August 17, 2005
Wednesday

Ketchikan, Alaska - Ketchikan residents along with residents in other Alaska communities are seeing an increase in emergency response and law enforcement activity this week as operation Alaska Shield/Northern Edge is in full swing.

According to Lieutenant General Howie Chandler, commander of Joint Task Force-Alaska at Elmendorf Air Force Base, this exercise will provide a wide range of simulated natural disasters and terrorist events in 21 communities, ranging from Barrow to Ketchikan, that are designed to challenge and provide exceptional training for civilian and military "first responders" and test organizational and integration skills at all levels of government.

The U.S. Northern Command, in coordination with the State of Alaska Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management and other Federal, State, and local government partners, are conducting the Alaska Shield/Northern Edge 2005 Homeland Defense/Homeland Security and Military Support for Civil Authority exercise this week.

In announcing the event in July, City of Ketchikan Public Safety Director Rich Leipfert said that Ketchikan is one many communities in the state that will test its abilities to respond to a terrorist incident during August 15 - 19, 2005.. He anticipates locally, approximately 400 people representing more than 40 local, state and federal organizations will be participating in this large-scale training exercise.

On August 16th there was a hazardous materials training drill at Ketchikan Charter School involving an entry team, sample collection, evidence collection, and decontamination of response personnel. The drill involved responding to a fake anthrax scare with the scenario of 45 residents dead and 80 hospitalized. In the scenario, the Valley Park School building was a restaurant suspected of serving anthrax poisoned lettuce.

And, on Thursday August 18th, there is a full-scale mock catastrophe planned that will challenge participants' resources and skills to help guarantee that the Ketchikan community will be prepared for large-scale events, no matter what the cause.

According to Ketchikan Deputy Police Chief John Maki, on Thursday local resources will have to respond to a mass casualty incident and the pursuit and capture of a bad guy. Maki said  the Alaska State Troopers have been ordered not to participate so city resources and North and South Tongass Volunteer Fire Departments will respond.  Maki said, "This will be a huge drill for the hospital so they have worked hard to get up to speed."

Bev Crum, RN, Manager of Ketchikan General Hospital's Emergency Department said, "Though we will be in full drill mode on Thursday, August 18th, we also intend that it will be business as usual for our regular patients."

City of Ketchikan Public Safety Director Rich Leipfert said, "Documenting the strengths and weaknesses of our disaster plan helps us map the course of improving collective readiness." He said, "This event is nationally significant since President George W. Bush will be reviewing the results of these exercises to evaluate what additional resources Alaska and other states may require."

The Alaska Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management has provided more than $100,000 to fund this August drill and more than $70,000 in other funding to prepare local response personnel said Leipfert.

Residents in Anchorage, Barrow, Fairbanks, Juneau, Ketchikan, the Mat-Su Borough, North Pole, Whittier, and Unalaska may see increased activity in and around their community as police, fire, and emergency medical personnel, as well as members of the Alaska State Troopers, Alaska National Guard, Alaska State Defense Force, FBI, U.S. Army, and U.S. Coast Guard, respond to events that are part of the exercise.

"Having strong working relationships between Federal, State, and local governments is vital in preparing for, and responding to, not only natural disasters but any other terrorist or man-made event," said Lieutenant General Howie Chandler, commander of Joint Task Force-Alaska at Elmendorf Air Force Base.

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