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Carroll Squadron assists in county-wide disaster drill
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Firefighters from Carroll County put out the fire caused by a mock chemical spill during the county's recent emergency services disaster drill at the Carroll County Regional Airport. (Photo by 2nd Lt Thomas Dembeck)
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By
Brenda A. Reed, 1st Lt, CAP
Public Affairs Officer
Posted April 15, 2006
WESTMINSTER, MD - On the evening of April 1, the area around the Carroll County Regional Airport was full of action. Within the time period of one hour, terrorists attempted a hijacking of a plane, resulting in a shooting and a fire caused by a chemical spill. At the same time, a school bus full of young people crashed just down the road.
Fortunately, although it all appeared very real, it was a planned exercise to test the Carroll County emergency responders.
For the second year in a row, the Carroll Composite Squadron has been a part of this exercise. Many of the cadets were in the school bus accident, resulting in a number of them being transported to the local hospital for treatment. Their injuries, although fake, appeared real with the help of mélange. The cadets each had specific roles to play and acted them out faithfully, whether they were to cry, scream, or die at the local medical facility.
The burning aircraft was a mock aircraft used for training purposes and the fire was created by propane. Firefighters helped put out the fire while the sheriff's department had a shoot out with two men seen running from the hijacked plane.
Captain Kevin McHale, commander of the Carroll squadron, and First Lieutenant Mike Zabetakis, Carroll's emergency services officer, were involved in the planning of this drill from the early stages. The men were part of the evaluation team, working with the sheriff's department.
Two Carroll pilots, 1st Lt Rick Stuart and 2nd Lt Angelo Alascio, were in the sky recording the events on film.
There were a number of media represented at the drill, from newspapers to television. Carroll's 2nd Lt Thomas Dembeck was on hand to speak to the media and take many photos of the event.
These annual drills are designed to test the county's ability to handle multiple incidents which may include fire, hazardous materials, terrorists, mass injuries, and other possible scenarios. The event is funded by various county agencies along with funds from the Department of Homeland Security. The actual details of the drill are kept secret from all participants until the event occurs.
Civil Air Patrol, the official U.S. Air Force Auxiliary, is a civilian, volunteer, nonprofit, service organization. CAP's cadet programs provide young men and women with a safe and motivating environment in which to grow and explore opportunities in the military and aviation industries. Cadets progress through a 16-step program of leadership and aerospace education.
The Carroll Composite Squadron meets Tuesday evenings at the National Guard Armory on Hahn Road in Westminster. Prospective cadets, ages 12-18, and their parents are always welcome. More information can be found at www.carrollcap.org.
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