The Salina area is the home-base for a major, multi-state, multi-agency disaster drill this week.
Kansas is the host state for Vigilant Guard 2014, and most of the activity will be centered around the Salina area Crisis City venue. The disaster response exercise is sponsored by U.S. Northern Command and the National Guard Bureau that tests the capabilities of emergency response agencies at all levels of government, both military and civil.
More than 2,000 local, state, and federal personnel are taking part over the course of the six-day exercise. The exercise will take place at several locations in the state, including Fort Riley, Overland Park, Salina, Crisis City and Smoky Hill Weapons Range outside of Salina, Topeka, and Wichita.
Kansas National Guard organizations participating in Vigilant Guard include Joint Forces Headquarters Kansas; 35th Infantry Division; 287th Sustainment Brigade; 635th Regional Support Group; 235th Training Regiment; 1st Battalion, 108th Aviation Regiment; 73rd Civil Support Team; 35th Military Police Company; 105th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment, 1989th Contingency Contracting; and the 1077th Ground Ambulance Company. The 190th Air Refueling Wing and 184th Intelligence Wing of the Kansas Air National Guard will also be participating in the exercise.
Joining the Kansas National Guard and civilian responders are the Missouri National Guard — Homeland Response Force, 70th Troop Command; and the 7th Civil Support Team; Nebraska National Guard — Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and high- yield Explosives Enhanced Response Force Package; and 1st Battalion, 376th Aviation; Iowa National Guard – 71st Civil Support Team; and Oklahoma National Guard – 63rd Civil Support Team. The U.S. Army Reserve’s 1013th Quartermaster Company, North Platte, Nebraska, will also take part.
State participants include the Kansas Division of Emergency Management, Kansas Department of Health and Environment, Kansas State Fire Marshal, Kansas Search and Rescue Task Force, North Central Kansas Hospital Region, North Central Kansas Public Health, and Mobile Emergency Response Group and Equipment Wichita.
Local and county participants include Saline County Emergency Management, Saline County Fire Department, Overland Park Fire Department, Geary County Emergency Management, Riley County Emergency Management, Sedgwick County Emergency Management, Sedgwick County Health Department and Cities Readiness Initiative Wichita.
Federal agencies taking part include the Federal Emergency Management Agency Region VII, U.S. Northern Command, Disaster Assistance Response Team – West, National Guard Bureau Joint Enabling Team, FBI Weapons of Mass Destruction Tactical Analyst, and Fort Riley Emergency Management.
