Florida IMATeam Puts Skills to Test in Joint Exercise
Lt. Scott Hoover | tsachimeraPIO@gmail.com
Osceola County, Fl - The Salvation Army’s Incident Command (IC) was thrown a curve ball this afternoon when a canteen and two disaster service workers became a crucial part of the FBI’s terrorism exercise. When Douglas Corwin (Melbourne Corps) and Lance Rocks (Tampa Divisional Disaster Department) went on a routine Emergency Responder hydration run, they found it to be anything but “routine.”
In a coordinated joint exercise with the FBI and Florida National Guard, The Salvation Army’s Incident Management Assessment Team (IMAT) was put to the test to identify what went wrong and how a tragedy of this magnitude could be prevented in a “real-life” situation. As the smoke cleared and the phones began to ring inside the Mobile Command Unit, news came in that a canteen had been involved in an explosion critically injuring players involved.
Kevin Smith, Director of Emergency Disaster Services for the Florida Division of The Salvation Army stated,
“Joint exercses like this allow us to respond more effectively in real life events caring for our team members while maintaining service to survivors."
The Salvation Army National Disaster Training Program includes a curriculum of classroom training and functional exercises to create local response teams that help people in their time of need. Individuals can learn more about this exciting training program by logging on to www.disaster.salvationarmyusa.org/training
About The Salvation Army
The Salvation Army, an evangelical part of the universal Christian church established in London in 1865, has been supporting those in need in His name without discrimination for more than 130 years in the United States. Nearly 30 million Americans receive assistance from The Salvation Army each year through the broadest array of social services that range from providing food for the hungry, relief for disaster victims, assistance for the disabled, outreach to the elderly and ill, clothing and shelter to the homeless and opportunities for underprivileged children. For more information, go to www.salvationarmyusa.org.
The Salvation Army annually helps more than 30 million Americans overcome poverty, addiction, and economic hardships through a range of social services. By providing food for the hungry, emergency relief for disaster survivors, rehabilitation for those suffering from drug and alcohol abuse, and clothing and shelter for people in need, The Salvation Army is doing the most good at 7,600 centers of operation around the country. In the first-ever listing of “America’s Favorite Charities” by The Chronicle of Philanthropy, The Salvation Army ranked as the country’s largest privately funded, direct-service nonprofit. For more information, visit www.SalvationArmyUSA.org. Follow us on Twitter @SalvationArmyUS and #DoingTheMostGood.