Emergency response, readiness a top priority for Central Carolina

  • Published
  • By Robin DeMark
  • 4th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
SEYMOUR JOHNSON AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. --  The Military-Civilian Task Force for Emergency Response (MCTFER) throughout Central Carolina had much more than a first-year anniversary to celebrate when guest speakers highlighted significant accomplishments and new projects during their meeting at Pinehurst, N.C., Aug. 7.

"The Central Carolina MCTFER has great value for the 11 counties they serve. The task force incrementally builds strong relationships between our military, county and city emergency service providers while saving money by consolidating mandated certification training from Federal Emergency Management Agency and Department of Defense at minimum cost," said Mike Sprayberry, Deputy Director of the North Carolina Division of Emergency Management.

Mr. Sprayberry added, the group's robust success during the past year is a result of cooperation, communication, and sharing of each other's resources and assets. For example, North Carolina's Camp Lejeune Marine Corps Base, Cherry Point Marine Corps Air Station, Fort Bragg, Pope Air Force Base and Seymour Johnson Air Force Base train and exercise regularly to develop and test mutual aid agreements benefiting the military and civilian communities.

"Mutual aid in our state is the cornerstone of how we respond to each event within local, state and federal guidelines," Mr. Sprayberry said. At the state level, "emergency response teams are geographically dispersed to provide support until larger teams arrive; it's similar to a plug and play concept."

Through these partnerships, Emergency Management Incident Management Teams have provided support operations for many large-scale emergencies such as Hurricane Katrina, Tropical Storm Hanna and flooding throughout Montgomery County, Maryland. Shared resources during these state emergencies can include State Medical Assistance Teams, Swift Water Rescue Teams and Public Health Regional Surveillance Teams.

During a disaster, maintaining communications between response teams is critical.

"With VIPER (Voice Interoperable Plan for Emergency Responders) communications, I can sit in my kitchen and direct emergency operations in another [geographic] area," said Mr. Sprayberry. "We are also ready to utilize satellite communications if VIPER and cell phones fail."

Mr. Sprayberry said, demands for VIPER communications have increased throughout the state and will include purchases for each military installation.

Grants received from the Department of Homeland Security help fund new communication technologies, emergency response equipment and mobile animal shelters for the state. Future projects include a new $10 million State Emergency Operations Center that is co-located with the $50 million N.C. National Guard Joint Force Headquarters and the N.C. Department of Transportation Statewide Transportation Operations Center (STOC), a Recovery Plan and an Emergency Fuel Shortage Plan.
A speaker from the Fort Bragg Judge Advocates Office discussed the use of federal resources when activated by the president of the U.S. under DOD Directive 3025.

"For disaster relief, use of federal resources, are requested by the governor who then requests assistance from the president," said Capt. Robert Hodges, Operational Law Attorney. "The type of military support we can provide is hazard mitigation and logistical support such as clearing roads-this is what we bring to the fight."

Regional MCTFERs accomplish their mission uniting city, county and installation senior leaders to save lives, prevent human suffering and mitigate great property damage under imminently serious conditions.

"The MCTFER helps the emergency services community to coordinate training events to better prepare our responders for natural and man-made disasters," said Dean DeMark, Fort Bragg Emergency Manager. "Special safety events and Web sites help provide citizens with the knowledge and information to prepare for and recover from emergencies."

For more information about the Central Carolina MCTFER, call Dean DeMark at Fort Bragg at (910) 396-2703 or visit the following informational Web resources.

ReadyNC www.readync.org  
Ready Army www.ready.army.mil  
(SERT) State Emergency Response Teams www.fema.gov  
(RRT) Regional Response Teams www.nccrimecontrol.org  
(USAR) US Army Reserves www.usar.army.mil  
(SMAT) NC State Medical Response Assistance Team http://smrs.emspic.org  
(PHRST) Public Health and Preparedness Response Teams www.epi.state.nc.us  
(SART) State Animal Response Teams http://nc.sartusa.org  
(NCNG) NC National Guard http://www.nc.ngb.army.mil  
(NC DMORT) Disaster Mortuary Operational Response Teams http://www.dmort.org  
(DHS) Department of Homeland Security www.dhs.gov  
(FEMA) Federal Emergency Management Agency www.fema.gov