Security Forces Teams with Portland Police for Crisis Management Exercise

  • Published
  • By 1st Lt. G. Adrian Remington
  • 142 FW/PA
Portland, Ore. --  The 142nd Security Forces Squadron's National Guard Response Force hosted a crisis management exercise with the Portland Police Bureau's Rapid Response Team at the Portland Air National Guard Base September 21 and 22, 2011. The exercise involved training and practicing crowd management by members from each agency.

"The National Guard Response Force trains and prepares to assist first responders during crisis situations, and this type of training allows us to build relationships with those who we'll be working with if called upon," said Air Force Technical Sgt. Shawn Potter, NCOIC NGRF.

The training exercise took place to practice their skills and techniques for crowd control in preparation for the 2012 election year. The training included the movement of the response teams through a simulated downtown city block, bringing the responders online to push back an agitated crowd, mounting and dismounting a response team transport, and effective communicating in loud and distracting scenarios.

"Communication during a disturbance is always a challenge for any response team," said Rapid Response Team 1st Sgt. Kyle Nice. "Working with the military teams helps us develop a standard of communication that is used universally, so we can all communicate using the same commands or hand signals, and nobody is confused."

The Security Forces NGRF and Portland Police Bureau RRT are looking ahead to include the Army NGRF and other civilian first responders in a possible spring exercise on base to further develop continuity in the state response forces.