Dyess Airmen work with local community in EME

  • Published
  • By Airman Charles V. Rivezzo
  • 7th Bomb Wing Public Affairs
DYESS AIR FORCE BASE, Texas --  Dyess first responders joined emergency response teams from the Abilene community Aug. 17 as part of a joint emergency management exercise.

In this large-scale exercise, local Abilene emergency response agencies such as Abilene Homeland Security, Abilene Police Department, Abilene Fire Department and Hendricks Medical Center directly supported Dyess personnel in what was a hostage situation training exercise.

"It's very important to learn how each agency works and operates," said Ralph Garcia, Abilene Police Department. "If something were to happen on Dyess, we need to know how to respond and what Dyess would need from the local agencies."

According to Reed Tate, Dyess Fire Department training chief, exercises such as these are critical to keep Dyess personnel prepared and ready for real-world situations and to successfully collaborate with Abilene emergency response teams.

"The most significant outcome of this exercise was that community based alliances and partnerships were formed in an unparalleled way," Reed said.

The purpose of this exercise was to evaluate the ability of how community agencies can come together with Dyess personnel and meet the objectives and requirements presented, said Senior Master Sgt. SuZanne Silkett, 7th Security Forces Squadron.

"When you conduct a large-scale exercise such as this, it adds a degree of chaos and confusion that our Airmen don't receive when learning about these situations in a classroom or training environment," Silkett said. "It makes them think outside the box and react quickly to what is unfolding."

These large-scale exercises give emergency managers, first responders, supervisors and exercise players a real point-of-view perspective, said Master Sgt. Jon Hyde, 7th Bomb Wing Plans and Programs superintendent. It allows them to see where they have met their objectives or fallen short. Exercises that are planned and executed in accordance with applicable instructions and plans allow for a snapshot of where they are in terms of compliance.

Dyess conducts large-scale exercises with local agencies every two to three years to keep inter-agency operability at a high and maintain a strong working relationship.

"In times of crisis, we will have to work together to overcome emergency situations," Garcia said. "Inter-agency participation allows us to build a strong foundation."