Joint State/Federal Transportation Exercise Tests Response Plans
Cascade Fury III takes on Mount Rainier
Release Date: May 5, 2005
Release Number: R10-05-048
SEATTLE, Wash. -- The Department of Transportation and the Department of Defense will host CASCADE FURY III from 11-13 May 2005 at the brand new Military Support Training Facility on Fort Lewis. The three-day event will consist of a “training day” presenting Cascade Range Volcano hazards and response plans, a full day simulation and a final table top review. The exercise play postulates a catastrophic seismic event that triggers a landslide and massive debris flow, followed by a tremendous volcanic eruption. According to Federal Aviation Administration Regional Administrator and Regional Transportation Coordinator (RETCO) Douglas R. Murphy, the exercise is designed to challenge participants with a high consequence, low probability scenario in order to better assess interagency coordination and the effectiveness of existing response plans.
“The threat of natural disasters is real, with potentially serious consequences that may occur at any time. Advance preparation is the key to a successful response.” said Murphy. “This exercise provides us a realistic opportunity under the new National Response Plan to demonstrate our readiness, improve coordination, and strengthen our federal, state and local partnerships.”
FEMA Regional Director John Pennington agrees. “Most emergency incidents are handled on a daily basis at the local level, but the challenges we face as a nation are far greater than the capabilities of any one community or state,” said Pennington. “In any disaster, the coordination, planning, and unity of our response are the key determinates of success, and are in fact the guiding principles of the new National Response Plan. Exercises like CASCADE FURY III help us validate, correct and improve our joint response capabilities.”
Cascade Fury III is the third in a series of Emergency Transportation Exercises designed to test the effectiveness of state, federal and local government coordination in responding to catastrophic transportation system disruptions. The two previous CASCADE FURY exercises were based on eruptions of Mount St. Helens, and were held in Seaside, Oregon, and in Alta, Wyoming.
FEMA prepares the nation for all hazards and manages federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident. FEMA also initiates mitigation activities, trains first responders, works with state and local emergency managers, and manages the National Flood Insurance Program and the U.S. Fire Administration. FEMA became part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on March 1, 2003.
Last Modified: Thursday, 05-May-2005 17:44:51