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    2IBCT ‘Warriors’ participate in Waianae Disaster Fair

    2IBCT ‘Warriors’ participate in Waianae Disaster Fair

    Courtesy Photo | Soldiers assigned to 225th Brigade Support Battalion, 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat...... read more read more

    WAIANAE, HI, UNITED STATES

    06.03.2017

    Courtesy Story

    2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division

    WAIANAE, Hawaii – Blaring sirens and flashing lights are used to alert people that something potentially dangerous or life threatening has happened and that they need to let the professional emergency response teams through so they can do their jobs. During the Waianae Coast Disaster Preparedness Fair, June 3, allows the local population to see how each of these services react and work together to keep everyone safe.
    Soldiers of the 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, ‘Warrior Brigade’, 25th Infantry Division, participated in this event to show how the military can assist during and after a disaster has happened.

    The fair provided an opportunity for community members to learn about how they can be ready to respond and be resilient during an emergency or disaster that may strike the Waianae Coast.

    “The mission of the event is to work with the community supporting civil authorities, emergency responses agencies, as well as the military on how we prepare the community to be resilient in the event of a disaster on the Waianae coast,” said Don Arakaki, Waianae Military Civilian Coordinator at the Waianae Coast Disaster Readiness Team.

    This is the second year that the Warrior Brigade participated in the fair with this year’s event including participation from more than 13 organizations from city, state and federal levels.

    “The local residents and leaders welcomed us and were eager to learn. This allows us to engage in several briefings to inform them on what the Army can and can’t do in the crucial hours during or after a natural disaster,” said Maj. Kwame Boateng, the 2nd IBCT Executive Officer. “Getting not only local leaders, but families and even their children involved in the response process creates an opportunity to save lives in the event something were to happen.”

    During the fair, Warrior Brigade Soldiers provided a presentation on defense support to civil authorities and military equipment that could be utilized in an emergency situation.

    Soldiers from the 225th Brigade Support Battalion showcased a large tent, which could be used to shelter civilians or medical workers tending to those affected by the disaster.

    Chief Warrant Officer 3 Daniel Brown, a 2IBCT Aviation Officer talked about the aviation assets available in the excessively large-scale disasters. “Military aircraft are useful in rescue operations, but also come in hand in site surveying,” Brown said. “By flying around the island and locating proper landing sites and drop zones, we can forecast how to respond after a natural disaster. We strive to make our equipment and operations as efficient as possible to help the most people out during those crucial times.”

    Though the Army National Guard takes the lead in terms of military response to an emergency, local active duty units can be used in events if they are needed.

    “We want to share with the local community the agencies that are available to support them in a time of need,” added Boateng. “Disasters have the tendency to bring out unpreparedness in a different agencies. Preparing in every way possible helps local leaders to prevent loss of life. Once the threat has cleared the area, we as a community, can focus on restoring back to pre-disaster condition.”

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    NEWS INFO

    Date Taken: 06.03.2017
    Date Posted: 06.28.2017 00:02
    Story ID: 239422
    Location: WAIANAE, HI, US

    Web Views: 66
    Downloads: 1

    PUBLIC DOMAIN