South Missouri Homeland Security
Response Systems Participate in State Terrorism Drill
NEVADA September 8, 2007-Seven of the nine State's Homeland Security
Regional Response Systems, previously referred to as Homeland Security
Response Teams, came together to respond to multiple disasters in
a State Terrorism Exercise conducted at the Missouri National Guard's
Camp Clark in Nevada today.
"The objectives of terrorists are to create chaos,
provoke division, to broadcast bloodshed and to shake the will of
those who live in free and open societies. I want to commend Missouri's
public safety community for remaining proactive in our ongoing efforts
to keep Missourians safe from terrorism," Gov. Matt Blunt said.
"This exercise tested local responders' ability
to collect, verify and relay sensitive information as part of a state
response. It also tested the state's ability to quickly and effectively
coordinate the deployment of specially trained response teams within
the state of Missouri," said Mark James, Director of the Missouri
Department of Public Safety.
The full-scale exercise lasted seven hours. These teams,
which have the capability to respond to any chemical, biological,
radiological, nuclear, or explosive related terrorist incident, are
from Branson, Joplin, Logan-Rogersville, Neosho, Nevada, Rolla, and
Springfield participated in the exercise.
Missouri has spent millions of Federal Homeland Security
dollars establishing, training, and providing response equipment for
our State's Homeland Security Response Systems. The recent shift in
focus from individual teams to building regional response systems
ensures shrinking homeland security grant money is being spent wisely.
Nevada and Vernon County law enforcement, fire, EMS,
and local officials responded to multiple events at specifically marked
locations within Camp Clark. To make the play more realistic, there
were victims and dangerous situations staged at separate sites throughout
the National Guard Training facility.