Behind the rising smoke and sounding alarms, you may see and hear military personnel at Canadian Forces Station (CFS) St. John’s are conducting an important training exercise.
The base’s Station Defence Force, along with members of 35 Field Ambulance Unit and the Care Delivery Unit are responding to a mock terrorist attack scenario.
The training was expected to last until noon.
The exercise will test how efficiently the unit responds to, and deals with, the stress of a terrorist car bomb attack that results in multiple serious injuries and fatalities.
About 25 military personnel are taking part in the exercise.
Bruce King, CFS St. John’s projects officer, said the training exercise is being conducted in two parts.
Part 1, which began early this morning (Thursday), was held in the classroom where all members of the station defence force took part in first aid training. The members reviewed injuries that may be caused by an explosion or blast — injuries suffered by people either being in a vehicle or near a vehicle used by a suicide bomber.
Part 2, which is taking place now in the far western parking lot of the base, involves six soldiers in acting roles with multiple severe injuries — with makeup and torn clothing to make the scenario as real as possible — dispersed in or near an exploded vehicle.
Members of the Station Defence Force, who were still in the classroom and unaware of the outside scene, were alerted that the mock suicide bombing had occurred and they had to immediately jump into action.
To add to the realism of the scene, there are controlled fires in steel drums and an old vehicle.
Members of the 35 Field Ambulance Unit are monitoring the exercise and will provide feedback to the unit.
