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Emergency managers plan for worst, hope for best

446th AW works hard to prepare for inspection

Photo by Tech. Sgt. Tanya King

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(446th AW PA) - Bombs are exploding, chemical weapons have contaminated half the base, badly injured Airmen are scattered everywhere, communication systems are down and there's a fire inside the wing headquarter building.

This could very well be the scene during the 446th Airlift Wing's Operational Readiness Inspection in October, and members from the 446th Civil Engineer Squadron's Emergency Management team here have been working hard to get ORI players ready to respond.

They are the calm inside the storm during moments like this and all eyes are on them.

"Usually nothing is happening or everything is happening all at once," said Tech. Sgt. Justin Shattuck, 446th CES Emergency Management Air Reserve Technician. "We provide the base commander and the emergency operations center director with the information they need to be able to make decisions so the mission doesn't stop. We have a big role in making sure everyone knows what to do before hand, so no one panics - it's all about continuing the mission for us."

Giving people the tools to perform under pressure doesn't happen overnight, however.

"We take a crawl, walk run approach to training," said Senior Airman Casey Hawk, 446th CES Emergency Management journeyman. "Typically I have two hours to get as much information as possible into their heads in a classroom setting."

It's during exercises like the upcoming ORI that they are really able to make an impact in training and proving their worth to the wing.

"We love exercises," said Hawk, who recently transitioned from active-duty. "The hands-on portion in an exercise makes the training realistic and ultimately, more impactful. Stress during training helps people to remember their training in a real-world situation."

However, preparing the wing to succeed in an ORI is only one aspect of an emergency manager's job; they don't stop working when it's over.

"We also train for natural disasters, enemy attacks, active shooter situations and anything that threatens the mission," said Shattuck, who said the career field and their role in the wing is often misunderstood. After an ORI, people think our job is finished."

In recent years, the career field aligned to work more closely with the civilian sector by complying with the National Incident Management System, with Hurricane Katrina and 9/11 being catalysts for changing how emergency situations are managed.

"Just as no one really considered disaster response on those levels prior to those lessons learned, preparing for a catastrophic earthquake isn't necessarily on peoples' minds either," said Hawk. "But I'd like to think our members and their families are prepared for any situation. That way when something big happens, we aren't surprised by it."

Shattuck said the job of an emergency manager is to maintain a constant state of wing readiness, regardless of the scenario.

"Keeping people in a proactive state of mind, even when there is no formal inspection on the horizon, is our end goal and that's what makes my job so challenging and exciting," said Shattuck, who's come to love his high-tempo job. "It takes a different kind of person to do this job. We are very plan oriented. We plan for the worst but hope for the best."

"If our training is effective and people understand the importance of being prepared, it trickles down and has a big impact on the mission," said Hawk. "It's gratifying to know that everything we did behind the scenes helped achieve a positive end result."

"This career field may not be for everyone, but being familiar with the concept we teach is," said Airman 1st Class Alexis Feredinos, 446th CES Emergency Management apprentice. "No matter what situation you find yourself in, you need to be calculating the risks and threats. That's the mindset we need to be in as a wing and as an Air Force."

Photo: Tech. Sgt Justin Shattuck, 446th Civil Engineer Squadron emergency manager, shows Citizen Airmen how to properly dispose of contaminated materials during a training session Aug. 12 at McChord Field. The training enhances the wing’s readiness and ability to succeed as it focuses on preparing for the Operational Readiness Inspection in October.

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