Emergency responders from the Mississippi Office of Homeland Security Task Force 3 came together Friday at Percy Quin State Park in a training exercise that simulated flood water rescues.
Firemen and first responders from McComb, Hattiesburg, Petal, Collins, Pascagoula, Gulfport, Wiggins and Poplarville simulated a rescue using part of a mock house that was flooded. The exercise called for responders to rescue dummy victims trapped in the attic.
Using a chainsaw, the crews cut a hole in the top of the roof so they could safely extract the victims. Once out of the house, rescuers placed the victims on backboards and got them into a boat.
But crews had an extra obstacle — pretending the water they were in was contaminated with a hazardous chemical. Each person who was in the water above the knees had to go to a decontamination area after he brought the victim to shore.
The exercise gave responders a chance to showcase what they have learned, said Pike County Civil Defense Director Richard Coghlan.
“These guys have been training and training,” he said.
The exercise also gave the men a chance to work together with agencies that would respond in a real emergency.
“It’s good to get hands on,” Hattiesburg firefighter Brandon Bell said. “You get a bit rusty.”
The task force evolved from a unit that was formed after the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, a unit that responded to weapons of mass destruction incidents.
The team evolved after Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Now, the responders are ready for just about anything, including hurricanes, storms, tornadoes, floods, earthquakes, dam failures, terrorist activities and the release of hazardous materials.
The highly organized team also has a logistics branch, Task Force 4, that can respond and be set up just four hours after a disaster occurs.
