MARINE CORPSE AIR STATION IWAKUNI, Japan -- The station Fire Department, Branch Health Clinic, Provost Marshal’s Office and Aircraft Rescue Firefighting Marines participated in a mass casualty drill here April 7.
The mass casualty drill was conducted to prepare the station’s first responders for any events that could occur during the upcoming Friendship Day here May 5.
“This helps us for when we actually have a real emergency, so when Friendship Day comes along, if anything were to happen, we’d be ready to go,” said Petty Officer 3rd Class Nathan Harper, urgent care clinic assistant leading petty officer here.
The exercise was a simulated scenario in which a propane tank exploded, leaving several casualties in critical condition and others with minor injuries.
“They’re not just preparing for Friendship Day; they’re preparing for any day where one of our Navy or Marine brothers may need help,” said Staff Sgt. Dexter C. Williford, ARFF truck master.
The casualties were dispersed along the flight line with tags attached to their clothes describing their injury and condition.
The station firefighters were first to arrive on scene. They immediately set up cones and prepared an area to triage the casualties.
“All of these are really good learning experiences on how to triage, how to work with the (station) fire department and the rest of ARFF, so it’s a really good training experience for all of us,” said Harper.
Everyone worked together and played his part during the exercise.
Although the units ran into minor setbacks, the mission was accomplished.
“I think the hardest part of today was communication. The language barrier is going to be one of those (challenges),” said Williford.
Along with overcoming the language barrier, there were things each unit found it could improve on to respond to situations in the future.
When conducting exercises, there’s always room for improvement; however, Keith G. Johnson, air station emergency manager, said the units showed a huge improvement from last year’s exercise, and he’s confident everyone is prepared to handle any situation.
“I think it went really well this year. Everyone knew where to go and what they were supposed to do in response,” said Johnson.
“I think there’s always room for improvement, but I think this time just minor improvements,” he added.