LAS VEGAS, Nevada - An 11-person Fatality Search and Recovery Team from the Arizona Air National Guard’s 162nd Force Support Squadron trained in person this week in Las Vegas with other Air and Army National Guard units that make up the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Region 9 Chemical, Biological, Radiological/Nuclear, and Explosive - Enhanced Response Force Package.

Next year, Tucson’s CERFP and FSRT team will be recertified in a similar training event.

“This is a volunteer mission, and our Airmen go into it knowing that they will likely exceed their traditional one weekend per month/two weeks per year obligation due to the amount of training involved,” said Lt. Col. Ryan Avery, 162nd FSS commander. “These are dedicated men and women who give us the flexibility to fulfill our National Guard motto. We really are ‘Always Ready, Always There.’ ”

For real-world scenarios, the FSRT is prepared to travel with two large climate-controlled tents, two large refrigeration units, three Polaris Rangers for adverse travel conditions, and communications equipment to support their fatality recovery mission. FSRT team members travel on “special training” orders to accomplish the extensive training required.  

However, the additional training required of FSRT members does not impose a burden on the individual Guard units.

“As a homeland defense mission, funding to support CERFPs comes from a different pot of money,” explained Chief Master Sgt. Raul Verdugo. “We can support state and federal missions as dictated by our governor, but the FSRT intent is to support the CERFP mission in the southwestern region.”

Although CERFPs had not conducted in-person training since mid-2019, the six teams that make up the Region 9 CERFP picked up right where they left off.

The exercise scenario in Las Vegas included a “sulfur” incident in which a large area was chemically contaminated on the University of Arizona campus. Each CERFP component had specific objectives. The FSRT’s goals were to set up their tents and refrigeration units within 90 minutes, conduct a detailed search and recovery within their assigned sector of the contamination area, and coordinate with the local medical examiner to help remove victims.

“It was great to train again as a team and practice what we do in support of domestic operations,” said Capt. Jacob Thoman, 162nd FSS officer in charge of the FSRT. “The more we practice, the more proficient we become.”

Visitors attending the training included Brig. Gen. Troy Armstrong, Nevada Army National Guard land component commander; John Lee, mayor of North Las Vegas; and James Gibson, Clark County commissioner. 

The FEMA Region 9 office oversees federal emergency management for Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada and the territories of Guam, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands, and the Federated States of Micronesia.