Return
to the "POINTER VIEW"April 12, 2002
Return
to the "POINTER VIEW"
April
12, 2002
Story
and photos by Jim Fox
Staff Writer
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| West Point Criminal Investigation Division Special Agent Pam Cooney negotiates with the "terrorists" Tuesday outside Scott Barracks. |
West Point acted out, as close as possible, two of its worst nightmares Tuesday and Wednesday -- a hostage situation in the cadet central area and a suicide bomber ravaging a cadet review.
The two-day anti-terrorism exercise gave local and regional emergency response assets -- including fire, medical and police units -- a chance to respond to events and integrate an incident command system, explained West Point security officer Maj. Charlie Rumrill.
Tuesday "terrorists" from the fictional Hudson River Valley Commandos took four cadets hostage and holed up in Scott Barracks.
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| Members of the "terrorist" group the Hudson River Valley Commandos whisk their cadet hostages away. |
U.S. Military Academy Criminal Investigation Division and the Federal Bureau of Investigation personnel from New York City, along with the West Point Military Police and other security personnel from the New York National Guard’s 1st Battalion, 69th Infantry Regiment responded.
The scenario involved negotiations with the "terrorists," who were played by Army intelligence agents, and an eventual hostage rescue by the FBI SWAT team later that evening.
Wednesday’s scenario posed the problem of a suicide bomber racing into the midst of a cadet review on the Plain and detonating an explosive device.
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| West Point Military Police Staff Sgt. Stephen Brooks directs troops to set up the perimeter around Scott Barracks. |
The scenario, complete with 50-odd casualties, gave West Point and local emergency response entities, including medical personnel from Keller Army Community Hospital, the West Point Fire Dept., helicopter assets from the 2nd Aviation Detachment at Stewart Airport, Mobile Life, N.Y. State Police and volunteer ambulance units from Highland Falls, New Windsor, Cornwall and Woodbury, the opportunity to hone their skills.
The emergency response community established triage. They performed medical evacuations and reduced loss of life and injury as much as possible so we could get back to business as usual, Rumrill explained.
"You have to ensure you practice your emergency response plan, not just once but several times. It can’t just sit on the shelf. You have to go out and do it in three dimensions. You have to have the trucks respond. You have to have the helicopters land so that you can identify where there are weaknesses. That way you can do it better next time," he said.
Rumrill said the anti-terrorism events practiced this week are part of the Army’s requirement to practice emergency response. A hazardous materials exercise is planned for this summer.
"You are never good enough at emergency response," Rumrill said.
