Press release from Indiana Department of Homeland Security

Members of the District Nine Response Task Force participate in a water rescue exercise. Indiana Department of Homeland Security

(Indianapolis, Ind.) - From September 24 and through September 27, 49 members of the Indiana Department of Homeland Security District Nine Response Task Force took part in Without Warning, a multi-state full-scale disaster response exercise led by the Indiana Department of Homeland Security (IDHS). Participants included state and local emergency responders and incident managers as well as private sector partners, who practiced coordinating response efforts for natural disasters.

Task Force 9 had several elements assisting in the response efforts during the exercise, including the Technical Rescue Element, the Structural Collapse Group, the Hazardous Materials Group, Public Information Officers, the Finance and Administration Section and Service and Support personnel.

Personnel that participated represent a number of local agencies within the district, including: King’s Daughter Hospital, Decatur County Emergency Management Agency, Delaware Volunteer Fire Department, Franklin County Emergency Management Agency, Greensburg Police Department, Hollywood Casino, Jeffersonville Fire Department, Jennings County Emergency Management Agency, Margaret Mary Community Hospital, New Albany Fire Department, Ripley County Emergency Management Agency, Ripley County Critical Incident Stress Management, Ripley County Medical Reserve Corp, Scott County Health Department, Switzerland County Emergency Management Agency and Westport Fire Department.

“The response personnel in District 9 take public safety and preparation to heart,” said IDHS Executive Director Joe Wainscott. “Their continued dedication to exercises ensures they will be best prepared to respond to any emergency in their own community or to assist their neighbors in other parts of the state.”

This exercise simulated a flood, an F3 tornado and widespread destruction. Participants received hands-on experience at the Muscatatuck Urban Training Center near Butlerville, Indiana, which is designed to reflect a realistic disaster setting including flooded homes, debris littered streets and survivors in need of medical attention. The full-scale nature of the exercise allows all aspects of the response effort to be evaluated without placing any lives at risk.

IDHS District Nine includes the following counties: Clark, Dearborn, Decatur, Floyd, Franklin, Harrison, Jefferson, Jennings, Ohio, Ripley, Scott and Switzerland.

Each Indiana Department of Homeland Security (IDHS) district response task force is comprised of volunteer emergency responders who dedicate their free time to support other emergency response agencies around the state. When a disaster stretches beyond the scope of a local emergency response agency, local officials can ask the IDHS task forces for support. The task forces comprise of Emergency Medical Services, Law Enforcement, an All Hazards Incident Management Team, a Service and Support section and Fire Suppression.

For more information about the IDHS District Nine Response Task Force, please contact Rob Duckworth at (812)663-8125, rduckworth@decaturcounty.in.gov.