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REGIONAL EXERCISE TO IMPROVE STATES' PREPAREDNESS FOR DISASTER
AND TERRORISM RESPONSE
The states
of Kansas, Iowa, Missouri and Nebraska (FEMA Region VII) are participating
in an exercise this month involving disasters and terrorist attacks in the
Midwest.
The
exercise, called Vigilant Guard '09, is a National Guard exercise, which
involves local, state and federal emergency response partners.
The week of
June 22, the exercise scenario involves various disaster response
situations in Kansas. This portion of the exercise will be played out
in Kansas at Crisis City, a training venue at the Great Plains Joint
Training Center in Salina. Crisis City's training layout includes a rail
disaster venue which includes rail cars, tracks and services donated by Union
Pacific, BNSF, RJ Corman, Mid America Cars Inc., OxyChem, Simplot, Energy
Transportation Incorporated and Transcaer.
"The
disaster scenario in Salina will be our first multi-agency training
event at Crisis City since we began construction there, and will bring
together local and state responders and National Guardsmen from Kansas,
Iowa and Kentucky," Bunting said.
The Vigilant Guard '09
exercise is a 7 day (June 18-24), multi-state, multi-site exercise, which
includes a series of training exercises designed to enhance operational
relationships within Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Region VII
and identify gaps which may exist between civilian and military response
organizations, National Guard leadership, and the Joint Staffs of
participating states. Region VII VG09 is a component of Ardent Sentry
2009 (AS09), a National Level Exercise Program Tier III exercise.
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Note
to editors/reporters: Media will be invited to the disaster exercise in
Salina, Kan. June 24. Additional information regarding specific times and
locations will be provided prior to those events.
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