If practice makes perfect, then thousands of local and state responders are prepared for a smooth disaster relief effort in South Carolina.
Since Monday, more than 80 groups have taken part in Vigilant Guard ’08- a mock-earthquake response exercise that tested their skills at the most critical levels.
If lessons learned could fill a suitcase, then this group would need a lot more storage room for the ride home. Because in three days' time, they've rescued tenants of a collapsed apartment, delivered them safely to a makeshift hospital, and even performed life saving surgeries. And by treating this as a real-life situation, they took away skills no training manual could ever provide.
"We learned mainly inner communications. The local first responders learned how the military operates and we learned how the local first responders operate. So if we ever have to respond together, we both know how the other one's going to work,” said Col. Pete Brooks with the SC Army National Guard.
The exercise was equally successful for Beaufort County’s Logistics Team, because it gave them a chance to test their equipment for the very first time.
"We slept 35 soldiers in our tents. We set up the dining hall. We were able to produce almost 5,000 meals,” Beaufort Fire Chief Wendell Wilburn said.
Through money from Homeland Security and the state, the materials are now available to help Beaufort County's first responders be self-contained in a time of disaster...meaning the workers can get by at one location. And in past three days, they can tell the investment was worthwhile.
"I think our logistics team was the smoothest part of the whole operation,” Wilburn said.
The Vigilant Guard exercise carried a price tag of more than 1.5 million dollars. Col. Pete Brooks says any time you learn how to better save lives-- the cost is worth it.
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