Guard prepared to help state in emergencies

Get a kit, make a plan and stay informed - this is the responsibility we all share, but also know that the Wisconsin National Guard stands ready to help.

Throughout September, ReadyWisconsin and the Wisconsin Homeland Security Council have been encouraging organizations and individuals to prepare for disasters and emergencies as part of the annual nationwide Preparedness Month Campaign. Wisconsin Guard officials want citizens to know their hometown Soldiers and Airmen have also been getting ready - as individuals and an organization.

All Soldiers and Airmen receive annual briefings about the importance of being prepared and are required to have individual preparedness kits.

"Our Soldiers and Airmen are Wisconsin's first military responders - they must have their own needs and those of their family taken care of before disaster strikes so we are ready to answer the call," said Brig. Gen. Don Dunbar, the adjutant general of Wisconsin and Wisconsin's Homeland Security advisor.

The Guard answers that call with an array of resources. "Our Soldiers and Airmen assist by providing shelter in our armories, conducting wellness checks during power outages, providing engineer consults, assisting law enforcement with security, provide medical care and the list goes on," said Dunbar.

The 54th Civil Support Team (CST) is the state's full-time response unit for emergencies involving weapons of mass destruction or toxic industrial chemicals.

This team supports civil authorities at domestic chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear or high explosive (CBRNE) incident sites. CST members are also the "go-to" guys for chemical detection and decontamination. Although the CST is a military unit, the team is designed with the incident command system in mind and carries the latest off-the-shelf military and civilian equipment. The team includes both Army and Air National Guardsmen, officers and enlisted, and boasts 14 different military specialties such as operations, command and control, logistics, medical and survey operations.

The four components of the team's mission are to identify, assess, advise and assist. Upon arrival at the incident site, the team identifies potential CBRNE agents or substances, assesses the current and projected consequences of the material's effects and advises the incident commander of response measures. They will also assist with the commander's request for appropriate support, both military and civilian entities.

As a Department of Defense agent, the CST can provide an incident commander with access to the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA), a consolidation of various defense functions that specialize in nuclear, chemical or biological weapons.

"DTRA, for us, is that reach-back capability to be able to get a hold of the subject matter experts that we may not have on staff," explained Maj. Tim Covington, 54th CST commander. "We can go through DTRA and ask the general question: 'We have this substance being created; what are the ramifications, and can anybody help us resolve and provide the incident commander with protective measures for the citizens in this community?'"

The CST also supports high-profile events by performing pre-event sweeps and monitoring capabilities throughout the event. The CST frequently participates in mass exercises with other agencies to train and compare techniques. The team is a vital asset to the state and key to a prepared and ready Wisconsin.

"The CST is on standby 24 hours a day, seven days a week, which means they are readily available for any emergency situation that may arise," Covington said.

Wisconsin is also part of the Emergency Management Assistance Compact, or EMAC, which allows a disaster-impacted member state to request assistance from other member states. This past year through EMAC, Wisconsin Soldiers and Airmen conducted recovery operations in Kentucky after an ice storm and during flooding in North Dakota.

To assist with communication, the Guard has a Joint Incident Site Communications Capability (JISCC) team, a communications suite that provides reach-back communication capabilities for enhanced command and control and shared situational awareness in an austere environment.

In addition, approximately 500 Wisconsin Guard members man a Ready Reaction Force. Of that force, 125 Soldiers can be anywhere in Wisconsin in four hours, with the remaining 375 within 24 hours. This force is trained to "Free Up, Back Up, and Stand Up" - perform basic security functions to free up local emergency responders, back up civil agencies as required, and stand up additional forces to restore order as needed, protect the public and provide needed services.

Even though roughly 40 percent of the Wisconsin National Guard is currently deployed around the world, Dunbar pointed out that approximately 6,000 Soldiers and Airmen remain available to the governor, with these resources and many more, in the event of an emergency here in Wisconsin.

"We are prepared to assist as long as needed in support of our governor and our fellow citizens," Dunbar said.