Hawai'i National Guard 93rd Civil Support Team works on relevant readiness response on Hawai'i Island

The Hawaiʻi National Guard 93rd Civil Support Team (93rd CST) recently held a series of readiness exercises on Hawai‘i island. The 93rd CST supports civil authorities at the direction of the Governor on domestic chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, or high yield explosive incident sites by identifying agents/substances, assessing current and projected consequences, advising on response measures, and assisting with requests for additional support to help save lives and minimize property damage.

“We rotate through our counties annually, and we will basically link up with the Hawai‘i counties to see what their training needs are, what kind of desires they have, what kind of threats they've encountered throughout the last year and then we use that to build a training plan,” stated Capt. Dusty McCormick, a survey team leader from the 93rd CST.

The 93rd CST participates in real-world events like joint hazard assessments and responds to no-notice missions, often collaborating with law enforcement first responders and federal assets. The 93rd CST's mission includes cultivating trust with first responders to quickly address threats and maintain public safety. The county engagements normally happen in late spring and early summer which is a crucial time for building esprit de corps and showcasing skills.

“These engagements build our relationship and understanding. It shows them what we are capable of and that we're willing to work with them,” said McCormick.

The 93rd CST spent three days working with members of the Hawai‘i Fire Department on site survey operations and decontamination (decon) procedures.

“Whether we have new personnel from Hawai‘i Fire or familiar faces from previous engagements, this (training) will largely be a refresher to review basic considerations for decon,” said Staff Sgt. Kaialani Cruz, logistics team member of the 93rd CST.

A decon line is a structured, step-by-step process used by hazardous materials responders and firefighters to safely clean contaminated personnel and equipment. Its primary purpose is to prevent the spread of dangerous chemicals, pathogens or radioactive materials from the hazardous "hot zone" into clean areas.

“We have worked to streamline the process and lessen the possibilities of cross contamination. Which could be an issue when we use huge spays of high-pressure water," said Cruz.

During the last half of the week, the 93rd CST closed out with a field response exercise at Keaukaha Military Reservation and as role players in a mass casualty exercise at Benioff Medical Center in Hilo.

“It's a huge opportunity for us to grow the relationship, so then if we do respond to some real-world event, we already know the people, and we have that working relationship,” said Maj. Philip Scholten, 93rd CST commander. “For us as well, it's a great opportunity to come get some hands-on training with them, see how they work.”