Technologist Meets Responder Exercise May 3-7, 2004

Day 4 Activities

• Introduction
• Technologies Tested
• Day 1 Activities
• Day 2 Activities
• Day 3 Activities
• Day 4 Activities
  • Agenda
  • Scenario Overview
  • Pictures
• Day 5 Activities

 Return to the Technologists Meets Responder home page

Agenda:

• Morning Brief
• Start final exercise
• Late evening - Suspend exercise for the day

Scenario Overview:

It’s the spring of 2007. A NASA building at Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, located in San Francisco bay area was partially destroyed by a terrorist bomb. An elite, highly technical, team of Disaster Response and Recovery experts were on scene within 30 minutes. While it is believed that there are as many as a dozen live victims trapped within the structure there is no outwards signs that the response team is attempting to make entry into the facility to extricate them. One of the victims called 911 on his cell phone. He is the Governor of the State of California. It is believed that he was the prime target of the terrorists.

Because of recent terrorist events that included multiple secondary devices, disaster response and recovery teams use considerable caution before approaching too close to the scene of a terrorist event.

Initial scene assessment shows that one building has been totally destroyed, leaving just a rubble pile. A second building appears to be partially collapsed. Approximately 50% of the building is in rubble.

• Note:
  • Injects are shown in blue font. Some injects not necessary if responders/technologists are properly using technologies. Anticipated/expected
  • IC (Incident Command) responses are shown in red font. As the ICs have not been part of the workshop prior to the final exercise, they will be prompted to use the available technologies during the initial stages of the exercise.

0830

• Make notification of incident.
• Activate the field command post.
• Inject 1 – Deploy “terrorist” team in salt flats.

0900

• IC – Directs fixed wing UAV to take off to perform scene assessment.
• Site is cleared of personnel.

0905

• Towers:
  • Inject 2 – Release smoke grenade in tower.
  • White smoke starts to pour out of the North tower.
  • IC – Directs fixed wing UAV to fly through smoke and take sample. Information provided real time.
  • IC – Directs medical team to start taking vitals of all emergency responders. Data recorded for later baselines.
  • IC – Directs fixed wing to fly over wetlands north of site.

~0920

• Collapsed Structure:
  • IC – Directs UAV rotorcraft to fly over the scene as soon as fixed wing clears site.
  • Inject 3 – A tech spec within the field command post that is monitoring real time video feed from the UAV rotorcraft that is flying surveillance over the scene notifies the Incident Commander that he believes that a vehicle that is located near the partially collapsed structure looks very suspicious. Inject only if tech does not spot vehicle.
  • IC – Directs the UAV operator to make a closer inspection of the vehicle.
  • Inject 4 – Flying cam flying over the roof of the partially collapsed structure locates victim on the roof.

~0925

• Suspicious Vehicle:
  • Inject 5 – The UAV is hovering over the suspicious vehicle that is located just outside the side entrance to the building and detects a probable explosive device within the vehicle.
  • IC – Directs Army EOD to deploy robot and squad to vehicle with explosive device and either disarm it or remove it from the entrance. This operation will require the temporary evacuation of the area.
  • UAV lands prior to EOD detonating device
  • Wetlands north of N267:
  • Inject 6 – Inflatable boat sighted in wetlands by UAV.
  • IC – Dispatches security officers.
  • Inject 7 – As soon as EOD completes task. PureSense rep suggest to IC that he deploys air monitor near rubble pile.
  • IC – Directs team to mobilize to scene.

~1300 or 15 minutes after sensor is set

• Rubble Pile:
  • Inject 8 – Release smoke bomb in rubble pile.
  • Air sensor in command post detects smoke.
  • IC – Directs flying cam to perform survey over rubble pile.
  • Collapsed structure facility - southeast corner:
  • IC – Deploys team.

1310

• Railroad Tank Car:
  • Inject 9 – Fume starts venting from railroad tank car.
  • IC – Dispatches HazMat to tank car.

1320

• Rubble Pile:
  • IC – Directs robots to deployed into the void spaces in the rubble pile to determine what the heat sources represent and to locate victims.
  • Three sets of tunnels need to be searched. Some shoring and breaching required. This will include locating, extricating and packaging a victim. Team members are wearing biosensors and responder tracking devices. Team deploys wireless micro network with environmental sensors.

1330

• Collapsed structure facility northwest door leading into cinder block corridor:
  • IC – Directs robot search through the door.
  • Robot does not detect any victims.
  • Inject 10 – Robot operator request hole to be breached in wall.
  • Inject 11 – Direct horizontal shore to be constructed two feet to the left of required breach.
  • IC – Directs shore to be constructed and a rescue squad to make four-inch breach 18 inches above floor at designated location. Operations concurrent.
  • Inject 12 – Team members need to wear biosensors and responder tracking devices. Shore is constructed at designated location and wall is breached with four-inch core drill. Snake robot extends through four-inch hole.
  • Inject 13 – Information provided by the snake robot indicates that it is safe to make a larger breach in the wall to allow passage of team and equipment. Breach is made.
  • IC – See Inject 13 and deploy Wireless Micronetwork System.
  • Inject 14 – Environmental sensors register low oxygen and high CO2. Team is evacuated until space can be properly ventilated.
• Vault above basement:
  • Inject 15 – Space is ventilated and team is sent back into vault above basement.
  • IC – Directs that three-inch diameter hole to be cored into floor.
  • Inject 16 – Victim is located just below floor penetration. Victim is located right below cored hole.
  • IC – Because victim is right below floor penetration the floor cannot be breached. Ask for computer model to determine better entry point. Computer model shows another way to gain access to the victim.

1340

• Southeast corner of collapsed structure:
  • IC – Send robot down partially collapsed corridor that was exposed do to bomb blast.
  • Inject 17 – Place victim in ME 11.
  • Robot should find victim in ME 11.
  • IC – Directs responders to go in and extricate victim.
  • Inject 18 – Victim cannot be removed the same way responders entered.
  • IC – Directs wall of room 115 to be breached.
  • Team members need to wear Lifeguard biosensors and responder tracking devices. Team deploys Wireless micro networks with environmental sensors.
  • LG on team members, vital signs tracked and logged.
  • Inject 19 – Place victim in B 2.
  • IC – Directs responders to use Micropower Impulse Radar to determine if there is a live victim behind wall at end of EE 12.
  • Victim should be located by Micropower Impulse Radar.
  • IC – Directs wall to be breached.
  • Breach is made into basement where victim is trapped under debris. Victim should be extricated and taken to medical for evaluation.
  • Inject 20 – Direct responders to attach Lifeguard system to the victim and track vital signs prior to extricating. Radio information to medical staff.
  • IC – see above inject.
  • Inject 21 – Shore overhead vault before next operation.
  • IC – see above inject.
• Basement below vault:
  • Inject 22 – Responders, using Micropower Impulse Radar, should determine that there is a live victim behind a wall of rubble in room that can be reached by removing rubble or lifting slabs that are supporting rubble. Slabs need to be raised.
  • IC – see above inject.
  • Inject 23 – Responders will need to attach Lifeguard system to the victim and track vital signs prior to extricating.

~1600

• Front entrance to collapsed structure:
  • IC – Have Flyingcam provide real time visual data to IC in field command post.
  • IC – Based on visual from flying cam, send robot in front entryway of building.
  • Robot should provide visual data. Ceiling collapsed in building requires shoring.
  • Inject 24 – Robot runs through white powder on floor.
  • HazMat team should decon robot.
• Entryway to offices at main entrance:
  • Inject 25 – Based on Flyingcam aerial view of collapsed structure and robots on first floor of structure the structural engineer determines that it is okay to send in HazMat team to take sample of powder on floor as long as they do not enter collapsed ceiling area.
  • IC – Per above, IC directs required action.
  • Team members should be wearing biosensors and responder tracking devices within their level A’s. Powder tested and determined to be cleaning powder. LG on HazMat team log vital signs.
• Entryway to offices at main entrance:
  • IC – Sends responders into structure via the front door.
  • Team members should be wearing responder tracking devices. Team needs to deploy wireless micro network with environmental sensors. Responders shore ceiling as required.
  • LG on team members, vital signs tracked and logged.

Click on a picture below to see an enlarged view.