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Operators unveil first responder facility

Date Posted: September 16 2005

"The first responders of today live in a world transformed by the attacks on 9/11. Because no one believes that every conceivable form of attack can be prevented, civilians and first responders will again find themselves on the front lines. We must plan for that eventuality."

-From the 9-11 Commission Report.

HOWELL - With 9-11 hardly a distant memory, and the affects of Hurricane Katrina still on the front pages, Operating Engineers Local 324 hosted an event on Sept. 7 that highlighted Michigan's leading-edge training program to deal with disasters.

Held at the Local 324 Education Center, the event unveiled the formal partnership between the union's Joint Apprenticeship Training Fund and MUSAR - Michigan Urban Search and Rescue Training Foundation. The first responder training program is one of only three in the nation.

MUSAR works in cooperation with fire service, local emergency management, State Police and private sector agencies to provide a statewide capability for specialized response to structural collapse emergencies and search and rescue.

"The Operating Engineers should be proud that they're contributing to homeland security in our state and our nation," said Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm, who addressed a group of about 300 who attended the event. "I'm privileged to share the stage with people who understand the importance of preparation, especially now, after what happened in the Gulf. The ability to train first responders is phenomenally important."

MUSAR has two ultimate goals: the attainment of a statewide, functional taskforce capable of effective actions and immediate response after a disaster; as well as the enhancement of local fire department response capabilities for those departments that choose to participate.

The dedication ceremony took place at the 225,000-square-foot outdoor disaster training facility on the grounds of the Local 324 Education Center. Different stations have chunks of heavy concrete, tangled steel, practice areas for rescue dogs, and cranes with operating engineers practicing the ability to "surgically" remove debris.

The event drew a cross-section of statewide and local public safety officials, as well as scores of firefighters and emergency medical technicians from participating fire departments who have been training at the Local 324 training site.

"We can't expect the response from the federal government to be there when it's needed, we saw what happened after the hurricane," said Local 324 Business Manager John Hamilton. "We need an effective, local response. I'm proud of our facility, and we're proud that it's funded by our members."

Local 324 Training Director Gregg Newsom said the Local 324 training site is a good fit for the first responder training. Union operators and their heavy equipment are able to work with emergency personnel on rigging loads and learning to work together. Plus, there is plenty of room at the training site for practice in shoring, simulations of collapsed concrete, and cutting through twisted steel.

"We have 515 acres here and over 70 pieces of equipment at the site," Newsom said. "The reason we believe in this program is that we want first responders in the state to be able to do the best job possible."

Having the training site in Michigan means that first responders won't have to go to Texas or Virginia for training. Firefighters from various communities across Michigan have played significant roles in the development of the program, which can involve as many as 200 hours of training.

The training curriculum was developed in conjunction with standards set by the Federal Emergency Management Agency,

Grand Rapids Fire Dept. Lt. Dave Van Holstyn said with budget constraints common in municipalities, many firefighters take part in the training on their own time. In his department alone, 35 firefighters have been trained to respond to structural collapses.

"We're able to do so much more here that we can't do locally," Van Holstyn said. "This has been a tremendous resource." 

AT THE DEDICATION OF the new Operating Engineers Local 324/ Michigan Urban Search and Rescue Training Foundation facility are (l-r) Local 324 Business Manager John Hamilton, Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm, Local 324 Training Director Gregg Newsom, Michigan Urban Search and Rescue President and Detroit Fire Dept. Deputy Chief Dave Pegg, and Col. Tadarial Surdivant, director of the Michigan State Police.