March ARB plays in Golden Guardian 2008; nation's largest earthquake exercise

  • Published
  • By Will Alexander
  • 452 AMW Public Affairs
MARCH AIR RESERVE BASE, CALIF. --  Reobie Markham, administrative assistant, 452 AMW/CCEA, felt the same way many on base did about the 5.4 magnitude Chino Hills earthquake that hit suddenly this summer. It wasn't big enough to cause damage, but it was plenty big enough to shake a few nerves. 

She and a couple of friends were picnicking at a park on March ARB when the quake rumbled beneath their feet. 

"Was that an earthquake?" she recalled someone asking. "That was an earthquake! So needless to say, we didn't do any of the things that we were supposed to do. We just sat under the tree, and by the time we realized what it was, it was over. "That was the biggest I've felt since the Northridge quake," said Markham. "It made me think of my family and how we should be better prepared. I don't want to be paranoid, but I do want to be prepared." 

Seismologists say it's not a matter of whether "The Big One" will hit California; it's a matter of when. This inevitability is what drove Dr. Lucy Jones of the U.S. Geological Survey to lead a team of 300 scientists, engineers, emergency managers and others to come up with a scenario that could shed light on the likely consequences of "The Big One." 

Their scenario - "The Shakeout Earthquake Scenario" - is the basis of this year's Golden Guardian 2008, the largest state-sponsored emergency response exercise in the nation. It will take place throughout Southern California Nov. 6 - 18. March ARB will kick off its main exercise at 10 a.m. on Nov. 13. The EMS Authority and the Air and Army Military Reserve components associated with March will conduct a week of training events here. 

The Golden Guardian 2008 scenario is based on a 7.8 magnitude earthquake - 5,000 times larger than the 5.4 Chino Hills quake - that erupts along the southern San Andreas Fault, which lasts for up to three minutes. The quake will cause 2,000 deaths, 50,000 injuries, $200 billion in damage, and severe disruption, according to www.shakeout.org. 

The exercise aims to encourage Californians to be prepared for big quakes to help prevent a disaster from becoming a catastrophe. 

"March will participate in this statewide exercise with the school districts and other private organizations," said Marv Tucker, flight chief, emergency management, 452 AMW/CEX. "We have a plan of how we're going to recover this base, not only in the first few hours, but in 36 hours, 48 hours, 30 days, and 45 days as well. We're also going to make sure that we have good communications between what's on base and off the installation since there will be no cell phones, no land lines." 

Although cell phones and land lines were down for several hours in some areas during the Chino Hills quake this summer, Marcie Burks, former Emergency Management flight chief, said there were telling signs that this 5.4 wasn't "The Big One." 

"The easiest way to tell how big an earthquake is, is to look at what's moving," said Burks. "If my hanging plant is shaking, it's not a big deal. If my desk is moving, it's a big deal. Did your appliances move? Did you have trouble walking? Those kinds of things tell you when it's a big deal more than the number (magnitude)." 

But big or small, it's critical to understand what must be done beforehand, so that responses are instinctive when a quake suddenly hits, said Joel L. Aspeytia II, emergency management technician. He said the first thing to do is duck, drop to the floor, then take cover under a desk or table, and stay there for 20 seconds to make sure
the shaking and falling objects have stopped. 

"If you are on March ARB during an earthquake, evacuate the building and gather at your building's designated rallying point," said Aspeytia. "If you're the first one out the door, grab the Emergency Response Notebook located near the exit. Then, account for personnel and assess damage." 

That initial damage assessment will be completed on a damage report, a form inside the Emergency Response Notebook, and taken by a runner to the Mobile Communications Center (MCC). Once known as the Mobile Command Post, the MCC is set up immediately following any disaster. 

"After the exercise, if people go home and get acquainted with their neighbors; open up the communications of what to do if an earthquake happens; know where their kids are going to go, and have a plan for their homes, then we've accomplished our goals," said Tucker. "We know it's going to happen. We just don't know when.

TRAINING TO BE CONDUCTED AT MARCH:
 
Mobile Field Hospital (MFH) site preparation. 

MFH transport from Northern California. 

California Highway Patrol escort and security assistance. 

Communication equipment orientation and practice. 

Civilian and military support to MFH operations. 

Hospital Administrative Support Unit (HASU) management of MFH. 

CAL-MAT patient care within the MFH CAL-MAT and HASU Interface. 

MFH staffing. 

Patient "Tracer" events. 

Medical electronic device use review and practice.
 
Admission, discharge, transfer procedures. 

Patient flow/movement through hospital. 

Mission Support Team (MST) operation.