Training exercise aids disaster preparedness

Marine Corps Logistics Base personnel in Barstow, Calif., recently conducted a training exercise designed to enhance both man-made and natural emergency preparedness.

The Exercise Haber Rail effort involved a  simulated rail tanker car carrying thousands of cubic feet of chlorine gas springing a leak and sending a cloud of toxic gas drifting across the base and into the nearby city of Barstow.

“I appreciate the support and assistance from all sections in bettering the base’s ability to react to incidences both man-made and natural,” said Maj. Ernest Robinson, assistant operations officer, who served as the Senior Watch Officer in charge of the department’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC). “I am thankful to all the tenant organizations and residents that have demonstrated true patience as we identify critical gaps and shortfalls within the emergency management program in order to ensure their overall safety and protection.”

The mission was to execute a plan to protect lives and property by stopping the gas leak, and evacuating the base if necessary. As part of the exercise, employees not in the immediate path of the fictional gas plume were instructed to take shelter by closing all doors and windows and turning off their heating and air conditioning units while surviving on the relatively cleaner air inside their homes and offices.

“Having watched a good portion of the exercise, the confidence I have in our ability to respond to a disaster has been bolstered,” Col. Craig C. Clemans, commanding officer, said, “The EOC is designed to respond in a way which addresses all facets of a crisis and leverages all available resources in a coordinated manner.”