Crow Wing County Emergency Management office designed an emergency drill to fill a requirement for the Department of Homeland Security and Defense grant.

The Drill involved Emergency Management, Crow Wing Co. Sheriff, Brainerd Police, North Ambulance, Crosby Ambulance, Crow Wing Co. Bomb Squad, Brainerd Fire Department, St. Joseph’s Hospital, Cuyuna Hospital, Salvation Army, American Red Cross and local ham radio operators from the Brainerd Amateur Radio Club.

I want to thank John WØJGY, Alan AAØAS, George KCØBH, Steve WØTNT, Lyle KØLFV, Fritz WØKO, Jon KBØMNM, Shirley KCØDCW, Jim WØJDS and Dave KBØSCT for responding to the need to provide communications for this event.

Pre-planning with Dave Felkey called for the Hams to assemble at the staging area by the old rail road station and only be deployed when asked. Steve WØTNT was stationed at the Cuyuna hospital because he worked in that area and it didn’t make sense to have him come to Brainerd, then go back to Crosby. Lyle KØLFV was dispatched to the Co. EOC and John WØJGY was called to St. Joe’s hospital. Jon KBØMNM was dispatched as forward observer outside the disaster area to provide feedback on the progress of the drill.

Fritz WØKO and George KCØBH were dispatched to the command center at the Fair Grounds and Jim WØJDS served as alternate Net Control.  While this is not the normal way we would have done this, this is what the Emergency Management office requested.

After attending the debriefing, it was evident that communications was again the big failure in the drill. Some agencies could not talk to other agencies, some agencies had information of the drill but could not communicate it to others. Some agencies were short of people to provide the assistance required. Law enforcement provided first aid to victims without proper Personal Protective Equipment. They could not determine if the scene was an accident or a crime scene and the scene was not secured to prevent outsiders from entering the area.

The scenario was a Terrorist caused Chlorine gas leak, and later a terrorist blew up the OSC (On Scene Command Center) with a pipe bomb.

At the debriefing, all agencies became aware of needed training and improved methods of operation and communications.