News Media Invited to Cover National Guard WMD Response Training

ORISKANY, N.Y. (04/29/2014)-- Members of the news media are invited to cover the training of more than 700 National Guard Soldiers and Airmen from New York, New Jersey, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands as they train Wednesday, April 30 at the New York State Preparedness Center to prepare for certification as a regional disaster response force.

The organization, known as a National Guard Homeland Response Force, will train both at the New York National Guard Armory in Utica and Oriskany at the New York State Preparedness Center to certify their readiness to assist responders following a Chemical, Biological, Radiological or Nuclear incident from April 28 through May 2.

WHAT: Training of National Guard chemical, biological and radiological response forces.

WHO: More than 700 Soldiers and Airmen of the National Guard Homeland Response Force for Federal Emergency Management Agency Region II.

WHERE: New York State Preparedness Training Center, 5900 Airport Road, Oriskany, N.Y. 13424

WHEN: 10 a.m., Wednesday, April 30, 2014.

Media Coverage Opportunity:

Visual imagery of National Guard response forces in hazardous material protective gear conducting training to extract, decontaminate and triage casualties of a potential CBRN incident.

For access to this training site, news reporters must contact New York National Guard Col. Richard Goldenberg, 518-727-7314.

BACKGROUND

The National Guard Homeland Response Force

The Homeland Response Force for FEMA Region II is one of ten units established by the Department of Defense to assist state officials and local first responders in dealing with chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) attacks and incidents across the United States.

The 10 HRFs align with each Federal Emergency Management Agency region to allow for closer and more familiar contact with civilian responders. The National Guard forces also provide a greater responsiveness to local authorities due to their closer geographical locations.

The Region II Homeland Response Force directly supports New York, New Jersey, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

The Soldiers and Airmen will train on searching for and extracting victims of a notional incident while wearing hazardous materials suits, decontaminate those victims if needed, and conduct basic medical triage to assist first responders and health officials.

The roughly 500 New York National Guard Soldiers and Airmen will be joined by an additional 200 Soldiers and Airmen from the New Jersey and Puerto Rico National Guard as they validate their response capabilities during the exercise.

The major units that comprise the HRF include:

• The 27th Infantry Brigade Combat Team Headquarters, based in Syracuse, N.Y. provides overall command and control of the force.

• The 2nd Squadron, 101st Cavalry Headquarters, based in Niagara Falls, N.Y., provides command of the CBRN response elements at the incident site.

• Engineers of Company A, 427th Brigade Special Troops Battalion, located in Rochester, N.Y., who train for the extraction and evacuation of casualties.

• Troop A, 2-101st Cavalry, based in Geneva, N.Y., which operates the decontamination element.

• The air wings of the New York Air National Guard contribute medical personnel for the triage and transfer of casualties for civilian medical treatment.

• Security personnel from the New Jersey National Guard include members of the 2nd Battalion, 113th Infantry from Riverdale, N.J. as the HRF CBRN Assistance and Support Element.

Imagery of the 2012 validation exercise can be found at the New York National Guard Flickr site at https://www.flickr.com/photos/nyng/sets/72157629679328418/with/7198384862/

The New York State Preparedness Training Center

The New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services established the training center in 2006. The facility, comprised of 723 acres at the former Oneida County Airport prepares traditional and non-traditional first responders to gain the knowledge, skills and abilities necessary to prevent, prepare for, respond to and recover from natural disasters or terrorist-related incidents. For more information about the center, visit the SPTC on Facebook or visit the New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services website at www.dhses.ny.gov.