Posted on 06/06/2015 2:54:31 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
(VIDEO-AT-LINK)
VAN ZANDT COUNTY, TX (KLTV) - Van Zandt County has been inundated with the Texas State Guard conducting rescue operations, but it was only a drill. Officials say they are simulating search and rescue missions to prepare for hurricane season.
They use Boy Scouts to play victims of a natural disaster.
Somewhere in the woods of Van Zandt County, Boy Scouts playing tornado victims await aid.
Back in Canton, the Texas State Guard has taken over the Van Zandt County Sheriff's Department briefing room. Lt. Colonel Wendell Sadler says all that military is under the county emergency operations coordinator's control in the event of a real emergency.
“If this were an authentic event, we would come in and we would receive guidance from him. We would be here to support him,” Sadler said.
The guard make their way through the woods, looking and calling out for victims who have been instructed to stay put and only respond when they actually see their rescuers.
“They know the basic gist of what's going to happen, but they weren't given any information regarding precisely where,” Sadler revealed.
If the victims were unconscious, they obviously wouldn't be calling out. Command in the control room does their best to coordinate the rescue.
They bring their own equipment for several reasons, such as being familiar with their own gear, and just in case local equipment has been knocked out of service.
“We stand ready at a moment's notice and we can operate for 72 hours without outside assistance,” Sadler stated.
Some of the troops are conducting real emergency operations in San Marcos, responding to flooding, which shows how important training is.
“We know the events are going to happen. It's not a matter of if, but when,” Sadler added.
As they find the first few mock tornado victims, it becomes obvious the Texas State Guard are doing their best to step in when situations become overwhelming.
The 19th Regiment with the first, second and third battalions will continue training through the weekend, ending with a thank you ceremony for local officials.
Governor Perry has ordered to Texas State Guard to monitor the upcoming surreptitious US military training in Texas and other southern and southwestern states not so fond of Zero’s plans for America beginning in July.
Gov. Perry?
Gov. Abbott, I think you meant?
I like the idea of Texas having a State Guard.
I was living back in Houston when Alicia came through, and having grown up there, I was surprised at how nonchalant most people were about the upcoming hurricane, people forget, and new people move in, and a few false warnings make the ones who haven’t grown up with hurricanes, think that they are simply storms that people exaggerate about.
It is good to not only have a state guard, but that the state guard have an institutional memory of what emergencies mean, and that they have continuous training for them.
I hope that Texas takes their State Guard seriously.
Think he’s drinking something a little stronger than sasparilla
Haha. I’ve been gone from Texas TOO long.
They have hurricane rescue down. What they need is training against whatever the usurper has coming to Hostile Texas.
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