National Guard, Partners Respond to Denebola
Channel: Maryland Guard
Date: 2018-05-11

During Exercise Vigilant Guard 18, the abilities of the National Guard and it's partners to respond to a hurricane were put to the test at the Port of Baltimore on May 9, 2018. In this scenario, members of the Denebola reported they were feeling nauseous and dizzy. They suspected that there could be a potential chemical spill because of shifting cargo. After the United States Coast Guard directed the ship to dock first responders were call and eventually the Civil Support Teams from New Jersey and Delaware and a Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defense Assistance Support Element from Pennsylvania. The CST's entered the ship to inspect for potential chemical hazards and when they deemed an area safe the CST would enter to render aid to victims.

Vigilant Guard is an exercise that allows the Maryland Military Department, along with 42 federal, state, and local agencies a chance to collaborate and test interoperability as part of a national level exercise. The agencies are evaluated on preparing for and recovering from a catastrophic hurricane making landfall. Nearly 2,000 service members, from with in the FEMA Region III area, are participating in the Vigilant Guard exercises in Maryland and Virginia. International partners are present observing the exercise to take home lessons learned. The national level exercise is sponsored by the United States Northern Command in conjunction with National Guard Bureau. (U.S. Air National Guard Video by Master Sgt. Christopher Schepers)