Keesler to Participate in Huge Federal, State and Local Emergency Medical Emergency Disaster Training Exercise

by Stephen Pivnick
81st Medical Group Public Affairs    Filed 5/3/09 GCN

KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. -- Keesler AFB joins local, state and federal agencies in "LIFESAVER 2009," a major Federal Coordinating Center and National Disaster Medical System exercise being conducted May 5- 7. With an estimated 2,000 participants, this is the largest "LIFESAVER" event since May 2005. 

"LIFESAVER 2009" will involve five states and more than 1,500 local, state and federal government personnel and first responders plus more than 400 "casualties." 

According to Lt. Col. Chris Morgan, Keesler Medical Center FCC director, the exercise is intended to "train and validate the Region IV NDMS patient reception areas and patient tracking system; create an integrated community response that tests local, state and federal plans; and solidify patient surge capabilities and procedures relating to FCC responsibilities." 

Colonel Morgan and FCC coordinator Tech. Sgt Shane Fountain have been planning "LIFESAVER 2009" for more than a year and have gained the support of many state and federal partners. 

"LIFESAVER 2009" is based on a simulated terrorist attack involving a chemical weapon and includes a train derailment causing an anhydrous ammonia spill. The scenario also incorporates simulated terrorist attacks in Pensacola, Fla., Mobile, Ala., and Gulfport, Miss. 

To make the exercise succeed and to "practice how you would actually do it," Sergeant Fountain has incorporated six, 35-member disaster medical assistance teams from Alabama, Georgia, Florida and Arkansas. Harrison and Mobile County emergency management agencies as well as Naval Air Station Pensacola and 20 personnel from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' National Veterinary Response Team also will respond to the attacks. In addition, 24 participating NDMS-affiliated hospitals - including Keesler Medical Center -will activate their emergency response procedures to handle casualties. 

Fifteen members of the 81st Medical Group will establish the Keesler AFB FCC. Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers in Houston and Little Rock, Ark., will receive "victims" airlifted to the respective cities.
Participating Mississippi agencies include the Mississippi Department of Health, The University of Mississippi Medical Center, Mississippi Hospital Association, Health Education & Research Foundation and Mississippi Med-1. The Red Cross also will provide snacks and drinks to participants at all locations. 

Keesler's FCC is one of 65 nationwide - and one of four Air Force FCCs -- located in a metropolitan area of the United States responsible for day-to-day coordination of planning and operations in one or more assigned geographic NDMS patient reception areas. The Keesler FCC area of responsibility stretches from the Louisiana border east to Defuniak Springs, Fla., and north to Hattiesburg. There are 24 NDMS hospitals, including Keesler Medical Center, in this region, with an average bed availability totaling 520 beds broken into medical, critical care, psychiatric and pediatric categories. 

"LIFESAVER 2009" begins May 5 with a simulated presidential disaster declaration based on the exercise scenario's train derailment involving toxic material. Once local and state responders are overwhelmed, the NDMS will activate the Keesler FCC which will alert their network of 24 hospitals and begin planning to aid in evacuating casualties.

Activity increases substantially May 6 with 400 victims being transported by bus to participating hospitals where they will be processed prior to being taken to patient reception areas established by Keesler Medical Center Military patient administration teams and DMATS. Patient reception areas will be stood up at the Gulfport Combat Readiness Training Center, Keesler AFB, Mobile's Brookley Field and NAS Pensacola.. 
Each PRA will process up to 140 patients. Four C-130J Hercules aircraft, three operated by the Air Force Reserve Command's 815th Airlift Squadron at Keesler AFB and another operated by the Delaware Air National Guard's 142nd Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron, also will participate. The aircraft will land at each PRA to allow PRA personnel (both DMAT and Keesler staff) to train on aircraft safety and patient loading and unloading procedures. 

On May 7, the final day of the exercise, PRA personnel at Gulfport, Keesler, Mobile and Pensacola each will process 100 patients and 15 from these locations will be placed on a C-130 aircraft. Two aircraft will take patients to Houston and two others to Little Rock where they will be transferred to the respective VA medical center's PRA. Upon arrival, the VA medical center's DMAT teams and VA personnel will process the patients to test several electronic patient tracking systems. Patients will be flown back to Keesler AFB later that day as that aspect of the exercise is completed. 

In addition to Keesler Medical Center and Naval Hospital Pensacola, participating Mississippi hospitals and "patients" to be treated include: Biloxi Regional - 15, Hancock - 10, Gulfport Memorial - 25, Gulfport's Garden Park - 12, Ocean Springs -10, Pascagoula's Singing River - 22, the VA Biloxi -15; and in Alabama: University of South Alabama Medical Center - 22, USA Woman's and Children's - 22, Baldwin - 15, Thomas - 20, Providence - 22, Mobile Infirmary - 22, Infirmary West - 22 and North Baldwin - 15. 

In addition to the 403rd Wing and 81st MDG, Keesler participants include 81st Training Group students and members of 81st Training Wing staff agencies and the 81st Mission Support Group. 

Colonel Morgan said this year's "LIFESAVER" will lay the foundation for the 2010 and 2011 exercises.

"LIFESAVER" Created in 1988, the National Disaster Medical System is a federally-coordinated system that augments the nation's medical response capability. The overall purpose of the NDMS is to supplement an integrated national medical response capability for assisting state and local authorities in dealing with the medical impacts of major peacetime disasters and to provide support to the military and the Department of Veterans Affairs medical systems in caring for casualties evacuated back to the U.S. from overseas armed conventional conflicts. 

The National Response Framework utilizes the NDMS as part of the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Preparedness and Response, under Emergency Support Function #8 , Health and Medical Services, to support federal agencies in managing and coordinating the federal medical response to major emergencies and federally declared disasters including natural disasters, major transportation accidents, technological disasters and acts of terrorism, including weapons of mass destruction.