CHEYENNE, Wyo. – A new team of Wyoming Air National Guard 153rd Airlift Wing airmen is trained to decontaminate victims of a chemical, biological, radiation, nuclear (CBRN) incident following a three-day training session conducted by Federal Resources Supply, last week.
Instructor Alex Ibarra, a retired Army CBRN specialist, said it has become mandatory for the wing to have a 12-person team trained and ready to deploy in the event of such an emergency.
Not only do they now know how to decontaminate an individual, but to set up all the equipment and to dress themselves for a hazardous environment. Ibarra said the equipment would be used outside of a “hot zone,” or in the immediate area of the hazard.
“It’s intended to operate in a warm zone, where victims would likely self-report or be brought in by EMTs or fire personnel,” Ibarra said.
All of the equipment and supplies needed for the team is contained in one trailer and ready for quick deployment. It is housed at the wing’s Cheyenne location.
After tearing down and putting away all the equipment they had set up and trained on for three days, the team’s final test was to put the equipment back together get dressed in their disposable toxicological agent protective suits and be ready for patients – all in 20 minutes.
The team far exceeded the standard, and like a finely tuned machine, finished the task in 17 minutes and 8 seconds.
Col.Peter Linde, 153rd Maintenance Group commander was on hand to watch some of the final evaluation, and thanked the team for their effort and volunteerism.