GOODFELLOW AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- On a hot spring day, the set-up outside of the 17th Medical Group Clinic looked like a scene from a disaster movie. More than a dozen medics adorned in full body protective suits and respirators, worked to decontaminate patients while acting as a barrier between the infected and the clean.
Fortunately, the scene outside of the medical clinic on that day was only a simulation. The patients consisted of healthy volunteers and mannequins, while the mock decontamination dealt with only simulated chemical agents.
The simulation was part of an annual training for the in-place patient decontamination disaster response team, or IPPD for short. The 20 member team participated in a rigorous two-day course that included numerous hours of both classroom and hands-on training. Instructors, Staff Sgt. Barnett and Staff Sgt. Padula, traveled from the 937th Training Support Squadron at Camp Bullis, Texas to conduct what would be only the third ever mobile decontamination unit training.
“Having these expert instructors travel here to conduct this training at our home base is a rare opportunity afforded to us by the exceptional foresight and support of our leadership,” said Capt. Dean E. Schultz III, 17th Medical Operations Squadron IPPD team chief. “Not only does it allow for maximum participation and first-degree learning, but also it provides the advantage of being able to refine our skills using the facilities and equipment we will be using in any type of real-world event.”
The training also highlighted the cooperation that the 17th Medical Group has organized with San Angelo Community Medical Center, as two members of the medical center attended the training alongside the IPPD team.
“Essentially, if any type of chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear incident were to occur, it more than likely would not be isolated to the base alone. That is why we have established the agreement with SACMC to ensure that there is shared disaster response training, and there can be a common ground and successful cooperation in the event of an incident” according to Schultz.
The IPPD team and SACMC members spent the first stage of the two day course in the classroom where they covered numerous critical topics including the vast amount of different chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and high-yield explosives threats, and treating and managing those threats, chemical and biological weapon dissemination, proper decontamination procedures, first receiver awareness and patient triage processes, and decontamination equipment usage and limitations. The second stage of training was spent outdoors in the grueling heat where the team participated in hands-on training and simulations with all of their equipment.
“They provided “real world” hands on training. They taught us how to identify harmful contaminants and how to decontaminate casualties. The training was crucial to the 17th Medical Group's response to incidents on Goodfellow and the city of San Angelo” stated Master Sgt. Otilio Blanco, 17th Medical Operations Squadron IPPD alternate team chief.
The IPPD team is one of the largest and most critical wing disaster response teams that are in place to respond to any type of crisis here at Goodfellow AFB, and rightfully so.
“The relevance of our team extends far beyond potential localized events at Goodfellow AFB alone. The IPPD team could be called upon to support the entire city of San Angelo and surrounding area if any type of chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear incident were to occur. That could range from an overturned truck transporting hazardous material, to a chemical spill or leakage from a local source, to all potential enemy threats or terrorist actions involving CBRN elements,” Schultz stated.
He also mentioned, “IPPD role is to serve as front-line receivers to counteract dangerous contaminants, and also to serve as a shield for the medical facilities and allow for the safe delivery of potentially life-saving health care. With this recent first-class training, in conjunction with the monthly exercises and training we perform locally, we are prepared to provide an elite level response if the situation ever arises.”