They train as they fight… Federal, state and local agencies participated in a full-scale exercise at GSP International Airport Tuesday morning.
The Federal Coordinating Center, or the FCC, operates as a part of the National Disaster Medical System.
Their job is to respond to national level emergencies such as Hurricane Maria back in 2017.
The exercise was to test the state’s ability to support medical evacuations that would involve patients being transported to local Upstate hospitals.
During the exercise a military C-17 airplane arrived, and patients were taken off the plane, into medical tents, and then transported to various hospitals in the area.
Lieutenant Colonel John Clouse is the Chief Medical Operations Officer for the FCC, and he says this annual exercise pays off big time in the face of real emergencies.
“By doing this year after year, it gives us that opportunity to stay in touch with our local partners,” said Clouse. “It is nice to get people reconnected or keep them connected, because it pays off big dividends, as we found out when we were activated for Maria. We literally just had to make a handful of phone calls and everything came together, and we are PRA’s up and functional and ready to receive.”