Nat’l Guard prepares for worst

On a cold, blustery day, Thursday, Jan. 19, the South Dakota National Guard 82nd Civil Support Team (CST) successfully completed a rescue exercise at Jewel Cave National Monument. The CST, in addition to local responders, responded to a mock set-up which involved an emergency response to hazardous material and a mock rescue.

According to Communications NCO Alex Raber, the CST used the exercise to train in rescue operations and response of chemical, biological or radioactive agents.

“It’s important to train for this because these are scenarios that could potentially happen in real life,” he said. “It betters us as a team to train and know what to do.”

Larry Johnson, superintendent at Jewel Cave National Monument, was impressed with the professionalism and insight of the CST.

“I’m pleased that they are able to train and we are able to learn from professionals in the field,” he said. “They’re the best and anything we can do to help we will.”

While the chances of something happening at Jewel Cave are slim, the simulated rescue operation gives the CST, National Guard personnel and other responders the chance to practice emergency response procedures, test their communications structure and work with emergency management agencies in an unique environment.

“Working for the Parks Service, I’ve learned to never say never,” Johnson said. “It’s comforting to know the 82nd CST is available for any problem that may come our way.” 

“I was enlightened to see what is available to us if the problem arises and to see the ideas they came up with,” Custer County Sheriff Rick Wheeler said. “The event was very professionally orchestrated and I was unaware of all of the resources available.”

Wheeler also said if a problem should arise, the sheriff’s office would serve as a security detail to assist the CST.

“We would let them handle what they are trained to do,” Wheeler said. “We’d just keep the public back.” 

While the team usually deals with wide-open spaces, the team looked forward to working in tighter spaces.

“We generally do the same stuff as other hazardous teams,” Raber said. ”This is our first time at Jewel Cave and working with the park service, so we’re excited about that.”

The 82nd CST is made up of both Army and Air Force Guard members. Every state has at least one CST, with some states having two or more depending on their population. Depending on the location of the emergency, CSTs must respond within a certain period of time. The 82nd CST is based out of Ellsworth Air Force Base and has a 90-minute response time to the Black Hills area and a three- to five- hour response time to areas east in South Dakota. The team does one live action exercise a month in the area and one a year outside of South Dakota.

“It’s a great opportunity to train,” Raber said. “We don’t usually see this kind of stuff until it happens, but when it does it’s beneficial to everyone working as a team.”

Fourteen of the 22-member team participated in the event, with the addition of the Forest Service, National Park Service and the sheriff’s department.

Marc Moore, health and safety officer for the Forest Service, believes the exercise was successful for both the National Guard unit and for local responders.

“It was a great learning experience and demonstration of CST capabilities to local governments,” he said. “It definitely benefits us and the state as a whole.”

Moore, who would offer logistical support as a safety officer should a problem arise, also likes that the unit is based out of Rapid City, which gives a much more immediate local response. 

This was the first time Jewel Cave National Monument participated in a large-scale event like this. Last year, Jewel Cave did a mock rescue involving ropes and high angle rescuers with medical and wilderness training. The monument also has an active cave rescue team. According to Johnson, it takes six hours to travel the entire 157-mile length of the cave. The rest of the cave is uncharted area. 

“It’s a win-win situation,” Johnson said. “We get to learn from the best and be part of the solution.”