Maryland National Guard teams up with law enforcement agencies for Operation Underdog
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”1348″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center” css_animation=”fadeIn”][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1500390622926{margin: 0px !important;border-width: 0px !important;padding: 0px !important;}”]Story and Photos by Officer Candidate Jessica Donnelly[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css_animation=”fadeIn” css=”.vc_custom_1500391017684{margin-top: 0px !important;margin-right: 0px !important;margin-bottom: 2px !important;margin-left: 0px !important;border-top-width: 0px !important;border-right-width: 0px !important;border-bottom-width: 2px !important;border-left-width: 0px !important;padding-top: 0px !important;padding-right: 0px !important;padding-bottom: 2px !important;padding-left: 0px !important;}”]Members of the Maryland National Guard teamed up with local Maryland police and fire departments to conduct Operation Underdog Aug. 3 in Essex, Md. Operation Underdog is a joint operation between the National Guard, the Baltimore County Police and Fire Departments and other volunteer departments, to conduct simulated rescue missions during flood and high water scenarios.
Imagine, a boat capsizes and leaves the occupants stranded in the water, rising flood waters trap civilians in the back of a truck, or someone is trapped on a rock in the middle of the water. What happens next?
Any one of these scenarios could occur and without proper training, rescue responders may not know how to handle the situation. For this reason, local law enforcement, along with members of the Maryland National Guard, conduct training specifically designed to train responders on what to do if they are called upon during a flood or other water rescue mission.
“What we really care about is good training,” said Capt. Robert Murray Sr., Baltimore County Fire Department. “It all fits into a bigger picture of maybe needing to use it in a real scenario, so they train to have those skills.”
Operation Underdog consisted of helicopters, either Maryland National Guard or Baltimore County Police Department, flying to a predetermined location where a flood or high water scenario was taking place. Once at the location, members of the swift water rescue team were lowered via a hoist mechanism attached to the helicopter. They would then administer aid to the simulated victims before the ‘casualties’ would be hoisted up to the helicopter and transported to safety. Each mission required different skills and quick reactions to be able to assess what support was needed and to ensure each situation did not escalate and cause more casualties.
“[The training] is used so that we don’t hurt anyone, or end up hurting ourselves, during a real emergency because we hadn’t practiced before,” said Army National Guard Col. Charles Schulze, State Army Aviation officer.
This joint training between the Maryland National Guard, the Baltimore County Police and Fire Departments and other volunteer departments, was first implemented after the National Guard responded to requests for help after Hurricane Katrina and weaknesses in reacting to natural disasters were identified, explained Schulze. It is now used to further prepare the agencies in responding to similar emergencies.
Not only do the joint training operations help prepare the participating agencies on how to react to natural disasters and hone the skills needed to complete the missions, but it also creates familiarization and strong relationships between the agencies.
Operation Underdog, and other operations where the agencies work together, are critical because they allow for familiarization of each other’s procedures and equipment, said Schulze. The law enforcement agencies can now recognize the Maryland National Guard’s aircraft and understand their capabilities, while the Guard members have an idea how the law enforcement members run their operations. Understanding each other and developing these relationships is essential for the members to be able to seamlessly work together when it counts.
“We’ve built a relationship with the first responders,” said Maj. David Paolucci, Commander, Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 169th Aviation Regiment. “The first time you meet shouldn’t be the day of an emergency.”
Overall, the joint training is vital because it allows the Maryland National Guard members to use equipment they may not be very familiar with, such as the hoist, and builds a sense of confidence that they will know how to respond if they are called to help during a flood.
“This training takes a scenario that is complex and impossible and makes it possible,” said Schulze. “[The training] is essential because it not only relates to what we are doing at home, but it also trains the Soldiers for what they are doing in Afghanistan.”[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_raw_html css=”.vc_custom_1500390956523{margin-top: 1px !important;border-top-width: 1px !important;padding-top: 1px !important;}”]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[/vc_raw_html][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][/vc_column][/vc_row]