Photo By Yasuo Osakabe | Tech. Sgt. Nicholas Poe, 459th Airlift Squadron special missions aviator, communicates...... read more read more
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In remembrance of 1923’s Great Kanto Earthquake, the Japanese government hosts a nation-wide Disaster Prevention Day on the first day of September each year. From kindergartens to nursery homes, local residents participated in disaster drills held across many prefectures and cities.
Airmen of the 459th Airlift Squadron demonstrated, first time, their rescue capabilities to thousands of spectators to include Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, during Big Rescue Kanagawa 2017 at Odawara city, Kanagawa prefecture, Sept. 1.
Big Rescue is a comprehensive disaster prevention exercise in which five cities in three prefectures and Tokyo Metropolitan Government, one quarter of Japan’s population, participate this year.
More than 140 organizations and approximately 3,000 people participated this year. Some of the participating organizations were:
• The local polices
• The fire departments
• The Self-Defense Forces
• Technical Emergency Control Force (TEC-FORCE)
• Disaster Medical Assistance Team (DMAT)
• U.S. Naval Hospital Yokosuka
• U.S. Naval Forces Japan
• U.S. Army-Camp Zama
• Yokota Air Base
• American Red Cross
This year, the drills were conducted based on a scenario in which a 7.3 magnitude earthquake occurred at around 7:10 a.m. directly underneath the Kanto region.
“This is the first time we demonstrated our hoist and rescue capabilities during the Big Rescue.” said Capt. Johnathan Bonilla, 459th Airlift Squadron UH-1N operations flight commander. “We showed our bilateral partners how we can effectively use these capacities.”
A UH-1N crew flew toward the coast of the Sagami Bay near Odawara City, where an isolated individual waited for rescue after a simulated earthquake affected the area. When crew members arrived on scene, they quickly performed an assessment of the location, winds, elevation, or any other obstacles that could hinder a helicopter’s approach.
A Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape specialist from the 374th Operations Support Squadron rappelled down from a helicopter. The specialist secured the individual into a harness and hoisted him up into the safety of the aircraft.
“We need to complete our scenario within 5-6 minutes,” Bonilla said. “I felt it was really quickly executed, and good communication between Japanese authorities and crew members.”
The 459th AS have had hoist rescue capability since 2016. This capability allows for previously-impossible rescues in small, tight areas. Crew members with the 459th AS conduct many types of search and rescue scenarios throughout the Kanto Plain, day and night, year-round so they’re always ready to fight.
“The natural conditions of Japan make all parts of the country prone to disasters, such as earthquakes, typhoon, heavy rains, and volcanic eruptions” said Bonilla. “It is not really a question of if it is going to happen; it’s a question of where it’s going to happen. We like to prepare for all kind of disaster relief capabilities.”
| Date Taken: | 09.07.2017 |
| Date Posted: | 09.06.2017 19:16 |
| Story ID: | 247274 |
| Location: | YOKOTA AIR BASE, TOKYO, JP |
| Web Views: | 80 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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