Day 7-Reality in Centennial Park

A lecturer on hazardous materials reviewed the types of exposure we might be subjected to and how to protect ourselves-the entire decontamination procedure, which takes 15 to 20 minutes per person.

We learned at 1 a.m. that a pipe bomb had exploded in Centennial Park. We were alerted but not deployed, as there were only a few casualties and two deaths-not enough to warrant our being airlifted there. What came out of that experience besides heightened anxiety was the reality of what we were doing, and the necessity of this mission. We learned from the MSU staff that this type of readiness training has never been done before on this scale-more than 600 personnel.

Back to Journal Index