Local Tech Rescue Teams Along With Other Agencies Preparing for a Disaster in Massachusetts

ICYMI: Black Hawk Helicopters may be visible in Eastern Massachusetts on Tuesday, June 9, as part of a training drill, according to the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency.

Fire Chiefs of Massachusetts, Technical Rescue Committee, is sponsoring a full-scale search-and-rescue exercise. As part of the exercise, teams will be transported between sites by military helicopter. While the primary exercise sites are in Topsfield and Plainville, the Black Hawk helicopters may be visible in Eastern Massachusetts communities as they work.

Tech Rescue Teams from eastern Mass including, the Essex County, as well as members of the National Guard are preparing for a disastrous hurricane, according to the Essex County Technical Rescue Team.

Operation Swift Response, a full-scale, two-day training exercise is scheduled to begin at 8 Monday morning at Bradley Palmer State Park in Topsfield.

The area of simulated hurricane devastation on the North Shore will be at Bradley Palmer State Park in Topsfield.

Essex County Tech Rescue Team, District 14 Technical Rescue Team, Massachusetts National Guard TF CBRN and Army Aviation will be deployed for search and rescue operations. Members of the teams will be transported by the National Guard Aviation Unit from a rally point (Lawrence Airport) due to “impassable” roads from the disaster.

What is Operation Swift Response?

“It is a full scale exercise being conducted over two days to test regional technical rescue team’s inter-operability during a statewide natural disaster in conjunction with air and ground assets from the Massachusetts National Guard. The disaster has created two areas of devastation, one on the North Shore and one on the South Shore,” according to the Essex County Technical Rescue Team’s Facebook page.

Once at the site, squads will be given missions to search areas of the park or “neighborhoods” for victims. Squads will navigate to their assigned area of operation and walk the trails or “streets” searching simulated structures for trapped victims. “Victims” will be extricated from various environments and evacuated to the triage area, then taken by Massachusetts National Guard Medevac units to a simulated Hospital site at the Lawrence Airport.

The mission of the Essex County Technical Rescue Team, according to their website, is to assist and coordinate life-saving efforts in the search, extrication, and the safeguarding of trapped or stranded victims during natural or man-made accidents and/or disasters.

Photo Credit: Essex County Technical Rescue Team