PHOENIX - A big earthquake might not be likely in Arizona, but it’s a real threat in California, and that would have a major impact on our state.
During a three-and-a-half-day exercise federal, state, local and tribal agencies are coming together for Arizona's National Mass Care Exercise, to practice how they would take action.
12 News got a behind-the-scenes look.
A field in the middle of a track on the military base near 56th Street and Thomas Road has transformed into a mock shelter.
It’s where more than 100 people are camping out in tents provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs for the exercise.
“The exercise starts with an earthquake that has happened in California and it’s triggered an evacuation of more than 400,000 folks from California to Arizona,” said Judy Kioski of the Arizona Department of Emergency and Military Affairs.
The mock catastrophic earthquake is straining mass care capabilities statewide.
“If this was a full-scale emergency, the hotels would be full, areas would be saturated, the roads would of course be in a different condition,” said Colin Williams of the Red Cross. “They would be gridlocked.”
The life-like exercise is giving 75 agencies a chance to tackle mass shelter and feeding operations.
“We can bring them all together and create, literally a kitchen that can do 5,000 meals per setting,” said Mitch McDonald of the Arizona Southern Baptist Convention.
“Everybody has a superpower and a specialty and so they bring those to bear here at this exercise,” said Williams.
They will also focus on things like medical surge.
“The firefighters move patients every single day, the difference is, is that we’re now we’re operating off an aircraft,” said Kerry Reeve, area emergency manager for the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Emergency Management. “So, we have to train them how to interface with that aircraft, be able to move the patients efficiently and effectively off the aircraft so that everybody stays safe, get them triaged, re-triage and then categorize the priority process.”
The Arizona Department of Emergency and Military Affairs has been at the heart of the National Mass Care Exercise planning and coordination for nearly a year.
“To keep the tip of our spear as sharp as we possibly can and to work with our partner agencies,” said Williams.
The State Emergency Operations Center along with many county, tribal and municipal emergency operations centers are activated during the exercise to test procedures and staff.
“The more we get to meet people and practice and exercise with people in blue sky times helps us when we’re in gray sky times,” said Williams. “Fortunately, we don’t see these happen, but if we do, we’re all ready.”
The next component of the exercise has to do with mass casualties and will incorporate a couple dozen Valley hospitals.