CONTACT: Lieutenant Colonel Paul Fanning, New York National Guard at (518) 786-4581 or (cell) 518-441-4106; Ellen Notarius, Erie County Executive's Office at (716) 858-8500, or Dennis Michalski, State Emergency Management Office (518) 292-2310.

FOR RELEASE: Monday, Aug 10, 2009

WHO:

Who: Representatives of the New York National Guard, Erie county, City of Buffalo and the State Emergency Management Office Participants: Brigadier General Patrick Murphy, Director, Joint Staff, Joint Force Headquarters, New York National Guard Chris Collins, Erie County Executive John Gibb, Director, State Emergency Management Office Greg Skibitsky, Erie County Emergency Services Commissioner Chief Mark Hillery, Buffalo Fire Department

WHAT:

BUFFALO, NY (08/10/2009)-- Vigilant Guard, a national level emergency response exercise sponsored by the National Guard and the military's Northern Command that will involve National Guard, federal, state. county and city emergency responders will be held in Western New York in November. Members of the media are invited to a joint press conference to find out more about this unique training event. Press conference to announce Vigilant Guard exercise

WHEN:

10 a.m. Wednesday, 12 August 2009

WHERE:

Adams Mark Hotel, 120 Church Street, Buffalo, NY 14202

Vigilant Guard is a national exercise program sponsored by the National Guard Bureau and United States Northern Command. It provides a training opportunity for National Guard forces to improve their ability to respond to state emergencies and exercise relationships with local, state, regional and federal partners against a variety of different homeland security threats. Vigilant Guard is coming to New York, beginning with a Regional Table Top Exercise in Buffalo on August 12. It will be followed by a Leadership Table Top Exercise in Buffalo on September 2, 2009 and a six-day full scale exercise November 1-6, 2009. The full-scale exercise will be conducted at different locations in Erie County and in New York City and will involve local and military teams conducting search and rescue and medical evacuation operations. In addition, coordinated command post exercises will run at the Erie County Emergency Operations Center in Cheektowaga, the state's Emergency Operations Center and the National Guard's Joint Operation Center in Albany. The exercise is built around a simulated earthquake that strikes Western New York, causing serious damage and injuries. Under the scenario, local emergency responders will be quickly overwhelmed and civil authorities will seek military support. More than 1,000 National Guard troops from New York, Vermont, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and other states will be participating along with local, state, county and city emergency response units and agencies. The exercise will provide a realistic training opportunity for civilian and military officials to coordinate to provide necessary support to protect lives and property in the face of a natural disaster. Nationally, Vigilant Guard supports four exercises each year across the country. Two exercises are aligned with national-level exercises such as Vigilant Shield and Ardent Sentry. The other two exercises are regional "stand-alone" events, primarily with regional partners. Vigilant Guard will help both the National Guard and civilian leaders practice command and control functions and Defense Support of Civil Authorities with local, state and federal civilian partners. The exercise provides a learning environment for both the National Guard and civilian governments at the various levels. For more information, contact Lieutenant Colonel Paul Fanning, New York National Guard at (518) 786-4581, Ellen Notarius, Erie County Executive's Office at (716) 858-8500, or Dennis Michalski, State Emergency Management Office (518) 292-2310.