New Jersey responders drill for chemical attack | 01.17.2007 | 06:30:41 | Views: 5455 | ID: January 17 '07: Local New Jersey first responders and emergency management officials cooperated with Army National Guard Civil Support Teams from Fort Dix during a simulated chemical attack in a court room located in a municipal building, New Jersey.com's Express Times reported. The drill was managed by officials from Center for National Response. CNR's physical center, located in West Virginia's Memorial Tunnel, trains first and federal responders in WMD scenarios such as chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear attacks. CNR's Jerry McGhee told the Express Times the drill in N.J. "certainly gives (local responders) an opportunity to see what the (civil support team) has to offer ... They share a lot of valuable information." The drill lasted six hours. Among the local participants: the Washington Fire and Emergency Squad and the Warren County Emergency Management and HazMat teams. The crux of the drill however, was that under the certain conditions stemming from a chemical attack, the local first responders would have to lock the building so that no one would be able to enter or leave until the HazMat or National Guard arrived. Victims inside the building would have to wait until the building was unlocked to receive any help, so fast cooperation and coordination is crucial, officials said. Responders were able to mobilize within an hour, but in a real-life situation, almost two hours would be needed to contain and respond to the chemical attack, the Times Express was told by participating responders.
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