HILL AIR FORCE BASE, Utah — In a highly-coordinated training exercise designed to enhance readiness, the 775th Explosive Ordnance Disposal Flight, 75th Security Forces Squadron, and the 775th Civil Engineering Group Fire and Emergency Services recently responded to an active shooter scenario involving a staged kidnapping and bomb threat at Hill Air Force Base.
According to Senior Airman Stuart Straw, 775th EOD, the scenario highlighted the dynamic and unpredictable nature of real-world threats, emphasizing the importance of determined, disciplined, and calculated responses to protect lives and maintain mission readiness.
“We created a scenario where our first responders are put on notification of an active shooter. This shooter has kidnapped an individual and is threatening life at the base theater. After eliminating the threat from the shooter, our security forces identify an explosive threat,” Straw said.
In the exercise, security forces neutralized the shooter and ensured the scene was safe for follow-on teams. The firefighters then managed the incident scene while providing lifesaving aid to potential casualties.
The EOD Flight then sent their technicians to render the explosive device safe, using their extensive knowledge of explosive components, properties and circuity along with proven EOD techniques, tactics, and procedures.
Staff Sgt. Hailey Pethtel, 75th SFS military working dog trainer, said practicing communication between the three units is important because both security forces and the fire department have their own radio frequencies for communication.
With security forces as the initial on-scene commander, “being able to relay all the pertinent information to each entity is key to the safety and success of the response,” she said. “It is very important because in a lot of these responses, it is life threating when communication is not clear and successful.”
Pethtel said training with EOD and the fire department was invaluable.
“Ideally, you do not want the first time doing a scenario to be real world. The biggest takeaway was all three entities learned more about each other’s procedures when responding to this type of scenario,” she said.
For the EOD team, Straw said training on simulated threats provides a great opportunity to refine their skills in a high-stress environment.
“By simulating real-world scenarios, EOD teams improve their ability to assess a threat, render safe explosive hazards, operate under stress, and work effectively with partnering emergency response units,” he said.
Straw said this training event represented a significant and valuable effort for the fire, security forces and EOD to collaborate and improve processes, communication, and lifesaving efforts.
“Hill’s EOD flight is thankful for the efforts of all our emergency responders and plans to engage in further exercises promoting improved synergy between our teams,” he said.
- Published
- By Cynthia Griggs
- 75th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
