED STATES

06.08.2016

Story by Spc. Brianne Kim 

122nd Theater Public Affairs Support Element

The 194th Intelligence Squadron and the 194th Medical Group with the Washington Air National Guard conducted a mass casualty care exercise at American Lake at Joint Base Lewis-McChord on June 8, 2016 in support of Cascadia Rising, a test of Washington state's earthquake response plan. The exercise simulated the collapse of an overpass injuring dozens of people with a focus on medical response efforts by the 194th Medical Group.

“This is a simulation of a bus traveling down I-5. An overpass collapses and it smashes half of the bus,” said Senior Master Sgt. Tammi Stretch, an operations superintendent with the 194th Intelligence Squadron. “So we’ve got people that are on the ground that are simulated under a part of the overpass and then we have other casualties on the bus that were injured in the impact or flying debris.”

One of the training objectives of Cascadia Rising is to make all the exercises as efficient and real-life as possible, ensuring guardsmen get the most realistic training. As a result, they are able to hone their skills so that they can better support the residents of the state of Washington in the event of a major disaster.

“We do have a commitment to serve our state and take care of people. We’ve been involved in many different things from fires to floods and the earthquake is imminent,” Stretch said. “It’s going to come so we want to make sure that we are all prepared. Not just medical personnel and first responders, but we all have to take a part in caring for people.”

• Date Taken: 06.08.2016
• Date Posted: 06.09.2016 12:43
• Story ID: 200513
• Location: CAMP MURRAY, WA, US