As American fears surrounding the deadly Ebola virus intensify, Marines at New River Air Station in Jacksonville, North Carolina, are kicking off a full-scale emergency drill to test the base’s preparedness to handle a pandemic.
Called Vigilant Response 2014, the two-day exercise will simulate a smallpox outbreak, involving some 1,500 Marines, other military personnel, and local emergency responders, according to an announcement by Marine officials. The theme for this year’s emergency response exercise was chosen nine months ago, before this year’s Ebola outbreak, centered in West Africa, became the worst in history, said 1st Lt. Sarah Burns, a spokeswoman for the air station.
“You’re right, it’s quite timely,” Burns told Marine Corps Times, acknowledging that some air station residents had expressed concerns about the virus, which saw its first confirmed case in the U.S. at the end of September. “Everyone’s concerned. I think they feel more reassured knowing that we have a plan in place and we’re testing it.”
Burns added that smallpox, the subject of the simulated pandemic response, spreads more easily than Ebola does.
The exercise, which kicks off Tuesday, will involve role-players to simulate casualties of smallpox, Burns said. Among other tasks, military and local responders must activate an emergency response center, set up an emergency stockpile and organize a pre-screening process as they tend to those sickened by the disease.
The air station is also facilitating flu inoculations for about 1,200 service members during the exercise. Staff from the naval hospital at nearby Camp Lejeune will administer flu shots or nasal vaccine mist to personnel throughout the exercise, allowing for a more accurate simulation of how patients would be treated and vaccinated during a pandemic, according to the announcement.
Following the two-day drill, Burns said, military and civilian responders will participate in an extensive “hot wash” debrief session to discuss the outcome of the exercise and areas for improvement.
